Tag: Climate Change

A page is turned..!

Yesterday marked the completion of my thesis work for the MSc. CCAFS. My paper is entitled “The contribution of rural youth to climate issues in agriculture and their engagement in climate policy”. I had the chance to work in collaboration with a CIAT researcher and the Master’s professors to produce this work.

Initially planned with Latin America and the Caribbean as the research field, it turned out that the lack of data was too important to make a relevant literature review. We therefore extended the scope to developing countries. For this purpose, 20 articles were selected, written between 2012 and 2021. This selection highlighted this theme as being rooted in the scientific research of recent years, with a particular upsurge since 2016.

The findings of the structured review allowed to discuss three aspects of the contribution of youth in climate issue in agriculture and their integration in climate strategy and policy:

(1) the high potential and interesting competences of youth in sustainable agriculture and climate policies,

(2) the lack of attractiveness of the agricultural world for young people,

(3) the lack of consideration of young people in the implementation of climate and agricultural policies, at all levels.

The contribution of young people to climate issues in agriculture and their integration in climate strategy and policy is of great importance in the face of the global challenges of food security and climate change. By accompanying them and giving them the space to voice their opinions that they will be able to fully express their potential and act to improve the responses to climate issues in agriculture.

And now? A page is turned and it’s time for new professional adventures where I will build on the skills acquired during this research work, and throughout the MSc!

Wine and climate change: towards a necessary evolution of vineyards?

The value of wine lies in the attention paid to it by all the people involved: from the producer to the buyer, the seller, the oenologist, the sommelier etc. Thus, each attribute characterizes it: the geography with the notion of terroir, as well as the temporality with the notion of vintage.  This specific interest in the vintage is largely explained by the role that climatic conditions play on the quantity and quality of the grapes produced and the wine that is made from them (BOIS, 2012).  

Thus, wine is particularly sensitive to climate change. For example, “During the cold period of 1970-1980, the harvest in Côte de Beaune frequently began in early October. Today, it is around September 13 that the harvest begins on average. In 2003, the harvest started on August 19th, due to a particularly hot year – but especially a hot month of August. This is the earliest date for the beginning of the harvest ever observed in Burgundy since the 14th century” (BOIS, 2012). In the pursuit of quality-oriented wine production, this close relationship between the climate and the vine has constantly led winegrowers to adjust their activities (NEETHLING, 2016). 

This rise in temperature also leads to the production of sweeter grapes, thus increasing the grapes, thus increasing the potential alcohol content of the wines. Also, it is the cause of the evolution of the geography of vine diseases, with a greater occurrence of powdery mildew in several northern vineyards. We observe the appearance, in these same vineyards, of insects such as Eudemis (Lobesia botrana), a lepidopteran pest of Mediterranean vineyards, or Scaphoideus titanus, a leafhopper vector of Flavescence dorée phytoplasma, a quarantine disease that has only recently appeared in Burgundy (BOIS, 2012).

Several responses are possible in the wine industry to face climate change. Among them, the modification of the world map of vineyards in response to atmospheric changes: vines migrate in altitude and latitude, leaving behind regions of wine culture that are sometimes thousands of years old. The abandonment of current wine-growing areas due to unprecedented climatic conditions would have dramatic consequences for the economy of regions with a large area planted with vines and/or for which production and related activities (trading, wine-making, etc.) constitute a major resource (NEETHLING, 2016). Another solution could be the gradual modification of the grape variety is an interesting option for regions in which the image of the wines is not attached to a particular product. These are vineyards producing varietal wines, for which the target consumer attaches greater importance to the organoleptic characteristics of a variety rather than the terroir. For example, in response to a severe drought, Syrah could be replaced by Grenache, which is less sensitive to water shortages. Also, genetic diversity within the same grape variety would make it possible to modify the harvest date, as would the development of rootstocks resistant to high heat (BOIS, 2012).

REFERENCES :

BOIS, B. (2012). Impacts of climate change on vineyards and proposed remedies. Meteorology, 38, 45-56.

NEETHLING. E. (2016). Adapting viticulture to climate change: towards high resolution strategies. Geography. Université Rennes 2.

Ocean pollution: negative impacts on human health

The oceans, characteristic elements of the Blue Planet, tend to be transformed into open-air dumping grounds. The WWF alerts people to the amount of plastic currently polluting the oceans: “According to estimates, between 4.8 and 12.7 million tons of plastic waste, the majority of which comes from South-West Asia, reach the oceans every year. In total, at least 86 million tons of plastic are already cluttering our seas, much of it having already sunk to the bottom. This figure does not include the microplastics that pollute rivers and oceans, such as those caused by the wear and tear of car tires, the washing of synthetic textiles or the degradation of plastic waste – nor does it include the small plastic particles contained in cosmetic products” (WWF, 2021). 

These alarming figures have mobilized the scientific community for several years now, with calls for an international agreement to address this issue. Any such agreement would extend, complement, and also challenge existing international, regional, national, sub-national, and local initiatives (HAWARD, 2018). For example, in 1967, calls for a refocus on the ‘common heritage’ of the world’s seas and oceans led to concerted and revolutionary action by the world community to address concerns and challenges. In late 2017, the United Nations Environment Assembly resolution on marine plastic pollution serves a similar purpose (HAWARD, 2018).

Fertilizers, pesticides, chemicals: the oceans are being collected with many harmful substances. Fertilizers used in the fields are a major problem on the shoreline. Surface runoff carries them into rivers, which in turn carry them to the sea. There, they cause over-fertilization that can lead to algae blooms. As a result, the amount of oxygen released into the water decreases and many marine organisms suffocate. This leads to large dead zones, where no more life is possible – a phenomenon that can be observed, for example, in certain regions of the Gulf of Mexico or the Baltic Sea (WWF, 2021).

But the coastline is not the only victim: the majority of living beings (marine or not) are contaminated by chemicals in the oceans. Insidious, ocean pollution contributes to cases of infections, food poisoning, such as ciguatera, a recurring concern in the Caribbean, or even cholera, as off the coast of Yemen (AFP, 2020). “Methylmercury and PCB pollution in seafood can damage children’s developing brains. Adult exposures to methylmercury increase risks for cardiovascular disease and dementia. Manufactured chemicals in seafood – phthalates, bisphenol A, flame retardants, and perfluorinated chemicals – can disrupt endocrine signalling, reduce male fertility, damage and increase risk of cancer. Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) produce potent toxins that accumulate in fish and shellfish and cause severe neurological impairment and rapid death” (MARTIN, 2020).

On December 2 and 3, 2020, in Monaco, the « Symposium on Human Health and the Ocean in a Changing World” concluded nearly two years of synthesis work on the subject conducted by the Monaco Scientific Center and Boston College with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The report calls on world leaders and citizens around the world to “recognize the seriousness of ocean pollution and its growing dangers » (Oceanographic Institute, 2020). 

Ocean pollution can be prevented. Control requires deploying data-driven strategies based on law, policy, technology, and enforcement. Prevention of ocean pollution boosts economies, increases tourism, helps restore fisheries, and improves human health and well-being (MARTIN, 2020).

REFERENCES : 

AFP., GEO. (2020). Beyond plastic waste, ocean pollution is “silently increasing”. Environment. 

HAWARD, M. (2018). Plastic pollution of the world’s seas and oceans as a contemporary challenge in ocean governance. Nat Commun 9, 667

MARTIN, K. (2020). Human Health and Ocean Pollution. Annals of Global Health.

Oceanographic Institute. (2020). Ocean and Human Health Symposium. https://www.oceano.org/monaco-voix-de-locean/symposium-ocean-et-sante-humaine/

WWF. (2021). Marine pollution. https://www.wwf.ch/fr/nos-objectifs/pollution-marine

Linking urbanism and sustainable development: a challenge for today and tomorrow

In recent years, and particularly since the post-Rio years (EMELIANOFF, 2004), the concept of sustainable development has emerged as a new imperative for urban and metropolitan public action. Moreover, the city as we know it cannot continue to develop and grow as it has until now. Indeed, cities emit more than 70% of the world’s greenhouse gases, while they are home to more than 50% of the world’s population. Road traffic, industrial activities, and the buildings themselves, through their design and the materials used, create and store heat, generating and feeding the now well-known phenomenon of “heat islands”. Faced with this observation, the desire to see a change in the way cities are designed and lived in has continued to grow. For it is here, at the very heart of the city, that the major ecological, economic and social issues of tomorrow will be played out. (SAGELOLI, 2018).

Urbanism, by definition, aims to conceive material forms of habitat of the life of relation associating the social and the environment. Sustainable development undoubtedly brings a new perspective, but which could give fully its effects only if it were declined on the scale of the urban geography and the urban planning. This perspective has strengthened the attention paid to the environment, while modifying its conception somewhat (GUERMOND, 2006). It is no longer a question of “mastering” the environment, but of better adapting to it: “the crisis of modernity encourages us to consider the environment no longer as a constraint to be overcome, but rather as an organizing principle in development, and, consequently, in urban planning,” (BERDOULAY, 2002). Sustainable development also adds a third pillar, the economy, to the social and environmental pillars. The latter makes it possible not to limit sustainable urbanism to housing for the most privileged. 

To succeed in this challenge, many actors need to be mobilized at the national level (ministries, federations, agencies and associations) as well as within communities (project owners, elected officials, public and private developers, engineering firms, etc.) (ADEME, 2021). This implies a reflection on the construction of an interdisciplinary approach that meets the requirements of public action and the needs of modern societies, which raises issues of articulation between research and action and redefinition of the relationship between science and society (GAUTHIER, 2009). It remains now to continue this common work, where everyone has a role to play, in order to develop a modern and sustainable urbanism, respectful of Human and his environment. 

REFERENCES :

ADEME, 2021. Urban planning and layout., https://www.ademe.fr/expertises/urbanisme-amenagement

BERDOULAY, V., SOUBEYRAN, O., 2002. Urban ecology and urban planning, Paris, La Découverte.

EMELIANOFF, C. (2004). Sustainable urbanism? Ecology & Politics, 29, 13-19.

GAUTHIER, M. (2009). Urban planning and sustainable development. Urban Environment, 3.

GUERMOND, Y. (2006). Rethinking urban planning through sustainable development. Natures Sciences Sociétés, 14.

SAGELOLI, R. (2018). Planning and sustainable development, the eco-districts approach. Blog of Urban Planning and Development Law, https://droit-urbanisme-et-amenagement.efe.fr/2018/05/14/amenagement-et-developpement-durable-la-demarche-ecoquartiers/

Can agroecology feed the world?

The use of the term “agroecology” has gone beyond the scientific niches, where only specialists could really understand what it meant. It is now part of everyday language, where it evokes “an evolution of agriculture that is considered positive: an evolution that carries the hope of breaking with the negative consequences of contemporary agriculture” (DORE, 2019). On March 8, 2011, the report “Agroecology and the Right to Food” was presented to the UN Human Rights Council by Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food. It “calls for a fundamental shift towards agroecology as a means to increase food production and reduce rural poverty” (DE SCHUTTER, 2010). This model is thought to be the best way to face the food, ecological and energy crises that affect the world today and whose effects seem to intensify every year (ROBIN, 2014).

Massive deforestation, standardization of animal and plant species, weakening of ecosystems… The impact of intensive agriculture on the environment is brought to the attention of citizens through whistleblowers and environmental organizations. The crisis of this model, which was generalized in the 20th century, is there. The limits of the sustainability of this agriculture are more and more perceptible every day. The intensive use of phytosanitary products also has a considerable impact on ecosystems (LASBLEIZ).

So, when Bruno le Maire, French Minister of Agriculture, Food, Fisheries, Rural Affairs and Land Management, says in 2011: “let’s not make the French believe that we can grow apples, pears or fruits without any pesticides: it has always existed and it will continue to exist, because otherwise you will not produce enough products and then you will have worms, you will have other risks of food poisoning related to the absence of use of pesticides” (LE MAIRE), before adding “the major risk is to weaken French agriculture, to decrease the French production” (LE MAIRE), would this be the case? Could agroecology be “profitable”?

Yes, according to a study by Alice Gremillet and Julien Fosse, which sifts through the scientific literature and modeling of twenty-three agro-ecological reference systems. Organic agriculture in particular appears to be the most efficient from an economic and environmental point of view today (GREMILLET, 2020). The study concludes, however, with the expression of a necessary “evolution of practices at the farm level [which] will have to be extended by the evolution of consumers’ food practices, in order to ensure the transition of our food system towards sustainability, in a global way” (GREMILLET, 2020).

But what is agroecology in concrete terms? How to face these problems, how to avoid them? For Lasbleiz (2015), “Agroecology can be defined as an interdisciplinary scientific approach that questions the agronomic works that were decisive in the establishment of productivist agriculture. Unlike the intensive agriculture model that relies primarily on agronomic science, agroecology additionally draws on social science and ecology.” (LASBLEIZ, 2015). According to Altieri, one of the pioneers of this model, the agroecological approach has three main dimensions. First, the technical dimension consists of applying the principles of ecology to agriculture with some attention paid to the idea of the “agroecosystem” with which the farmer adapts his work. The socio-economic and cultural dimension of agroecology aims at the transformation of the economic environment of agricultural production with a new relationship to nature. Finally, the socio-political dimension of agroecology is intended to be based on “access to and the correct use of nature to raise the standard of living within social systems” with a view to correcting the inequalities caused by conventional agriculture ( DESERTIFICATION WORKING GROUP, 2013).

In view of the crisis that agriculture and the world in general are going through, agroecology seems to offer new perspectives. Given the potential offered by this new model, joining Olivier De Schutter in his call for a fundamental shift in favor of agroecology and advocating that elected officials integrate the concept into their community and national policies for tomorrow’s agriculture, seems to be the path to take (LASBLEIZ, 2015).

REFERENCES :

DE SCHUTTER O. (2010). Report submitted by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food. UN General Assembly. http://www.srfood.org/images/stories/pdf/officialreports/20110308_a-hrc-16-49_agroecology_en.pdf

DESERTIFICATION WORKING GROUP. (2013). Agroecology, a transition to sustainable living and development, p. 13

DORE, T., BELLON, S. (2019). The worlds of agroecology. Enjeux Scientifiques. Versailles, Quae.

GREMILLET, A, FOSSE J. (2020). The economic and environmental performance of agroecology. France Stratégie.

LASBLEIZ, R. (2015). Agroecology : Including agriculture in the transition. For Solidarity.

ROBIN, M-M. (2014). The harvests of the future. Paris, La Découverte.