Newsflash

NewsFlash December 2015

Hello and welcome to our December newsletter! The Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – better known as COP21  – is underway in Paris. As we saw in the run up, with the Bonn talks we covered recently, nation states mostly argue their corner and real ambition is quite low: 2.7 degrees Celsius warming might be an optimistic outcome of the COP21, based on Bonn – and that’s hardly enough to prevent runaway climate change, when 2 degrees is the recognised ceiling. Agri-food is implicated in both Climate Change mitigation and adaptation. We’vesharpened our focus on these plus on regenerative agriculture, on soil, land use change and a host of other factors. In short we believe there are ways food production can become truly sustainable as outlined by IPES and others over recent months. This involves climate change and other food security, agroecology and food sovereigntydimensions, as we explore in numerous posts on our site. Let’s all work towards a real, sustainable agri-food sector, one that can hep us cope with […]

Recent updates

Cool the Planet, Feed the World – 7. December

Cool the Planet, Feed the World: The Power of Regenerative Food and Farming to Save the Planet At REcyclerie, Paris, France. To date, global climate crisis conversations have focused on solely emissions reduction. While necessary, reducing fossil fuel emissions alone is simply inadequate – it is a 50% solution. Even if we were to cut all human-induced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions today, the globe would continue to warm for decades or even centuries to come. However, there is hope. There is growing scientific evidence that regenerative organic agriculture can reverse climate change through soil carbon sequestration, while at the same time delivering other essential ecological, economic, and health benefits. Given that the industrial food and farming system as a whole is the number one cause of GHG emissions, climate activists need to start thinking of themselves as food, farming and natural health activists as well. Regeneration International is hosting “Cool the Planet, Feed the World: The Power of the Regenerative Food and Farming to Save the Planet” to raise awareness about how regenerative organic agriculture can […]

Latest from EU Member States

Sow your Resistance! Peasant Gathering for Seed Rights

By Paula Dragomir – Agrobiodiversity campaign assistant, Eco Ruralis On 24th-26th of September 2015, Eco Ruralis association participated in “Sow your resistance!” an international event in Lescar-Pau, France, which celebrated peasant seeds from all around the world. This event gathered more than 400 people from civil society movements and local NGO’s from Europe, Africa, South America and Asia. The event was co-organized by the Emmaus community of Lescar-Pau, the French network of peasant seeds Réseau Semences Paysannes and the French NGO for agricultural and social projects BEDE. The innovating, semi-autonomous village of Lescar-Pau – which produces 60% of the food needed by its 140 inhabitants – an extraordinary settlement and inspiring location for conceiving a different and better world. The various participants were involved in discussions, workshops, visits and debates. The program was rich and ambitious. The main demands were for: – Recognition of the indispensable past, present and future contribution of farmers and gardeners to the selection, conservation and renewal of agricultural biodiversity; – Respect and guarantee of the right of farmers to reuse, exchange […]