By Umar Manzoor Shah
DUBAI , Dec 2 2023 – The Feminist Green New Deal Coalition has highlighted feminist climate solutions and shared feminist policies and frameworks that are advancing just climate policies at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) 27th session of the Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai.

US-based Feminist Green New Deal Coalition shared at a press conference that to truly address the root causes, as well as the scope and scale of the climate crisis, feminist approaches and principles are necessary for a cross-cutting approach that combats historical oppression and uplifts the leadership of marginalized groups.

Katherine Quaid (Confederated Tribes of Umatilla) and communications coordinator, Women’s Earth and Climate Action Network (WECAN), Mara Dolan, US Program Manager, Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), Jacqui Patterson, Founder and Executive Director, The Chisholm Legacy Project, Julia Bernal (Sandia Pueblo/Yuchi), executive director at Pueblo Action Alliance, and Dr Frances Roberts-Gregory, a feminist political ecologist at Harvard University, spoke during the conference.

The participants called for a paradigm shift, urging feminists to unite against environmental injustices by incorporating Indigenous wisdom, supporting regenerative economies, and demanding a just transition to create a more equitable and sustainable world.

Dolan said that the coalition firmly asserted that no military spending can be truly sustainable.

“Our advocacy extends beyond the call for “green” militaries to a resolute commitment to organizing against militarization.The alarming reality of the US funding the genocide of the Palestinian people raises questions about misplaced financial priorities. We question why there is always funding for war but never for climate finance,” she said.

According to Patterson inequities, profiteers dominate governance systems all over the world, putting racial justice issues on the back burner.

“To counter this, we demand representation for frontline defenders in decision-making spaces related to water, energy, and environmental policies. Acknowledging the environmental consequences of US imperialist practices, we recognize and welcome those who migrate due to the adverse effects on their environment, fostering insecure circumstances,” Patterson said.

Bernal, who is Executive Director at Pueblo Action Alliance on Climate Change and Soil Impact, emphasized the urgency of addressing climate change and highlighted the impact on land and soil, which “if left unattended, could result in faster water movement, floods, and a diminishing supply of usable water.”

On Indigenous Wisdom and Resistance, Dr Frances Roberts-Gregory said that the Indigenous people, often undermined by states, hold valuable knowledge in caring for the land and water. “Their traditional models should be uplifted to protect both the environment and its people.”

The speakers also underscored feminist solutions grounded in activist research, challenged data analysis, and advocated for a just transition.

“We underscore the importance of regenerative economies, youth activism, and respecting Indigenous rights and knowledge. We stress the significance of storytelling to prevent the erasure of experiences. In the pursuit of a common goal, we call for unity, leaving behind our differences to confront a larger, shared enemy,” was their message.

In early 2019, a collaboration emerged among organizations advocating for women’s rights and climate justice. Acknowledging the importance of integrating feminist perspectives into discussions about a healthy planet and communities, these groups recognized gender equality as a pivotal element.

The need for a feminist intervention led to the creation of the Feminist Agenda for a Green New Deal.

“The agenda, shaped collectively, will continue to evolve through campaigns and initiatives beyond Fall 2019, with its future direction determined collaboratively,” said Quaid.
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By Isaiah Esipisu
DUBAI, Dec 2 2023 – Students of St Denis Libolina Primary have used agroecology farming techniques to transform the entire school garden and any free space into food forests and gardens for different vegetable varieties, legumes, and herbs.

Now the students, who are physically challenged, have challenged their parents, villagers, and farmers in the outskirts of Myanga Township, in Kenya’s Bungoma County, in the Western region, to do the same.

“Barely one year ago, teachers had to contribute money to buy green vegetables to be used by staff members,” said Gladys Orlando, the school head teacher. She was speaking to IPS during a recent media visit. “But today, there are always more than enough vegetables, not just for the teachers but for all students in our boarding facility.”

With rainwater harvested from classroom rooftops, several trenches dug on the school garden, and the use of cover crops, the school has managed to sustainably trap water and soil moisture to support farming of diverse crops, not limited to vegetables, cereals, fruits, tuber crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, and arrowroots, among others.

“I have never known that this area can be this productive,” said Naomi Sitati, a parent at the school and a smallholder farmer who has always cultivated maize and beans. “I have since been coming here to learn alongside the pupils, and now I have established my own agroecology unit on a half-acre piece of land at home.”

According to experts at the ongoing climate negotiations (COP 28) in Dubai, UAE, such agroecological farming techniques are key to the continent’s food systems because they optimize the use of local resources such as manure and local water sources for irrigation, thereby minimizing the ecological footprint and enhancing the sustainability of agricultural practices.

“Techniques such as rainwater harvesting, use of cover crops, and drought-resistant crops help conserve water,” said Dr Million Belay, the General Coordinator for the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa.

“This is especially vital as climate change is expected to make water sources more unpredictable and scarce,” he said during an event on the sidelines of the 28th round of climate negotiations in Dubai.

According to Xavier Emodo, the teacher in charge of the farming project at St Denis Libolina School, all organic waste in the school and rubbish collected under tree sheds are all used to make compost manure to keep the soils nourished.

“We have particular students who are always dedicated to the management of compost manure in this school; others are dedicated to pest control and crop management; and we even have a treasurer who takes record of any income generated from the surplus,” said Emondo. “These students are very passionate about whatever they are doing, given that our new teaching system, also known as competency-based curriculum, calls for such practical lessons as part of the syllabus.”

Each and every block at the school has small vegetable gardens in front of classes. Each garden is managed by learners from those particular classes. “Students from these classes are always competing to outdo each other,” said Emodo.

So far, the school has acquired two dairy cows, whose cow dung is instrumental in composting the manure, and they provide milk for the learners.

“We have found that by leveraging traditional knowledge and practices, agroecology empowers communities (such as St Denis Libolina School) to be stewards of their own land and resources, fostering local innovation and self-reliance in the face of climate change,” said Belay, who is now pushing for agroecology to be included in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) future negotiations agenda.

“We are calling for agroecology’s diversified cropping systems to be recommended for climate resilience because the techniques reduce the risk of total crop failure, providing a safety net for food production systems,” he said.

During last year’s climate negotiation (COP 27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, the “Sharm el-Sheikh joint work on implementation of climate action on agriculture and food security” was adopted by all parties. The four-year joint work includes implementation of the outcomes of the Koronivia joint work on agriculture and previous activities addressing issues related to agriculture, as well as future topics, recognising that solutions are context-specific and take into account national circumstances.

One of the objectives for the joint work was to promote a holistic approach to addressing issues related to agriculture and food security, taking into consideration regional, national and local circumstances, in order to deliver a range of multiple benefits, where applicable, such as adaptation, adaptation co-benefits and mitigation, recognising that adaptation is a priority for vulnerable groups, including women, indigenous peoples and smallholder farmers

Evidence-based studies have demonstrated that diversification inherent in agroecology provides farmers with multiple income sources, such as different kinds of crops, livestock, and value-added products, thereby reducing economic vulnerability to climate-related shocks.

“It integrates food production’s ecological, economic, and social aspects, thereby promoting sustainable and equitable systems while also addressing farm-level production and socio-economic processes like markets and distribution,” said Belay.

So far, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has repeatedly recommended the use of agroecological principles and practices, among other approaches that work with natural processes to support food security, nutrition, health and well-being, livelihoods and biodiversity, sustainability, and ecosystem services in adaptation to climate change.

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