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Addressing the Global Food Crisis Through Agroecology: A Series By Chris Sacco

Over the last few years, we have all grown accustomed to hearing about how our world is in the midst of one global crisis or another. While the COVID-19 pandemic had a large amount of our attention over the last couple of years, another looming crisis has been quietly and rapidly gaining traction: global food insecurity. 

As of 2020, 2.37 billion people globally did not have access to adequate food, an increase of 320 million people from the previous year. Over the course of the last few weeks, Groundswell International’s Co-Founder and Director of Program Management, Chris Sacco, published a four-part article series on LinkedIn examining the roots of the interconnected, worldwide food insecurity and environmental crises and the need to accelerate ecological farming methods as a means to address them. 

Addressing the Global Food Crisis Through Agroecology

agroecology

In the first part of the series, “Accelerating Ecological Farming to Address the Global Food Insecurity and Environmental Crises,” we are introduced to the food insecurity crisis facing the globe: an increasing lack of access to food for people all around the world. While current events, like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, have certainly exacerbated an already dismal situation, this crisis has been building for a long time: millions of people globally have lived in a food crisis for decades, with the numbers of people who cannot access adequate food rapidly increasing each year. With this knowledge, Chris examines how the “global experiment” with industrial food production has long been a failure. 

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Part two of the series, “The Industrial Road to Ruin, Killing the Planet and Ourselves,” explores the industrialized “agricultural treadmill” approach to food production and the negative impacts it is having on the environment, the global food supply chain, and the small-scale farmers who struggle to compete with the mass-production of corporate-owned farms. Currently, the majority of the world’s agricultural exports are produced by a small handful of corporations who monopolize the industry. As industrial agriculture continues to attempt to increase its output and, more importantly, its profits, we are seeing more and more habitable land converted for agriculture purposes and an increase in the use of chemical-laden fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, all at great detriment to the environment. Long-term exposure to these chemicals poses great health risks to people, as well, both to the workers who farm these crops and the people who consume them in their food.

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The third article, “Agroecology Can Fix Our Broken Food System and Heal the Planet,” offers an argument for small-scale agroecology as a solution to the issues discussed in parts one and two of the series. A shift to small-scale agroecology will not only allow smaller producers to feed themselves and their neighbors without having to fight the monopoly of industrial agriculture conglomerates but has the ability to rehabilitate our planet’s ailing ecosystems. Chris explains how agroecology conserves and restores the biodiversity within local environments as well as restores ecosystem functions lost to degradation and abuse perpetrated by the corporate agriculture industry. 

agroecology

The final article of the series, “Bottom-Up Solutions to the Global Food Crisis,” looks to the future, outlining the necessary actions needed to address the global food crisis and move toward a more sustainable and equitable food system. These actions include financial and policy support of small-level producers, establishing grain reserves, and a reduction of non-food uses of potential food crops, ie. the use of food as biofuels, until the food crisis has been overcome. Beyond policies, these solutions include the important work already being carried out by organizations like Groundswell International and our partners. 

Through this series, Chris offers a wealth of critical information – including well-researched data – as he outlines the current crisis, how we’ve gotten to this point, and how we can reverse course. We think it’s an important read for anyone who cares about the future of our planet and the good of our fellow humans and anyone who is interested in why we do the work that we do here at Groundswell International.

Read all four parts of Chris’ article series on LinkedIn:

Guiding Principles in Challenging Times

The original article appeared first from Groundswell International’s Executive Director, Steve Brescia, on LinkedIn.

Haitian farmers working together to regenerate their land. Photo by Ben Depp.
Haitian farmers working together to regenerate their land. Photo by Ben Depp.

This has been an exhausting and disorienting year. In the United States, we face deep divisions, even while we are challenged to join forces to confront huge crises. Currents of hope, fear, determination and anxiety run deep. Where do we find inspiration in these rough seas to steer towards real solutions? We at Groundswell draw on what we have learned from rural families around the world, and from our heroic front-line partner organizations that are strengthening communities and social movements in Africa, the Americas and South Asia to create better lives.

In Haiti some years ago, a farmer told me of a deep grudge he had with a neighbor. The animosity had been passed down from their grandfathers. Decades ago, one grandfather had let his goats loose to graze, and they ate the other man’s crops. An argument ensued, a machete was drawn, and one of the men lost his arm below the elbow. The anger between the families festered over decades. The specific incident was no doubt surrounded by other feelings that I cannot know – suspicion, mistrust, anxiety about scarce resources.

Now the two men are in the same solidarity group (gwoupman in Haitian Creole), working together to overcome existential crises that threaten their families and their community. This stretches my imagination. How can this be possible? This is not a naïve story about papering over profound conflict. It is about people recognizing that to survive and thrive they need each other to create their common good. 

My colleague Cantave Jean-Baptiste, Director of our partner organization Partenariat pour le Développement Local (PDL) in Haiti, has taught over the years that restoring the soil on eroded mountainside farms, overcoming hunger, or surmounting any other great obstacle, starts with creating solidarity between people, not adopting new technology. Like the two Haitian farmers, I need to understand that my existence and wellbeing are dependent on the community. As a community, we need to develop together some shared understanding of the challenges we face and the common good we seek.  

But how do you we promote solidarity in place of conflict? PDL staff start by bringing groups of 10-15 women and men together for reflection. Reflection usually leads to action. Over several weeks, peasant farmers analyze the facts of their history, the dynamics of their culture, and their dreams for the future. They discuss the brutalities of slavery; Haitians’ courageous slave rebellion; the exploitation and repression at the hands of dictators; the intentional promotion of distrust between people; their resilient culture of love for family, community, place and spirituality; and, the destruction of the Haiti’s environment. Participants reflect on how their personal stories of pain and hope are connected to this history. Tears are often shed. Eventually, the men and women ask themselves: Do we want to commit to ‘put our heads together,’ as they say and sing, to overcome the crises we face now? ‘Alone,’ they say, ‘we can’t create soil and water conservation barriers to regenerate our land and grow enough food to eat. Alone we can’t do that across whole mountainsides, so that landslides from above don’t wipe out family farmers below. Alone, we can’t overcome the growing indebtedness to money lenders, or the exploitation of middlemen who control markets for seeds and grain. Together, we can.’ The women and men decide whether they want to form a solidarity group together – pooling resources, decision making, and work. It is possible to begin. They start to take action. 

I have had the great privilege over decades of learning with colleagues like Cantave across many countries and cultures and seeing these kinds of dynamics repeated. I am comforted by the fact that certain ‘first principles’ seem common to how communities succeed:

  • Solidarity based on shared values and common needs.
  • Working for the common good by developing a shared analysis of the problem and the desired future.
  • Regeneration of the natural resources that people depend on, instead of short-sighted, extractive methods that characterize conventional agriculture.
  • Local, democratic control to create local economies that are of, by and for the people.

Even though we are struggling with painful divisions in the US and around the world, we must act to overcome the tremendous challenges before us: the COVID-19 pandemic; climate change; systematic racism and the legacy of colonialism; the marginalization of women; economic rules that generate inequality and insecurity.   

In the last week, Hurricane Eta lashed Nicaragua, Guatemala and Honduras, where 1.6 million people were affected. Climate change is accelerating extreme events like hurricanes and droughts. In Eta’s aftermath, Edwin Escoto, Groundswell’s Regional Coordinator based in Honduras, wrote: Global Warming. Climate Crisis. Revenge of Gaia. The horrific consequences of continuing to mistreat our planet are the same, regardless of the terminology. However, that doesn’t mean that the outcome is inevitable. We, together as global neighbors, can – and must – do better. Agroecology is one of the most proven, sustainable solutions available to us in our quest to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, our colleague Peter Gubbels in West Africa recently wrote:  This tension between COVID-19 optimism and pessimism is currently playing out in dialogues regarding the farming and food system of sub-Saharan Africa … Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the African food system was in crisis … In the context of Africa, one of the best ways to bolster a person’s health and resistance to diseases such as COVID-19 is through nutritious diets. Recognizing this, Groundswell International and the Global Resilience Partnership are sounding a clarion call for governments to support actions to improve food and nutrition security through the promotion of “agroecology”.

During these disorienting times, Groundswell International, the partner organizations and communities we work with in 10 countries will continue to ‘put our heads together’ and work for real and bold solutions, guided by principles we continue to learn together from the ground up.

You can join us in our work to cultivate real and bold solutions by clicking here.

Hurricane Eta is a Bleak Reminder of a Climate in Crisis and Why Agroecology is a Solution

Groundswell’s Regional Coordinator for Latin America and the Caribbean, Edwin Escoto, shared the below statement regarding the devastation of Hurricane Eta in Central America. For non-Spanish speakers, we have provided an edited English translation following the statement from Edwin. For anyone looking to help provide long-term food security to the region, you can donate here. 

Huracán Eta: La venganza de la tierra

La flecha muestra el sitio donde estaba puente sobre el rio Ulua que comunica a comunidades de Chinda en Santa Bárbara. Es en estas comunidades donde apoyan los colegas de SVH o TCP.

Por: Edwin Escoto 

Durante miles de años la Humanidad ha explotado la tierra sin tener en cuenta las consecuencias. Ahora que el calentamiento global y el cambio climático son evidentes para cualquier observador imparcial, la Tierra comienza a vengarse. Así lo cita el famoso científico y ambientalista británico James Lovelock en su libro “La venganza de la tierra”.

Las consecuencias del nivel de degradación ambiental y de lo mal que hemos tratado a la naturaleza, evidenciado en la deforestación de los bosques, heridas en los ríos con el saqueo de sus huesos, despreciado a la tierra arrojándole basura; y que, ahora pretendemos que sea tranquila, dócil y afable mientras ella con su actuar rebelde nos recuerda que nos ha dado oportunidades para rectificar nuestro trato, de lo contrario más temprano que tarde habrá reciprocidad en tan desigual relación. 

Eta el más reciente y devastador huracán que desató su furia en Centroamérica, es solamente una forma de manifestación que el planeta tiene y nos recuerda lo vulnerable que somos. En los países más afectados, Nicaragua, Honduras y Guatemala la historia ha sido la misma, lluvias, inundaciones deslizamientos, evacuados y lo peor de todo, un considerable número de muertos. Y como casi siempre, la población en situación de pobreza las más afectada. 

Imágenes dramáticas de ciudades bajo el agua, son solamente un reflejo del daño que hemos causado al planeta. Despertemos humanidad, aún hay tiempo nos dijo Berta Cáceres, líder indígena y social asesinada en 2016 por su lucha en la defensa de la tierra, de los ríos, de la vida. 

Calentamiento Global, cambio climático, la venganza de la tierra; no importa como le llamemos, aún existen alternativas de convivencia comprobadas. La Agroecología es una de ellas o quizás la única. Las comunidades que han resistido las acometidas de la naturaleza han sido aquellas en las cuales las familias realizan prácticas de producción basadas en el conocimiento ancestral, pero especialmente basadas en la no interrupción de los ciclos de la naturaleza.

Desde Groundswell International se promueven de proyectos de esperanza que construyen vida, que apuntan a reducir pobreza y evitar que familias enteras se vayan de nuestros países ya sea por la violencia, inseguridad y por la falta de alimentos.

Por cierto, uno de los mayores efectos de mediano y largo plazo que el huracán Eta dejará en la población afectada, en su mayoría urbana, será la falta de alimentos, pues grandes extensiones de cultivos que hacen parte de la dieta básica centroamericana han sido afectadas (maíz, frijol y arroz), de igual manera han sido afectados cultivos de agroexportación. Seguirán siendo las familias campesinas que residen en las tierras marginales (de ladera), quienes provean de alimento al resto de la población. Sin embargo, la mayor dificultad será la movilización ya que debido a los deslizamientos de tierra muchas carreteras permanecen obstruidas, al igual que se ha interrumpido el paso por la caída de puentes sobre caudalosos y temporales ríos. 

Ante tal panorama y en el afán de asegurar los alimentos, se requiere apoyo para el almacenamiento local de granos (maíz y frijoles), para ello infraestructura de acopio es necesaria. Ya los productores organizados mantienen reservas comunitarias como una estrategia para enfrentar el desabastecimiento provocado por el COVID-19 y las medidas gubernamentales que restringen la movilización.

Lo anterior es solamente uno de los beneficios de la Agroecología, la cual ha ganado mucha atención en las últimas tres décadas como base para la transición a una agricultura que no solo proporcionaría a las familias rurales beneficios sociales, económicos y ambientales significativos, sino que también alimentaría a la población urbana de manera equitativa y sostenible.

Pobladores de Azabache, Danlí, El Paraíso en labores de limpieza de la carretera que fue obstaculizada por deslizamiento de tierra.
Cultivo de café afectado por deslizamiento de tierra en comunidades de Azabache, Danlí, El Paraíso
Carretera destrozada en comunidades de Azabache, Danlí, El Paraíso

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Hurricane Eta: Revenge of the Earth

By: Edwin Escoto 

For too long, humanity has exploited the Earth with little concern for the long-term consequences. Now, with the impacts of global climate change ravaging much of the planet, the Earth is making us feel the consequences of our disregard. This is what the famous British scientist and environmentalist James Lovelock warned in his book “Revenge of Gaia.”

Our mistreatment of the Earth can be seen almost everywhere – in the deforested landscapes, air thick with pollution, rivers fouled with chemicals, oceans filled with plastic, and rising sea levels. According to Sofar Ocean, “Rising sea levels will impact our drinking water, food supply, and overall health. “As sea levels rise, saltwater intrusion into freshwater increases the salinity of groundwater basins and well water. This reduces crop yields and the availability of safe drinking water. It also increases the risk of hypertension, as well as vector-borne and diarrheal disease,” said one joint report by the Public Health Institute and the Center for Climate Change and Health.” Yet, we expect the Earth to remain docile as we continue to kill her. She’s angry now, and her anger will keep showing up in increasingly dangerous ways until we take steps to remedy all the wounds we’ve inflicted.

Hurricane Eta, the most recent and devastating hurricane that unleashed its fury in Central America, is a bleak reminder of our vulnerability as a species when up against planetary forces responding to the climate crisis. In the most affected countries of Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, the story has been the same – rains, floods, landslides, evacuees, and tragically, a considerable number of deaths. As in almost every natural disaster, the population living in poverty is the most affected. 

One of the harshest long-term effects that hurricane Eta will have on Central America, mostly in urban settings, will be the lack of food, since large areas of crops that are part of the region’s basic diet have been affected (corn, beans, and rice). It will continue to be the peasant families residing in the marginal lands (on the hillside) who provide food for the rest of the population. However, the greatest difficulty will be mobilization in the aftermath of landslides. Many roads remain obstructed and main passageways have been interrupted by the fall of bridges over large and temporary rivers. 

In an effort to supply enough food for the population, support is required for the local storage of grains (corn and beans). Organized producers already maintain community reserves as a strategy to face the shortages caused by COVID-19 and the government measures that restrict mobilization.

This is just one of the benefits of Agroecology, which has gained much attention in the last three decades as an effective means to transition from conventional to ecological agriculture that would not only provide rural families with significant social, economic, and environmental benefits, but also as a long-term solution to feed urban populations in an equitable and sustainable way.

Global Warming. Climate Crisis. Revenge of Gaia. The horrific consequences of continuing to mistreat our planet are the same, regardless of the terminology. However, that doesn’t mean that the outcome is inevitable. We, together as global neighbors, can – and must – do better. Agroecology is one of the most proven, sustainable solutions available to us in our quest to mitigate the effects of climate change. The communities who have been able to reclaim a symbiotic relationship with the natural world around them have been those in which families carry out production practices based on ancestral knowledge and rooted in agroecological operations which honor nature’s cycles.

Groundswell International promotes programs of hope that build livelihoods aimed at reducing poverty and preventing entire families from forced migration due to violence, crippling poverty, systemic suppression, and food insecurity.

Please contribute to helping provide nutritional security and support for Central America by clicking here.

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