to fight climate change:
Asian Farmers Call for Massive Support for Sustainable, Organic Agriculture
Climate change, or Global warming, has emerged as the most serious, yet unifying , global issue, that affects every country and every citizen, both rich and poor, of the world. However, the rise of the earth’s temperature has its most serious effects to agriculture, particularly to us, poor, small scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples, even though we have contributed least to the problem. We rely so much on our communion with nature and climate for our livelihoods and way of life. The warming of the earth will change weather patterns , disrupt ecosystems, and with it, unusual droughts, floods, storms, heat, pests, and diseases, all of which can spell insecurity, illness, disaster, hunger and even death and tragedy among us.
Global warming is caused by high fossil energy consumption, mainly by people from the rich and developed countries . The production, marketing and trading of most of the goods and services that occur today use fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and natural gas, which in turn produce carbon dioxide- the main “greenhouse “ gas that traps the heat in the Earth’s atmosphere, thus making our planet warmer.
In the agricultural sector, the main contributor to global warming are the big agribusiness corporations and plantations. Rapid and massive deforestration to give way to monoculture plantation crops have greatly reduced the number of trees that can absorb carbon dioxide as well as the acres of peat lands and meadows that can stock carbon. The rampant use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides result to emission of another “greenhouse” gas called nitrous oxide. These chemical fertilizers and pesticides are produced using fossil fuels, too. Crops and various agricultural and food products are being transported at local and international markets using vehicles and ships that use fossil fuels. And as societies become modernized and westernized, agricultural lands are converted to industrial and commercial uses such as factories, office buildings and shopping malls, which use fossil fuels for energy. Furthermore, less agricultural lands means less lands for food production, which can lead to food insecurity.
We believe that sustainable, organic/ecological friendly agriculture which is owned , controlled and managed by small scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous people, and supported by government policies and programs, is a key to a significant reduction of greenhouse gases.
In view of this, we ask governments who are now gathered in Bali , Indonesia to act and/or consider the following:
1. Reduce the risks of climate change among poor small scale farmers , fishers and indigenous Peoples.
a. Develop community-based disaster management programs . Establish early warning systems with strong information dissemination mechanisms especially for the vulnerable groups .
b. Support researches that help small scale farmers and fishers to cope up with the effects of climate change- crops to plant, seed variety to use using sustainable, ecologically friendly approaches. Support especially their own on-ground experimentation on these matters. Ensure effective and efficient agricultural extension work , in efforts to diseminate research findings.
c. Inform local farmers’ and fishers’ groups about the impact of climate change in their communities. Assist small men and women farmers in identification and implementation of mitigating measures.
2. Reverse the trend of climate change by mainstreaming sustainable, ecological ,organic agriculture .
a. Recognize the role of small scale farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples as custodians of the natural resource base. Establish and effectively implement policies that give them access and control over these natural resources, such as land, waters, seas and seeds.
b. Promote agriculture and fisheries that effectively lift the rural people, both men and women, from poverty , utilize local wisdom and appropriate , environment-friendly technologies, gets fair prices from fair markets , and preserve the agricultural heritage of rural communities against devastating impacts of corporate-led agriculture and fisheries.
d. Mainstream sustainable , organic agriculture through massive extension and promotion. Support for soil conservation and incentives for sustainable production practices should be given to small scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples.
e. Formulate standards for sustainable and fair production and marketing, such that farmers and traders are encouraged to produce and sell only products that are produced in a safe and sustainable manner and that gives fair returns to small producers.
3. Governments must develop an energy policy that promotes the increasing use of reusable sources of energy including solar , water, and wind energy as well as bio-fuels. However, the development of renewable sources, especially bio-fuel energy, should consider the balance between meeting the needs on energy and food security of the people, especially that of small men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous peoples. There is a glaring inequity in energy distribution, where rich countries consume and waste more energy while the multitude of the poor do not have access to energy.
a. Thus, Governments need to conduct careful assessment of their energy needs, local renewable energy sources, and technological capacity, and to formulate a sustainable energy plan that would primarily be aimed at providing equal access to energy for all, and empower people to manage their own energy production and consumption.
b. Governments should encourage and assist community-based farmers’ groups to manage the production , marketing and trading of bio-fuels, primarily for their own/ locality’s energy needs.
As a national peasant organization in Indonesia and as a regional organization of small scale men and women farmers in Asia, , our members support and practice various forms and technologies of sustainable agriculture including natural farming, bio-extract, bio-compost, bio-hormone, use of local and select seeds, herbal pesticides, integrated farming, crop diversification, ecological chicjken raising and village veterinary volunteer services, among others. AFA is committed to the promotion of sustainable, organic agricultue and makes efforts to spread tts practice among its members. Together with other advocates for organic agriculture , sustainable rural development, equity-led trade and agrarian reform, we will join hands in making the earth not only a cooler planet, but one which is more just , fair and caring for small scale men and women farmers, fishers and indigenous Peoples.
Aliansi Petani Indonesia ( API, or Indonesian Peasant Alliance)
Asian Farmers’ Asociation for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA)
08 December 2007, Bali, Indonesia
Comments are closed