Agriculture
Indian farmers head for showdown with government over agricultural reform
Already bearing heavy costs from climate change, Indian farmers fear the government’s market reforms will drive them deeper into debt
New Zealand urged to accelerate emissions cuts in line with 2050 net zero goal
Independent advisors said New Zealand should cut emissions “much more than 35%” from 2005 levels by 2030 to align ambition with a 1.5C global warming limit
Colombia banks on forest economy to deliver climate ambition leap
Since the end of a 50-year civil war, Colombia has seen a spike in forest clearance, that the government now hopes to reverse with agroforestry initiatives
In Kenya’s changing climate, women are claiming land rights to feed their families
Owning their own land allows Kenyan women to build resilience to drought and flooding, but many are unaware of laws intended to empower them
Brazil’s military operations are not halting deforestation in the Amazon
Jair Bolsonaro has transferred the command of anti-deforestation operations in the Amazon to the military. But the army presence is making little difference
African ministers call for investment in Great Green Wall to aid Covid-19 recovery
Plans for an 8,000km green belt across the Sahel region have stalled, with fresh funds needed to halt desertification and create sustainable livelihoods
‘Solidarity economy’: Indigenous women run WhatsApp food swap in Costa Rica
The Cabécar community is combining traditional customs and modern technology to cope with pandemic and climate change pressures on food security
Green shift urged to revive Brazil’s economy and shield Amazon forests
President Bolsonaro could rebuild the economy faster after Covid-19 by making low-carbon growth a pillar of recovery, international study says
These women built a dam and saved their families from ‘man-made starvation’
While chronic drought and poor governance leave millions of Zimbabweans hungry, the women of Rumwanjiva can grow their own vegetables
Jamaica becomes first Caribbean nation to submit tougher climate plan to UN
Jamaica adds forestry and land use to updated climate plan and toughens goals for energy. UK, due to host UN talks, hails “greater climate ambition”
Now is the time to climate-and-pandemic-proof our food systems
Social safety nets and shorter supply chains are essential to protect smallholder farmers facing spiralling debt and bankruptcy
EU plans to protect 30% of land and seas by 2030 for biodiversity
The European Commission set out a strategy to overhaul farming and strictly protect carbon-rich forests and wetlands, to benefit wildlife
Shorter supply chains needed to end hunger after pandemic: UN envoy
The coronavirus crisis has heightened inequities of food availability and nutrition. A 2021 Food System Summit aims to boost resilience and sustainability
No silver lining to coronavirus, but a golden opportunity
Rebuilding after the pandemic should be a moment to reset international governance, deepen global cooperation and restructure societies away from fossil fuels
One crisis at a time, please – Climate Weekly
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Malawi’s farmers grow crops with ‘magic liquid’ fertiliser
‘Bionitrate’ made from urine is starting to help yields for farmers in Malawi who face high costs fertilising maize and other crops amid shifting weather patterns
The second death of Chico Mendes
Rubber tappers burn an Amazon forest reserve in Brazil to clear land to raise cattle – deforestation has increased under President Jair Bolsonaro
The Netherlands faces pressure as global ‘test case’ for deep emissions cuts in 2020
Dutch Supreme Court has ordered the government to cut emissions by 25% by 2020 but latest figures show only a 15% reduction from 1990 levels
‘Mysterious’ seasons harm Nigeria’s farmers who need help with climate change
Smallholder farmers grow 90% of Nigeria’s food but their crops are vulnerable to ever more extreme weather linked to climate change. New technologies can help
Locusts plague destroys livelihoods in Kenya but ‘biggest threat yet to come’
Wetter and hotter weather than usual is forecast until May, providing locust eggs with ideal conditions to hatch and grow. FAO says it is in a “race against time”