La Via Campesina international will denounce the industrial agriculture model as one of the main drivers of climate change. Science and experts agree with them: “Agriculture activities appear as responsible for 11 to 15% of [greenhouse gas] emissions. Although this figure is already alarming, by presenting it separated from the emissions caused by the industrial agrofood chain conceals a much worse reality in terms of its responsibility for climate change”, says Silvia Ribeiro of international organization Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC) Group.

In an article published by Mexican newspaper La Jornada on August 14 of last year, the researcher added: “Industrial agriculture and the industrial food system taken together are responsible for a significant amount of transport emissions; deforestation and the change in the use of soil are responsible for another percentage of emissions, and almost all methane issued by waste dumps as a result of the rotting organic waste mostly come from food thrown in the cities”.

As part of the agriculture activities emissions of big machinery used for agribusiness should be considered, besides the energy used to manufacture agrofuels linked with industrial agriculture.

For these reasons La Via Campesina International will attend the 17 Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Conference on Climate Change to be held from November 28 to December 9 to raise the flag of peasant agriculture “to cool the planet” as farmers claim.

“We will also expose agribusiness’ aggressive land grabbing tactics globally, causing mass displacement of people for monoculture production”, reads a press release issued by the peasant organization ahead of the COP.

It also says “False solutions to climate change, such as monoculture plantations, REDD mechanisms, soil carbon markets, and the so called ’Climate Smart Agriculture’, instead of solving the climate crisis, are heating up the planet”.

Meanwhile, the Dirty Energy Week begins on Tuesday in Durban, an event where local communities as well as national and foreign organizations will meet to strengthen their bonds of solidarity, to talk about energy issues and make pressure so that the COP on Climate will not be a space to promote false solutions.

This week until November 25 under the slogan “Challenging Climate Gangsters” they propose a space of reflection, dialogue and building in unity and resistance in the struggle for change, for a sustainable and equal use of energy.

The South African organizations are concerned about the country’s energy framework based on coal and with ongoing projects to build new coal power plants. South Africa is the continent’s largest polluter.

The event is being organized by: Earthlife Africa Johannesburg, Friends of the Earth International and its South African group groundWork, the Global Anti Incineration Alliance, Greenpeace Africa, South Durban Community Environmental Alliance and Vaal Environmental Justice Alliance.

Friends of the Earth International chair Nnimmo Bassey will give the opening speech to officially inaugurate the activities.

Photo: http://smartmeme.org