Can Agriculture Fix The Climate Crisis? Farmers At Global Summit Say Yes

Thousands of small-scale farmers worldwide are banding together to send a clear message: agriculture is the solution to the current climate crisis. Not just any kind of agriculture; local, regenerative growing models will lead the way. In other words, real farming that focuses on agroecology and food sovereignty. 

The group hails from over 75 different countries and is coming together virtually at the Oxford Real Farming Conference over the next week. The ORFC is a global summit looking to prove that small-scale farming can fix the environmental damage caused by Big Ag.

From the Amazon to Alaska, the farmers represent vastly different climates, but all have a common interest in regenerative agriculture. Together, they’re pushing for food, farming, and Mother Nature to top the list of topics discussed at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow this November.  

Big Ag, Big Problems

Whether in documentaries or the news, we hear it all the time: conventional agriculture is mostly to blame for the advanced environmental destruction we are witnessing around the globe. Overtillage of our soils, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and an excessive amount of water waste have led us down an unsustainable path.

The United Nations is sounding the alarm: we only have 60 harvests left before we’ve depleted the world’s topsoil. We need to act fast to ensure food security for future generations.

Agroecology

Over seven days, the farmers will share success stories at the ORFC about how their eco-friendly growing practices have made an impact. Agroecology is one of the main topics to be discussed. 

Agroecology promotes healthy soil that holds carbon, which, according to the Kiss The Ground documentary, is the key to reversing climate change. Feeding the soil and keeping its delicate structure intact reduces carbon emissions, sequesters carbon, and increases biodiversity. 

The pay-off is enormous; we’re talking about global cooling instead of global warming.

Local Food

Beyond treating the soil like gold instead of dirt, the conference aims to draw attention to the importance of local, small-scale farming, which helps reduce transport, waste, packaging, and food waste.  

A Wake-Up Call

The ORFC is a wake-up call to farmers and politicians everywhere: you can be successful while practicing responsible and regenerative agriculture. And we need to set targets to transition to agroecology immediately.

The discussions and stories coming out of this global summit have never been so important. It’s time we listen. 

The Oxford Real Farming Conference Global takes place online from January 7th-13th 2021.