Page 45 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 20

Food Health

Maharashtra. According to a local When it comes to climate change to guarantee continued profits for
farmer, Gunwant, the “hailstorm agriculture is simultaneously one of corporations instead of tackling the
couldn’t have lasted more than its main victims and its perpetrator. climate crisis.
18-20 minutes. But the trees had Methane is produced from rice cul-
fallen off, dead birds were scat- tivation and ruminant animals, while The new Green Revolution pushed
tered around and the livestock was nitrous oxide emissions are dis- in Africa, or AGRA (Alliance for a
badly injured”.12 The arid prone charged mainly from soils, fertilisers, Green Revolution in Africa), with its
regions of Telengana had a simi- manure and urine from grazing synthetic fertiliser, hybrids seeds and
lar experience in April 2020, with animals. Both these gases have monoculture farming has already
losses affecting 16,800 hectares of considerably higher global warming demonstrated how this approach
millet crop.13 Farmers in Pakistan potential than carbon dioxide. What greatly undermines farmers’ efforts
are facing similar erratic climate often goes unsaid, however, is that to adapt to climate change.
events, with severe damage to their most of these emissions are large-
standing crops.14 Climate change is ly generated by industrial farming False climate solutions are meant to
also sparking unprecedented locust practices that rely on the heavy use commodify and privatise functions
attacks, like the one that thrashed of nitrogen-based fertilisers and of nature and destroy ecosystems
Pakistani agriculture in 2020. The pesticides, heavy machinery run – forests, soil, wetlands, rivers,
swarm ended up causing USD $2.2 on petrol, and highly concentrated mangroves and oceans - upon which
billion worth of losses for Rabi industrial livestock operations that life depends. As we have seen in
(winter) crops and nearly $2.89 bil- produce methane waste.18 These AGRA, these markets based solu-
lion for Kharif (summer) crops.15 along with deforestation, refriger- tions are designed to alienate local
India and Afghanistan were not ation, and long distance transpor- communities from their lands and
spared either. The locust attacks had tation are all integral parts of the natural resources. These current
serious repercussions on their food industrial food system. trends towards technology fixes
supply. have also increased the marginal-
Its dependency on fossils fuels, isation of women in farming and
Reports indicate that climate change chemicals and on a globalised food have significantly impacted women’s
is also linked with the increase in system that is energy intensive ability to earn a living for themselves
farmers’ suicides in India. A study makes of industrial farming a major and their families. Herbicides and
by the University of California, contributor to climate change. De- herbicide resistance crops are being
Berkeley, shows that climate change spite this, there is a push across the promoted in the name of zero
may have contributed to the suicides world to promote and expand high tillage (or No-till) farming as an im-
of nearly 60,000 Indian farmers and carbon intensive agriculture in the portant component of climate smart
farm workers over the past three name of a second Green Revolu- agricultural practices. It allegedly
decades. The damage on crops in- tion, gene revolution, and now, in reduces carbon dioxide emissions
duced by fluctuations in temperature the name of our climate. Encour- by sequestering more carbon in
and rainfall, impact crop yield and aged by corporate interests, this the soil, since the use of herbicides
deepen debt burden, pushing poor new phase of industrial agriculture avoids plowing. However, these false
farmers to suicide. For temperatures is based on risky technologies. On solutions do not reduce emissions
above 20°C, a single day increase one hand, it’s presenting genetically nor address the social crises caused
of 1°C causes an average of 70 engineered (GM) crops for drought, by climate change, but rather allow
suicides.16 Another study highlights saline or frost resistance. While on business as usual and boost cor-
the correlation between drought the other it offers industrial agrofu- porate profits. What’s more, the
onset and suicides. It’s precisely in els, geo-engineering and synthetic women agricultural workers in India
those five states of India which have biology. All these mechanisms and who worked weeding are losing their
the highest percentage of drought new technologies in agriculture income.
prone areas where farmers’ suicides being promoted as climate change
are the highest. resistant are based on large-scale Climate smart agriculture: Not a
mono-cropping, hi-tech investment ‘smart’ solution
Industrial agriculture and new and a chemical input system, which
technologies contributing to cli‑ require big capital and centralised Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA)
mate change control. These misleading solutions is being promoted by governments
to climate change are actually aimed and corporations alike as a magic

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