Several big emitters such as the United States and China signed the declaration but India, which has a large number of small and marginal farmers, did not.
Thursday marked the end of the first week of the annual UN climate change summit. In many ways, this year’s COP or Conference of Parties has seen many firsts. The Loss and Damage Fund was operationalised, a health declaration was signed and 134 countries signed the Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems, and Climate Action.
This was the first time in three decades that agriculture and food systems featured prominently in a COP. According to research published in January this year, agriculture and food systems contribute to about a third of the total greenhouse gas emissions due to farming and land use, storage, transport, packaging, processing, retail and consumption.
“Countries must put food systems and agriculture at the heart of their climate ambitions, addressing both global emissions and protecting the lives and livelihoods of farmers living on the frontline of climate change,” said Mariam Almheiri, the UAE’s climate change minister and lead of COP28 food systems, in a statement.
The Declaration calls for integrating agriculture and food systems to be incorporated into national adaptation plans, nationally determined contributions and national biodiversity strategies. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are non-binding national plans for climate mitigation and targets for greenhouse gas emissions.
India opts out of the declaration
Several big emitters such as the United States and China signed the declaration. India did not. In countries such as India, where the majority are small and marginal farmers who are doing subsistence agriculture, imposing more restrictions on them in the name of emissions is wrong, said Rajashree Joshi, Programme Director of Pune based BAIF Development Research Foundation.
According to the updated NDCs, India has committed to reducing emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% by 2030. These need to come from areas such as construction, infrastructure development and transportation, said Dr Joshi. “And not from agriculture, as that might affect our food security,” she said.
“Methane generation from industry should be prioritised before agriculture,” said Myron Mendes, National Facilitator of Indian Network on Ethics and Climate Change (INECC).
The UAE announced USD 2.5 billion in funding for food security in vulnerable nations while combating climate change. In addition, the UAE along with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will invest USD 200 million for innovations in food systems to tackle climate change.
“We have been fighting to keep the food systems away from large corporations because then we will be leaving them to market forces, which is not different from what we have now,” said Arnold Padilla, Programme Coordinator of Pesticide Action Network Asia Pacific.
Countries such as the Philippines welcomed India’s stand to not sign the declaration. “If a large economy like India keeps away from succumbing [to corporations and corporation-backed foundations, that is good news for all of us,” said a representative of a civil society organisation from the Philippines.
Challenges of sustainable agriculture
However, having sustainable agricultural practices will protect small and marginal farmers in vulnerable countries since they are on the front lines of unprecedented droughts and erratic rainfall. “This is another reason why India needs to put its farmers’ needs first,” said Dr Joshi.
According to a 2020 McKinsey report, sectors other than agriculture have identified many technologies that could sharply reduce emissions. “The sector also has a complicated set of objectives to consider alongside climate goals, including biodiversity, nutrition needs, food security and the livelihoods of farmers and farming communities,” the report said.
“The first step in reducing emissions from agriculture is to produce food as efficiently as possible, that is, to change how we farm,” it said. “A set of proven GHG (greenhouse gas)-efficient farming technologies and practices, some of which are already being deployed, could achieve about 20% of the sector’s required emissions reduction by 2050.”
Some vulnerable countries are asking for agriculture and food systems to be “economically viable and socially just” which they term agroecology. Agroecology integrates science with local and Indigenous knowledge and practice, emphasising farming in harmony with natural cycles and processes, and a political commitment to food sovereignty.
Azra Talat Sayeed of Roots of Equality, Pakistan said that the centre of decision making has to be the rural people, they already have a roadmap of sustainable agriculture, thus taking us closer to agroecology.
“It is critical that new initiatives advanced in the context UAE Presidency’s COP28 Food Systems and Agriculture Agenda – whether private or public sector led – embrace agroecological principles rather than promoting techno-fixes that prolong rather than transform harmful industrial models,” said a PAN AP statement released after the Declaration was signed.
Another major aspect of making food systems socially just is to ensure “we curb the rise of market-based finance and carbon offsetting,” said Kirtana Chandrasekaran from Friends of the Earth International. “This means we need to have grant-based government funding to move away from highly polluting agricultural practices,” she added.
(Raksha Kumar is a media fellow, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development)
Published in The NEWS Minute
Published on December 8, 2023
Link: Explained: Why India refused to sign declaration to reduce agri emissions at COP28 (thenewsminute.com)
Nchi kadhaa kubwa kama vile Marekani na China zilikubaliana na mkataba huo lakini India, ambayo ina idadi kubwa ya wakulima wadogo na wachache, haikubali. Mkutano huo wa kwanza wa kila mwaka wa Umoja wa Mataifa kuhusu mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa umefikia mwisho Alhamisi. Katika njia nyingi, COP ya mwaka huu au Mkutano wa Vyama umeona mambo mengi ya kwanza. Mkataba wa Uokoaji wa Uharibifu wa Chakula na Uharibifu wa Chakula (LDSF) ulifungwa na nchi 134 na Umoja wa Mataifa, na nchi 134 na Umoja wa Mataifa zilitia saini Azimio la Kilimo Endelevu, Mifumo ya Chakula na Hatua ya Hali ya Hewa. Hii ilikuwa mara ya kwanza katika miongo mitatu kwamba kilimo na mifumo ya chakula ilionyesha wazi katika COP. Kulingana na utafiti uliochapishwa Januari mwaka huu, kilimo na mifumo ya chakula huchangia karibu theluthi moja ya jumla ya uzalishaji wa gesi chafu kutokana na kilimo na matumizi ya ardhi, kuhifadhi, usafirishaji, ufungaji, usindikaji, rejareja na matumizi. "Nchi lazima ziweke mifumo ya chakula na kilimo katikati ya matarajio yao ya hali ya hewa, kukabiliana na uzalishaji wa ulimwengu na kulinda maisha na riziki ya wakulima wanaoishi kwenye mstari wa mbele wa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa,"" alisema Mariam Al-Mehiri, waziri wa mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa wa UAE na kiongozi wa mifumo ya chakula ya COP28. """ Taarifa hiyo inatoa wito wa kuunganisha mifumo ya kilimo na chakula kuingizwa katika mipango ya kitaifa ya mabadiliko, michango iliyoamuliwa kitaifa na mikakati ya kitaifa ya utofauti wa kibiolojia. Msaada wa Kitaifa (NDC) ni mpango wa kitaifa wa kupunguza hali ya hewa na lengo la uzalishaji wa gesi ya chafu. India imeamua kutoroka kwenye tamko hilo, na nchi kadhaa kubwa kama vile Marekani na China zimejiunga na tamko hilo. India haikifanya hivyo. """Katika nchi kama India, ambapo wengi ni wakulima wadogo na wachache ambao wanafanya kilimo cha kujitegemea, kuweka vizuizi zaidi juu yao kwa jina la uzalishaji ni kosa,"" alisema Rajashree Joshi, Mkurugenzi wa Programu wa Pune-based BAIF Development Research Foundation." Kulingana na NDCs zilizobadilishwa, India imejitolea kupunguza uzalishaji wa uzalishaji wa jumla wa nchi kwa asilimia 45 ifikapo 2030. Hizi zinahitaji kuja kutoka maeneo kama vile ujenzi, maendeleo ya miundombinu na usafiri, alisema Daktari Joshi. "Na si kutoka kilimo, kwani hiyo inaweza kuathiri usalama wetu wa chakula", alisema. "Uzalishaji wa methane kutoka kwa viwanda unapaswa kuwa kipaumbele kabla ya kilimo", alisema Myron Mendes, Msaidizi wa Kitaifa wa Mtandao wa India juu ya Maadili na Mabadiliko ya Hali ya Hewa (INECC). UAE ilitangaza dola bilioni 2.5 katika ufadhili wa usalama wa chakula katika mataifa dhaifu wakati wa kupambana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa. UAE na Bill na Melinda Gates Foundation watatumia dola milioni 200 kwa ubunifu katika mifumo ya chakula ili kukabiliana na mabadiliko ya hali ya hewa "Tumekuwa tukipigana ili kuweka mifumo ya chakula mbali na mashirika makubwa kwa sababu basi tutakuwa tukiacha kwa nguvu za soko, ambayo haitofautiani na kile tunacho sasa, "Alisema Arnold Padilla, Mratibu wa Programu ya Mtandao wa Hatua ya Pesticide Asia Pasifiki." Nchi kama vile Ufilipino zilikaribisha msimamo wa India wa kutosaini tamko hilo. "Ikiwa uchumi mkubwa kama India unaendelea kuepuka kuanguka [kwa mashirika na misingi inayoungwa mkono na mashirika, hiyo ni habari njema kwa sisi sote, "alisema mwakilishi wa shirika la jamii ya kiraia kutoka Ufilipino." Hata hivyo, kuwa na mazoea endelevu ya kilimo kutawalinda wakulima wadogo na wachache katika nchi zilizo hatarini kwani wako kwenye mstari wa mbele wa ukame usio na kifani na mvua isiyo ya kawaida. "Hii ni sababu nyingine kwa nini India inahitaji kuweka mahitaji ya wakulima wake kwanza", alisema Daktari Joshi. Kulingana na ripoti ya McKinsey ya 2020, sekta zingine mbali na kilimo zimetambua teknolojia nyingi ambazo zinaweza kupunguza uzalishaji kwa kasi. "Sekta hiyo pia ina seti ngumu ya malengo ya kuzingatia pamoja na malengo ya hali ya hewa, pamoja na utofauti wa kibiolojia, mahitaji ya lishe, usalama wa chakula na njia za maisha ya wakulima na jamii za wakulima", ripoti hiyo ilisema. "Hatua ya kwanza katika kupunguza uzalishaji kutoka kilimo ni kuzalisha chakula kwa ufanisi iwezekanavyo, ambayo ni kubadilisha jinsi tunavyofanya kilimo", ilisema. "Kundi la teknolojia na mazoea ya kilimo yenye ufanisi wa gesi ya chafu, ambayo baadhi yake tayari yanatumiwa, inaweza kufikia karibu 20% ya kupunguza uzalishaji unaohitajika wa sekta hiyo ifikapo mwaka 2050 ""Nchi zingine zilizo hatarini zinaomba mifumo ya kilimo na chakula kuwa ""ya ufanisi kiuchumi na ya kijamii"" ambayo wanaita agroecology." Agroecology huunganisha sayansi na maarifa na mazoea ya ndani na ya asili, ikikazia kilimo katika maelewano na mizunguko na michakato ya asili, na kujitolea kisiasa kwa uhuru wa chakula. Azra Talat Saeed, wa Roots of Equality, Pakistan, alisema kuwa watu wa vijijini ndio lazima wawe na jukumu la kufanya maamuzi, tayari wana ramani ya kilimo endelevu, na hivyo kutupeleka karibu na agroecology. "Ni muhimu kwamba mipango mpya iliyoendelezwa katika muktadha wa Urais wa UAE wa COP28 Mifumo ya Chakula na Ajenda ya Kilimo, iwe inayoongozwa na sekta binafsi au ya umma, inashikilia kanuni za kilimo badala ya kukuza teknolojia za kurekebisha ambazo huongeza badala ya kubadilisha mifano ya viwanda yenye madhara, ""alisema taarifa ya PAN AP iliyotolewa baada ya saini ya Azimio." "Hatua nyingine muhimu ya kufanya mifumo ya chakula kuwa ya haki kijamii ni kuhakikisha ""tunazidisha kuongezeka kwa fedha za soko na kusawazisha kaboni,"" alisema Kirtana Chandrasekaran kutoka Marafiki wa Dunia Kimataifa." "Hii inamaanisha tunahitaji kuwa na ufadhili wa serikali unaotegemea ruzuku ili kuondoa mazoea ya kilimo yanayosababisha uchafuzi mkubwa", aliongeza. "Raksha Kumar, Mkurugenzi wa Media, Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development, alisema: ""Tunaamini kwamba India ina jukumu kubwa katika kuimarisha ushirikiano wa kimataifa katika masuala ya haki za wanawake na haki za wanawake."