[Kampala, Uganda, April 22, 2022] – Today marks the 52nd anniversary of Earth Day, and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) joins individuals and organisations around the world in celebrating Mother Earth and what can be done to save and nurture the environment, a responsibility in which Agroecology plays a critical role.
As part of the activities this year, AFSA is undertaking a three-day social media campaign to raise awareness of the need for transformative changes in our food systems through diverse agroecological farming, which supports resilient and sustainable pathways to food security while addressing the climate crisis by rejuvenating biodiversity, restoring degraded land, improving ecosystem services, and increasing soil carbon sequestration.
On April 22, the campaign will join the global community on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram under the slogan “Investing in Agroecology is Investing in Our Planet.” The campaign’s official hashtags are #Agroecology4Climate and #InvestInAgroecology.
Solutions to the food and climate crisis have never been more urgent. According to the latest IPCCC landmark report released this year, tens of millions of people across Africa face the risk of famine, drought, disease, and displacement within decades, predicting a bleak future for the continent least responsible for global warming. According to the report, multiple African countries will face compounding risks from reduced food production across crops, livestock, and fisheries.
Bridget Mugambe, AFSA’s Program Coordinator, stated, “Africa requires a fresh perspective and renewed commitment to address the climate and food crises head-on. AFSA advocates Agroecology as the best paradigm for fundamentally transforming Africa’s food systems in order to address the climate, biodiversity, and food security crises. It is time for African governments to resist and reject industrial agriculture and recognise agroecology as a sustainable farming system that empowers small-scale farmers for food security and a resilient future.”
AFSA is leading policy advocacy campaigns at the regional and national levels to promote agroecology as a viable African solution to the food and climate crises. Our members actively participate in policy advocacy dialogues to encourage governments to recognize agroecology as an environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially just solution to building resilience and thus establish it as Africa’s critical policy priority for the upcoming COP-27.
“The age of multiple crises necessitates a serious rethinking of our food systems, as well as the promotion of ways to live in harmony with nature and invest in our planet,” said Dr. Million Belay, the General Coordinator of AFSA. “Scaling up Agroecology can help Africa achieve transformative changes in climate change adaptation, food security, and sustainable and just economies.”
This year’s Earth Day has a global theme of Investing in Our Planet, calling to act boldly, innovate broadly, and implement equitably. Agroecology is the latest science, a set of practices and the bold future of farming in Africa.
We cordially invite you to join our campaign on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram and advocate for agroecology for a Healthy Planet and resilient future!
