The African Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), ahead of Earth day, has sounded a caution to minimize input-intensive crop monocultures and industrial-scale fossil fuel farming as these destroy Mother Earth.
According to AFSA, industrial agriculture drives the climate crisis adding that agroecology builds resilience and is an African-driven solution to climate change. “Diversified agroecological systems can feed the hungry and save the planet,” says AFSA.
“Supporting farmers to switch to agroecology will result in healthier soils, improved livelihoods, reduced climate risks & increased adaptive capacity and resilience. We must ensure food security and provide fresh, healthy, and nutritious food. Agroecology can achieve a world without hunger, cool the planet, and restore biodiversity. We need resilient food systems that work in harmony with nature to save our planet. Agroecology allows us to transition from a destructive to a sustainable form of agriculture.”
AFSA
Investing in Agroecology is investing in the Planet
The 2022 theme for Earth Day is “Invest In Our Planet,” a pledge that challenges leaders to answer a call to action to preserve and protect our health, families, and livelihoods. While “Invest In Our Planet” is the world’s theme, AFSA has coined its theme for the African continent as “Agroecology For Climate.”
AFSA, in line with its theme for earth day 2022, has urged all the regions on the African continent to design essential agricultural tools with the planet’s focus in view.
According to AFSA, Industrial agriculture is a dead end. “It claims to have raised yields, but it has done so at a high cost, with extensive soil damage, huge biodiversity loss, and negative impacts on nutrition, food sovereignty, and natural resources. Agroecology is the way”, AFSA stated.
“We require a fundamentally different model of agriculture based on diversifying farms, replacing chemical inputs & optimizing biodiversity. Promoting the urgent need for Food Systems transformation through agroecological farming, which supports resilient pathways to food security while addressing the Climate Crisis by rejuvenating biodiversity and restoring degraded land is what would save mother earth.”
AFSA
Actions from the Earthday.org and partners
The Earthday.Org and partners caption 2022’s theme in a “this is the moment to change it all” phrase. For Earth Day 2022, everyone needs to act boldly, innovate broadly, and implement equitably, says Earthday.org. “It’s going to take all of us. All in Businesses, governments, and citizens, everyone is accounted for and accountable. A partnership for the planet.”, Earthday.org iterated.
EARTHDAY.ORG and its partners would host an ‘earth day climate summit action’ to commemorate the day, adding that the world needs to reach a net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century to keep the global temperature below 1.5°C.
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
Call on private sector involvement
Unless businesses act now, climate change will deeply damage economies, increase scarcity, drain profits and job prospects, and negatively impact people.
It is noted already that private sector innovation (with public support) accelerates the rapid change the world needs, like nothing else. Studies directly correlate sustainable business practices, share prices, and business performance. Companies that develop robust Environment Social Governance (ESG) standards have better profitability, more robust financials, happier employees, and more resilient stock performance.
Smart companies are discovering that it is no longer a choice between going green and growing long-term profits sustainability is the path to prosperity. So for both humanitarian and business reasons, companies of all sizes must take action and embrace the benefits of a green economy.
READ ALSO: IGP Explains Why Husband of Osinachi Nwachukwu is Yet to be Arraigned in Court
