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http://www.climatesmartagconcerns.info/cop21-statement.html Don't be fooled! Civil society says NO to “Climate Smart Agriculture” and urges decision-makers to support agroecology We, the undersigned, belong to civil society organizations including social movements, peasants/farmers organizations and faith-based organizations from around the world. We are working to tackle the impacts of climate change that are already disrupting farming and food systems and threatening the food and nutrition security of millions of individuals. As we move towards COP21 in Paris, we welcome a growing recognition of the urgent need to adapt food systems to a changing climate, and the key role of agroecology within a food and seed sovereignty framework in achieving this, while contributing to mitigation through the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. However, despite these promising signals, we share deep concerns about the growing influence and agenda of so-called “Climate-Smart Agriculture” (CSA) and the Global Alliance for Climate-Smart Agriculture (GACSA). Climate change is the biggest and the most urgent threat our societies face. We need a radical transformation of our food systems away from an industrial model and its false solutions, and toward food sovereignty, local food systems, and integral agrarian reform in order to achieve the full realization of the human right to adequate food and nutrition. We therefore urge decision-makers at country and UN levels to reject the dangerous rhetoric of Climate-Smart Agriculture. Climate Smart Agriculture must not be confused with agroecology Climate Smart Agriculture must not be confused with agroecology[1]. Agroecology is a holistic approach to agriculture, based on principles of ecology as well as food and nutrition security, food sovereignty and food justice which seek to enhance agricultural systems by using and recycling natural resources instead of relying on externally-purchased inputs. It encourages local/national food production by small food producers and family farmers, and is based on techniques that are not delivered from the top-down, but developed from farmers’ traditional knowledge and practices as well as from farmer innovations. This approach is based on farmers’ participation and makes nature a powerful ally in ensuring food and nutrition security, building healthy soils and conserving water. It increases farmers’ incomes and resilience in the face of climate change, while improving biodiversity and crop diversity. It is therefore crucial for all efforts t o realize the human right to adequate food and nutrition. Governments must recognise that industrial approaches that degrade soil health and water retention, pollute water systems, poison nature and create dependency on external inputs, impoverish biodiversity and ecosystems are not only harmful and unnecessary, but also deeply misguided for a planet facing hunger, ecological crises and climate change. “Climate-Smart Agriculture” may sound promising, but it is a politically-motivated term. The approach does not involve any criteria to define what can or cannot be called “Climate Smart”. Agribusiness corporations that promote synthetic fertilisers, industrial meat production and large-scale industrial agriculture – all of which are widely recognised as contributing to climate change and undermining the resilience of farming systems – can and do call themselves “Climate Smart”. CSA claims to include all models of agriculture. However it lacks any social or environmental safeguards and fails to prioritize farmers’ voices, knowledge and rights as key to facing and mitigating our climate challenges. It therefore actually threatens to undermine agroecological approaches as defined by practitioners[2], while endangering the future development and upscaling of such approaches. GACSA : opening doors for greenwashing The Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture was launched one year ago and is now putting a lot of energy into its outreach campaign, while its Action Groups have started working on their own objectives. As of 20th July, its membership of 21 nations comprised of only ten developing countries and three farmersด organisations - in contrast with a wide corporate membership. While some organisations from civil society and rural social movements rejected the GACSA from the beginning, others have made repeated efforts to engage with it[3],[4] to reduce the threat of green-washing and false solutions. In spite of these efforts, the concerns expressed were largely ignored, as recently recognised in a paper issued by the Institut du D้veloppement Durable et des Relations Internationales (IDDRI)[5]. Instead, some of agr iculture’s least environmentally sensitive actors were welcomed into the alliance: 60% of the private sector membership of the alliance is related to the fertilizer industry[6]. In addition, transnational corporations that have questionable social and environmental impacts, such as Monsanto, Walmart and McDonalds have launched their own “climate-smart agriculture” programs[7]. Climate Smart Agriculture: a concept that has no place as a climate strategy As the UN picks up the pace for action on climate towards COP21 and beyond, we call on countries to recognise that the Climate-Smart Agriculture path can take us in the wrong direction, falling short of ensuring food and nutrition security, and undermining the radical transformation of current food and agricultural systems that the world urgently needs. Without definitions, criteria, standards, safeguards or exclusions, “Climate Smart Agriculture” is a meaningless and dangerous concept that has no place as a climate strategy. Moreover, the GACSA is not accountable to any UN structure involved in food security, climate or agriculture. With new instruments for international climate finance being put in place to spend many billions of dollars, there is a real risk that wealthier countries – in their aim to meet their financial commitments[8] – may end up funding projects and programmes that direct resources towards false solutions in countries where they have vested interests. Thus: ท As the Green Climate Fund programme of work gets underway, we welcome the importance given to adaptation. Agriculture will be a principal component of this programme. However, we urge the GCF Board not to accredit any programme of work or institution that is based on Climate Smart Agriculture. Instead, we strongly encourage them to support community-based solutions emerging from frontline communities, such as agroecology. ท An “Agenda of Solutions”[9] is being created for COP21 which aims to demonstrate the commitment of non-state actors to reaching a new and ambitious legal agreement in 2015, and which could be included or referred to in the outcome document of COP 21 along with the negotiated agreement. We urge governments not to endorse Climate Smart Agriculture as a solution to climate change, nor to label any other initiative that would be part of the “agenda of solutions” as part of the concept. Agroecology as the mainstream pillar of agricultural policy frameworks worldwide We face a critical moment. Real solutions to climate change must be agreed upon and urgently adopted. We urge decision-makers to stand against green-washed false solutions rebranded as CSA, and to have the courage to recognise and promote the decisive role of agroecology in ensuring food and nutrition security, the full realization of the human right to adequate food and nutrition, and food sovereignty in the face of climate change, resource scarcity, and growing demand challenges. The international and regional processes that emanated from the FAOs Symposium on Agroecology in September 2014 as well as the upcoming Committee on World Food Security High Level Panel of Experts report on “Sustainable agricultural development” and the recent Ny้l้ni Declaration of the International Forum for Agroecology, present a unique opportunity for agroecology to be endorsed as the mainstream pillar of agricultural policy frameworks worldwide. Moreover, communities, civil society organizations, org anised social movements, peasants and faith-based organizations are developing, strengthening, and supporting alternatives at local and national level have proven to be successful in the global fight against climate change. We call on decision makers to acknowledge this broad range of tangible and concrete actions, to listen, support and accompany them, while not succumbing to global top-down initiatives that rely on models from the past. We therefore call upon decision makers to endorse the application of agroecology internationally within the UN processes relating to climate change and agriculture, as well as at national level. Signatories: International organisations (55) ท ACT Alliance EU ท ActionAid International ท AFRICA-EUROPE FAITH AND JUSTICE NETWORK (AEFJN) ท African Women Economic Policy Network ท Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA) ท ALAI - Agencia Latinoamericana de Informaci๓n ท ARENA ท Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact(AIPP) ท Asia Pacific Farmers Forum ท Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD) ท Asia-Pacific Network for Food Sovereignty (APNFS) ท Climate Action Network - South Asia(CAN-SA) ท CIDSE (International Alliance of Catholic Development Agencies) ท Consejo Latinoamericano de Iglesias ท COPAGEN (Coalition pour la Protection du Patrimoine G้n้tique Africain) ท Corporate Europe Observatory ท Dachverband Kulturpflanzen- und Nutztiervielfalt ท Eastern and Southern Africa Small Scale Farmers’ Forum (ESAFF) ท ECOROPA (European Network on Ecological Reflection and Action) ท ENDA Tiers Monde ท ETC Group ท Fair World Project ท FIAN International ท Focus on the Global South ท Friends of the Earth Europe ท Friends of the Earth International ท GRAIN ท Greenpeace ท Groundswell International ท ICCA Consortium (Indigenous peoples’ and community conserved territories and areas) ท IFOAM EU Group ท IFOAM – organics international ท International Federation of Rural Adult Catholic Movements (FIMARC) ท International Network Urgenci (international network for Community-Supported Agriculture) ท JVE (Jeunes Volontaires Pour l’Environnement) International ท LDC Watch ท Migrant Forum in Asia ท Participatory Ecological Land Use Management Association (Pelum) ท People's Coalition on Food Sovereignty (PCFS) ท Plataforma Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, Democracia y Desarrollo (PIDHDD Regional) ท Regional Civil Society Network for Food Security and Nutrition from Portuguese-Speaking Countries (REDSAN – CPLP) ท RIPESS Intercontinental ท Servicio Internacional Cristiano de Solidaridad con los Pueblos de Am้rica Latina – SICSAL ท SEAFISH for Justice ท Slow Food ท Sociedad Cientํfica Latinoamericana de Agroecologํa (SOCLA) ท Solidarity Economy Europe ท South Asian Alliance for Poverty Eradication ท South Asian Network for Social & Agricultural Development (SANSAD) ท South Asia Peasants Coalition ท Third World Network ท Towards Organic Asia (TOA) ท Urgenci Europe ท Via Campesina ท World Rainforest Movement National Organisations (300): A African Centre for Biodiversity South Africa and Tanzania A Cultivar que se acaba el mundo, Argentina Agronomes et V้t้rinaires Sans Fronti่res (AVSF), France Action Contre la Faim (ACF), France Asociacion de Desarrollo Tzuul Taq’a, Guatemala ABONG (Associa็ใo Brasileira de ONGs), Brazil All Nepal Peasants Federation, Nepal Action Communautaire des Femmes Autochtones du Congo, DR Congo Acci๓n por la Biodiversidad, Argentina Association pour le D้veloppement Durable – M้denin, Tunisia Association des Femmes Peules Autochtones du Tchad (AFPAT), Tchad Asociaci๓n Nacional de Empresas Comercializadoras de Prodcutores del Campo (ANEC-M้xico) APEDDUB (Association pour la Protection de l'Environnement et le D้veloppement Durable de Bizerte), Tunisia A็ใo Franciscana de Ecologia e Solidariedad – AFES, Brazil Agrecol Association for AgriCulture & Ecology, Germany Active Society Nepal (ASN), Nepal Aas welfare Society, Pakistan Asociaci๓n Vida Sana, Spain Alliance Sud, Switzerland Asociaci๓n Nacional de Fomento a la Agricultura Ecologica - ANAFAE, Honduras Alianza Hondure๑a de Cambio Climแtico – AHCC, Honduras Acci๓n Educativa Santa Fe, Argentina Asociaci๓n Latinoamericana de Educaci๓n Radiof๓nica ALER, Ecuador AMADE PELCODE, Mali Actions Communautaires pour le D้veloppement Int้gral (ACDI), R้publique du Congo (Brazzaville) ALVF Extreme Nord, Cameroon Alternatives Durables pour le D้veloppement, Cameroon Association Congolaise pour le D้veloppement Agricole ACDA, DR Congo ANAND SEEDS, Colombia ACTUAR - Association for Cooperation and Development, Portugal Adivasi Mulvasi Astitva Raksha manch, India AKSI, Indonesia All Nepal Womens Association ATTAC France B Brot fr die Welt, Germany Biofuelwatch, UK Biowatch South Africa Bolivian Platform on Climate Change, Bolivia Broederlijk Delen, Belgium Bread for all, Switzerland BASE Investigaciones Sociales, Paraguay Brigada Cimarrona Sebastiแn Lemba, Republica Dominica Bangladesh Krishok Federation Bangladesh Jatiyo Sramik Jote Bulig Visayas, Philippines Brigada Cimarrona Sebastiแn Lemba, Republica Dominica C Climate Express, Belgium CNCD-11.11.11, Belgium Comit้ Fran็ais pour la Solidarit้ Internationale (CFSI), France Center for Food Safety, USA Community Alliance for Global Justice (CAGJ), USA Carbon Underground, USA CCFD-Terre Solidaire, France Centro de Documentaci๓n en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo S.J. (CSMM), Ecuador Caritas S้n้gal Centro de Estudios Ecum้nicos A.C, Mexico Casa Cultural Tejiendo Sororidades, Colombia Colectivo DEDISE, Colombia CooperAccion, Peru Centro de Promocion de la Mujer Gregoria Apaza, Bolivia Corporaci๓n Colombia Joven, Colombia CLUSA, El Salvador Coalici๓n Nacional de Redes y Organizaciones Ambientales – CONROA, Honduras Centro Hondure๑o de Promoci๓n al Desarrollo Comunitario – CEHPRODEC, Honduras Centro de Estudios ษtnicos de Colombia CIPCA (Centro de Investigaci๓n y Promoci๓n del Campesinado), Bolivia Comit้ de Impulso Nacional de la Agricultura Familiar, Colombia Centre pour l'Environnement et le D้veloppement, Cameroon Colegio de Graduados en Cooperativismo y Mutualismo (CGCyM), Argentina Climaxi vzw, Belgium CAMERWASH, Cameroon Centro Nueva Tierra, Argentina COOPERATIVA AGROPECUมRIA CACHO DE OURO COOPERCACHO, Brazil Community Development Library, Bangladesh Campaign for Climate Justice Nepal, Nepal Center for Environmental Justice, Sri Lanka Codacop - Corporaci๓n de Apoyo a Comunidades Populares, Colombia CARI (Centre d’Actions et de R้alisations Internationales), France CIASE - Corporaci๓n de Investigaci๓n y Acci๓n Social y Econ๓mica, Colombia CEDLA - Centro de Estudios para el Desarrollo Laboral y Agrario, Bolivia CBC - Centro Bartolom้ de Las Casas, Peru Censat Agua Viva - Amigos de la Tierra Colombia CEDEBI - Asociaci๓n Colectivo Ecum้nico de Biblistas, Colombia Community Agroecology Network, USA Centro Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Cuba D Devarao Shivaram Trust, India Dulal, India Dinamismo Juvenil A.C., Mexico Development and Peace, Canada DKA Austria Debt Watch, Indonesia E Entraide & Fraternit้, Belgium EcoNexus, UK El Grupo Semillas, Colombia Eco Ruralis, Romania Escuela Campesina de Educaci๓n y Salud (ESCAES), Peru Equipo de Comunicaci๓n ALternativa con Mujeres ECAM, Bolivia ESAFF Swaziland Elkana, Georgia Ecologistes en Accio de Catalunya, Spain Ecologistas en Acci๓n, Spain Ecological Agriculture Australia Association (EAAA), Australia Educaci๓n y Comunicaciones (ECO), Chile Ecosystem based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), Burundi ECOBENIN, Benin ENERGIES 2050, France Equipo de Agricultura Urbana (Jardํn Botแnico de Medellํn), Colombia Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food (EBAFOSA), Burundi EquityBD, Bangladesh F Find Your Feet, UK Food Sovereignty Ghana, Ghana F้d้ration Inter-Environnement Wallonie, Belgium Fundaci๓n Ca๓smosis, Colombia FUNDESYRAM, El Salvador FUNDACIำN MUNDUBAT, Spain Fundaci๓n PASOS, Bolivia Fambidzanai Permaculture Centre, Zimbabwe Family Farm Defenders, USA FIAN Austria FIAN Belgium FIAN Germany Focus on the Global South India Focus on the Global South Thailand Focus on the Global South Philippines FDCL - Center for Research and Documentation Chile-Latin America, Germany FundacionParque Nacional Pico Bonito – FUPNAPIB, Honduras Foro Agrํcola, Honduras FOVIDA, Peru Forum Solidaridad Per๚ Friends of the Earth USA Friends of the Earth France Fundaci๓n Justicia y Desarrollo Local FUJUDEL, Rebulica Dominica Fundaci๓n Semilla Andina, Colombia Faso Enviprotek, Burkina Faso FEC, Portugal Freedom from Debt Coalition, Philippines Fundaci๓n Fray Domingo de Vico lleva, Guatemala Fastenopfer, switzerland G Gevalor, France Gret-Professionnels du d้veloppement solidaire, France Green Horizon, Cameroon Greenpeace USA Grassroots International, USA GEFONT - Trade Union Federation, Nepal Gitib, Philippines Global-Environment-Protects-Cameroon (GEP) H Hecho en Bs As, Argentina Human Rights Ambassador for Salem-News.com, UK HEKS - Hilfswerk der Evangelischen Kirchen Schweiz, Switzerland Himalaya Niti Abhiyan, India Human Rights Alliance Nepal HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation, Switzerland I Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), USA Inades - Formation C๔te d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast Ing้nieurs Sans Fronti่res - Agricultures et Souverainet้ Alimentaire (ISF AgriSTA), France Innovations for Developmental Empowerment & Accessible Services (IDEAS), PakistanInstituto Brasileiro de Anแlises Sociais e Econ๔micas, Brazil INCUPO-Instituto de Cultura Popular, Argentina Instituto de Desarrollo y Medio Ambiente –IDMA, Peru Instituto de Investigaci๓n y Capacitaci๓n Campesina (IICCA), Bolivia Instituto Bartolome de Las Casas,Peru Indigenous Nationalities Women Youth Network (INWYN), Nepal Iyolosiwa A.C., Mexico Instituto Mayor Campesino (IMCA), Colombia Instituto Latinoamericano para una Sociedad y un Derecho Alternativos(ILSA), Colombia Iglesias por la paz, Mexico Indeso Mujer, Argentina Instituto de Desarrollo de la Economํa Asociativa (IDEAC), Republica Dominica Indian Social Action Forum, India Institute for Essential Services and Resources, Indonesia INKOTA-netzwerk, Germany Institute of Science in Society, UK IPDRS Instituto para el Desarrollo Rural de Sudam้rica, Bolivia J Jinukun-Copagen, B้nin JARC (Juventud Agraria Rural Cat๓lica),Peru Jeunes Volontaires Pour l’Environnement (JVE) – Ivory Coast Jeunes Volontaires pour l'Environnement (JVE) – Niger Jamaa Resource Initiatives, Kenya Jatam Indonesia Jagaran Nepal Jana Vikas, Odisha, India K Koordinierungsstelle der ึsterreichischen Bischofskonferenz fr internationale Entwicklung und Mission (KOO), Austria KIRDTI, India Kirat Youth Society, Pakistan Kirat Chamling Language Culture Development Association (KCLCDA), Pakistan Kenya Small Scale Farmers Forum Kerala Independent Fishworkers Federation, India KAU - Anti Debt Coalition, Indonesia KRUHA - Peoples Right to Water Coalition, Indonesia L Laboratoire de Recherche en Gestion et Economie des Industries Agroalimentaires (Largecia-Oniris Nantes), France Labour,Health and Human Rights Development Centre, Nigeria Living Farms, Odisha, India M Masipag, Philippines Misereor, Germany Mariann Co-ordinating Committee, South Africa Metta Development Foundation, Myanmar MELCA - Ethiopia Movimiento Indํgena Campesino de La Paz – MILPAH, Honduras Monde Volontaire au D้veloppement, Togo Movement Generation Justice & Ecology Project, USA Movimiento Ciudadano frente al Cambio Climแtico – MOCICC, Peru Madretierra Permacultura, Colombia mines, minerals and People (mmP), India Monitoring Sustainability of Globalisation (MSN), Malaysia MASIPAG Mindanao, Philippines Millennium Institute, USA N National Women Peasants Association, Nepal Neighbours Initiative Alliance, Kenya Noor Development Society, Pakistan North South Initiative, Malaysia Network of Traditional Rulers of Cameroon on Conservation, Biodiversity & Ecosystem Preservation (ReCTRAD) National Federation of Hawkers Bangladesh National Federation of Women Hawkers, India Nadi Gati Morcha, India National Hawkers Federation, India O Observatori DESC, Spain Other Worlds, USA Organic Consumers, USA Our Rivers Our Life, Philippines ORRISSA, Odisha, India Odisha Paramparika Krushak Sangathana, India P Partners for the Land & Agricultural Needs of Traditional Peoples (PLANT), USA Peoples Common Struggle Center, Pakistan PROSALUS, Spain PAPDA (Plateforme ha๏tienne de Plaidoyer pour un D้veloppement Alternatif), Haiti Plate-Forme pour le Commerce Equitable, France People Unity Youth Society (PUYS), Nepal Pusbinlat Motivator GT, Indonesia PELUM-Kenya Paghida-et sa KauswaganDevelopment Group (PDG), Philippines Pastoralist Community Initiative and Development Assistance, Kenya Pastoral Social Diocesana de Benjamin Aceval Chaco, Paraguay Peuples Solidaires-ActionAid France Plataforma de Agricultura Sostenible El Salvador – PASES, El Salvador Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee (Farmers) Philippine Movement for Climate Justice R Red de Acci๓n en Plaguicidas y Alternativas en M้xico (RAPAM), Mexico Roshni Tariqiyati Tanzeem, Pakistan Rencontre des Continents, Belgium R้seau FAIRNESS, France R้seau Action Climat – France R้seau M้dias et D้veloppement, Cameroon R้seau Climat & D้veloppement, France REALIMENTAR - Civil Society Network for Food Security and Food Sovereignty, Portugal RJE (R้seau des Jeunes pour l'Environnement), Togo Right to Food Network Nepal (RtFN), Nepal River Basin Friends, India Rural Reconstruction Nepal RCDC, Odisha, India Rights & Rights Social Society, Pakistan R้seau Foi et Justice Afrique Europe – Antenne de France S SDWIND, Austria Secours Catholique - Caritas France, France Slow Food USA Sociedad Cooperativa Marku Anchekoren, Mexico Sibol Ng Agham At Teknolohiya (SIBAT) - Wellspring of Science and Technology, Philippines SOS FAIM, Belgium Servicio Ecum้nico de Promoci๓n Alternativa – SEPA, Paraguay Schools and Colleges Permaculture Programme SCOPE, Kenya Send a Cow, UK School of Acting justly, Loving tenderly and Treading Humbly (SALT Movement), Malaysia SWISSAID, Switzerland SUPRO, Bangladesh Solidaritas Perempuan, Indonesia Sawit Watch, Indonesia Sanlakas, Philippines Save Our Seeds, Germany SPERI, Vietnam T Tanzania Organization for Agricultural Development (TOfAD), Tanzania Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity, Tanzania The Oakland Institute, USA Terra Nuova, Italy Todo en Comunidad AC, Mexico Trashumancia y Naturaleza, Spain Thai Climate Justice Working Group (TCJ), Thailand Task Force Detainees of the Philippines U UK Food Group USC Canada Utooni Development Organization, Kenya Unnayan Onneshan, Bangladesh V Vํa Orgแnica, Mexico Verein zur Erhaltung der Nutzpflanzenvielfalt (VEN), Germany VICARIA DEL SUR - Di๓cesis de Florencia, Colombia Vogelschutz-komitee e.V. Bird Protection Committee, Germany VOICE, Bangladesh W Welthaus Graz, Austria War on Want, UK WhyHunger, USA World Family, UK WALHI - Friends of the Earth Indonesia Y Youth Peasants Association, Nepal Youth Awareness Society Nepal (YASN), Nepal Z Zukunftsstiftung Landwirtschaft (Foundation on Future Farming) [1] See the Declaration of the international forum for agroecology. Ny้l้ni, Mali 27 February 2015 [2] Ibidem [3] Letter 1 http://www.climatesmartagconcerns.info/open-letter.html [4] Letter 2 http://www.climatesmartagconcerns.info/rejection-letter.html [5] IDDRI, “Ensuring transparency and accountability of the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture in the perspective of COP21”, July 2015 [6] Either through the direct membership of companies from the fertilizer industry (Haifa Chemicals Ltd., Yara and the Mosaic Company) and/or through their various umbrellas (such as Fertilizers Europe, The Fertilizer Institute, The international Fertilizer Industry association, …) in CIDSE, “Climate-Smart revolution… or a new era of green-washing?”, briefing, May 2015 [7] Monsanto: http://discover.monsanto.com/posts/approaching-climate-smart-agriculture-perspective-systems/; Walmart : http://news.walmart.com/news-archive/2014/10/06/walmart-announces-new-commitment-to-a-sustainable-food-system-at-global-milestone-meeting; McDonalds: http://news.mcdonalds.com/Corporate/news-stories/2014/McDonald%E2%80%99s-CEO-to-Speak-at-United-Nations-Climate [8] Agreed in Copenhagen in 2009 under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. [9] http://climateaction.unfccc.int/At the moment is unclear whether the Action Agenda will enter the negotiating text, and therefore get “institutionalized” also beyond Paris.
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