Presenting Three Events at COP27 Featuring the Critical Links Between Agriculture and Climate Change
October 24, 2022
Washington D.C.—The International Coalition on Climate and Agriculture (ICCA), a newly formed alliance of prominent civil society leaders promoting ecological food systems, is hosting three side events at the COP27 climate negotiations in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, November 6-18.
Mitigation and Adaptation through Ecological Agriculture will take place on Friday, November 11, 12:45-2 p.m. (EET) at the Food4Climate pavilion in the Blue Zone. Panelists will advocate ecological, resilient food systems as a viable path to better ensure food security in times of climate catastrophes while also reducing harmful agricultural impacts on climate change. Currently, industrial agriculture systems are a major contributor to increasing GHGs. Speakers address how we can transition away from industrial agriculture systems to ecological food systems.
Promoting Ecological Farming to Address the Climate Crisis will take place on Saturday, November 12, 10-10:40 a.m. (EET), in the Action Hub (Blue Zone). Speakers will discuss how ecological food and farm systems can be a major solution to effectively reduce GHGs and better ensure food and water security, equity and justice, jobs and livelihoods, biodiversity, wildlife habitat, and numerous other benefits.
Speakers for both sessions include Million Belay, Ph.D., general coordinator, Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, one of the largest civil society organizations in Africa; Helmy Abouleish, chief executive officer, SEKEM, Egypt, a leader in developing holistic, organic agriculture throughout Egypt; and Andrew Kimbrell, founder and director of ICCA and the Center for Food Safety, U.S., a legal and policy institute. Other speakers to be announced.
“Even though our current industrial agriculture system is responsible for 25-30 percent of GHGs, little attention is given to this crucial connection between agriculture and climate change,” said Andrew Kimbrell, attorney and director of ICCA. “The ICCA was formed to raise awareness about these critical links and advocate for an immediate transition to ecological food systems.”
Seeds—Providing Resiliency and Food Security in Times of Climate Change will be held on Saturday, November 12, 2-3 p.m. (EET), in the Green Zone, Hall A. This event will highlight the importance of climate-resilient seeds that have been developed over millennia by farmers around the globe, and discuss how these seeds are critical to ensuring food security in these times of climate chaos.
Event speakers will include Dr. Vandana Shiva, founder, Navdanya, India, a leading figure in civil society seed and agriculture movements, Helmy Abouleish, chief executive officer, SEKEM, Egypt, Andrew Kimbrell, founder and director of ICCA and Center for Food Safety, U.S., and will be moderated by Debbie Barker, ICCA international coordinator.
“Seeds are the source of life,” Dr. Shiva reminds us. “Instead of using seeds that require toxic chemicals and vast amounts of water, we must instead conserve, freely save, and share our rich seed heritage that provides climate resilience and provide nutritious food for all.”
About the ICCA
The International Coalition on Climate and Agriculture (ICCA) is a new alliance of civil society leaders, activists, farmers, indigenous peoples, and other stakeholders promoting ecological food systems as major mitigation and adaptation solution to climate chaos. Our current industrial agriculture system is responsible for at least 25-30 percent of emissions, yet there is little discussion about this critical connection between food systems and climate change. Quite simply, if we don’t transition to ecological food systems, any hope of climate stability, or food security, will be unattainable.
In addition to reducing GHGs and ensuring food and water security, ecological food systems have multiple benefits such as protecting biodiversity, soil, water, wildlife, livelihoods and jobs, socio-economic equity, and more.
ICCA developed the BROAD system, which is inclusive of ecological farming systems such as organic, agroecology, biodynamic and other sustainable practices that work with nature. BROAD is an acronym for systems that are:
1) Biodiverse, 2) Regenerative, 3) Organic, 4) Appropriate Scale, and 5) Democratic.
ICCA opposes false solutions that promote more of the same industrial food and farm practices that have contributed to climate change and caused other ecological and social harms. Notably, this includes Agriculture Innovations Mission (AIM) for Climate, an initiative that promotes agritech—biotechnology, nanotechnology, robotics, and AI—spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). To see ICCA’s Statement Calling for Opposing AIM, see icca.international.