Interview with the Minister Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fishing–Gregoire Akofodji. Interview is in French.

Remarks made by Dr. Janet Edeme of the African Union’s Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture at Liberia’s CAADP Compact signing ceremony. 15-16 October 2009. Monrovia, Liberia.

ECOWAS Commissioner for Agriculture Salifou Ousseni.
This clip highlights some of the remarks made by key participants at the Liberia’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Roundtable and Compact signing ceremonies. Monrovia, Liberia, 15-16 October 2009.

This clip highlights remarks made by the Vice President of Liberia Joseph Boakai as he officially opens Liberia’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Roundtable and Compact signing ceremony. Monrovia, Liberia, 15-16 October 2009.

The international peasants movement La Via Campesina representing millions of small farmers, landless people, rural men and women from around the world demand that the heads of state coming to Copenhagen for the Climate conference do not trade on the future of agriculture.

Small farmers are severely affected by the current climate crisis; suffering from floods, droughts, changes in weather patterns and increased pests and disease.

The current climate chaos, as well as the combined food and financial crises are the direct results of the capitalist mode of production and consumption over recent decades. Industrial agriculture, represented by large monocultures, plantations and intensive livestock production is responsible for around half of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. However, the mechanisms currently discussed within the UNFCCC serve only to further support for industrial agriculture and exclude small producers.

Under the concept of mitigation currently in negotiation at the UNFCCC agrofuels are encouraged and “responsibly” certified GM soya is a suitable recipient of  “clean development mechanism” support. As a result, unsustainable, intensive production is rewarded along with systems which result in direct environmental pollution. Meanwhile the positive contribution of sustainable farming to the climate, the environment and employment is overlooked by the Climate talks.

More than 150 Via Campesina farmers have come to Copenhagen to claim that a radical change in the food system has the potential to achieve reductions of between 50-75 per-cent of current global emissions. This would include returning organic matter to the soil, developing local markets and reversing intensive livestock production. Farmers are not begging for carbon credits or other trade based solutions, they are offering a solution to the current crisis; a diverse food system that supports local markets and promotes food sovereignty.

In order to save the climate we must change the current production and consumption models.

 

 

 

 

Publication date: Sunday, 13th December, 2009 www.newvision.co.ug

By Morrison Rwakakamba

Trevor said three memorable lines concerning water, energy and security issues. He said energy has alternatives while water has none. “Water is life and sanitation is dignity.” He concluded that without water, there is no agriculture. The foregoing lines, I believe, are principle benchmarks that ongoing global debates and national plans on energy, water and food security should be anchored.

My paper was meant to flag farmers issues on the agenda, and identify areas that must be financed if farmers have to continue feeding the bulging population on the continent (Africa’s population growth is at 2.4% per annum).

I told the meeting that, agriculture, which produces multiple services from food, feed, fuel and fibre, is essentially dependent on water as one of its key strategic resources. Yet water availability and access, is under severe stress due to climate change and other man made environmental degradation tendencies on the continent. I reminded the audience that 95% of the food in sub-Saharan Africa depends on rain-fed agriculture and on average, 7% of sub-Sahara Africans are employed by agriculture.

It was important to point out a new recognition viewed through initiatives on the continent that aim at financing agriculture sector like the Maputo Declaration and the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) where many African countries committed to the principle of agriculture-led growth as a main strategy though in practice is still a feigned standpoint.

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