What are the links between Covid-19, climate change and agricultural production? What measures are needed to ensure that we can continue to nourish ourselves in the future? To what extent is agroecology part of the solution?
These and other questions have been discussed in the webinar on 9 March at 1.15 pm CET. Together with Nobel Prize winner and climate activist Jacques Dubochet, experts Kavita Gandhi (SWISSAID India) and Johanna Jacobi(Centre for Development and Environment, University of Bern), as well as editor and moderator Andrea Kucera (NZZ am Sonntag), participants had the opportunity to join in the discussion and actively help shape solutions.
Agroecology as a solution
Standardisation and high-volume production processes fuel global warming, lead to the overexploitation of natural resources and provide an ideal breeding ground for the spread of diseases. Agroecology, on the other hand, reduces climate-damaging emissions while strengthening resilience to extreme weather events. Natural resources are regenerated and smallholder farmers are better equipped to deal with crisis situations. While SWISSAID has been supporting agroecology projects in its project countries for years, the practice still varies globally.
The webinar looked at specific experiences in the field. Kavita, SWISSAID’s agroecology officer from India, talked about the effects of climate change on the ground. Together with the Nobel Prize winner Jacques Dubochet, the expert input from Ms Johanna Jacobi and the participants’ contributions to the discussion, this helped provide an in-depth insight into the opportunities and limitations of agroecological options.
Rewatch the Webinar
Should you have missed the webinar you can read the summary of the event with the key messages here. In case you would like to rewatch the webinar, see the video below.