Include poor farmers in global carbon markets - group

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A group of 25 African countries from East, Central and Southern Africa have unveiled the African Climate Solution, the most ambitious such on the continent.

The group was meeting on the sidelines of the just concluded 14th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 14) in Poznan, Poland.

The African Climate Solution entails the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, forestry and land use in Africa and throughout the developing world. It proposes to build a global bio-carbon coalition of developing countries.

“It is no longer a question of if or when —, Africa should and will be part and parcel of a post–Kyoto Protocol regime,” said Sindiso Ngwenya, secretary general of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa, who gave the keynote presentation at the launch of the Africa Climate Solution.

“This initiative is African in origin but is intended to include all developing nations. We all face the same problem of dealing with climate change and pursuing sustainable development.
“We are seeking the support of countries in Asia, Latin America and small island states to ensure that not only Africa’s voice but that of the world’s poor and excluded will be heard loud and clear for the first time in creating solutions for mitigation and adaptation to climate change.”

The African delegation — a lucky few who managed to get visas — to Poznan comprised representatives from organisations of small farmers, the private sector, the research community, civil society, development partners and banks.

The African Climate Solution initiative is the culmination of multisectoral, continent-wide consultations started in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to the United Nations’ panel of climate experts, Africa is “highly vulnerable” to the impacts of climate change. It suffers from a deadly combination of recurrent drought, land degradation, declining agricultural productivity and poverty.

Climate change has serious implications for economic growth, sustainable development and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as it magnifies, intensifies and speeds up already serious threats to ecosystems and the people who depend on them.

“The development gains attained in Africa are being threatened by the effects of global climate change,” said Mr Ngwenya. “Over 100 developing nations have thus far received nothing from the global carbon markets because they are reliant on agriculture and forestry sectors that have been excluded from the current arrangements.”

Deforestation accounts for 18 per cent of global emissions and agriculture accounts for a further 14 per cent. Over one-third of emissions are land-use based.

The group of Africa countries is calling for inclusion of afforestation, reforestation, agroforestry, enhanced natural regeneration, re-vegetation of degraded lands, biomass substitution, reduced soil tillage, and  sustainable agricultural practices in the global carbon markets and the Clean Development Mechanism.

Despite the expansion of the global market for carbon emissions which the World Bank last year valued at over $7.5 billion, Africa has been left out in the cold,” said Mr Ngwenya, adding “Most of all it, excludes poor farmers.  If they are included, we can take the pressure off our remaining forests, at the same time the carbon market can help lift the farmer out of poverty.”
All Comesa members have signed a declaration calling for the post-Kyoto treaty  to “include agriculture, sustainable land management, sustainable forest management, afforestation, reforestation reduced emissions from deforestation, and forest degradation.”  This declaration is now also supported by the East African Community and the Southern African Development Community.