The Future Of Our World Is In Our Hands, People! But First We Have To Use Our Minds…

The fact that I agriculturist and digital communicator was not aware of COP28 going on is not an intellectual excuse for shirking my duty as citizen of the world – neither thinks PH ex-Secretary of Agriculture William Dar as he writes in the Manila Times: “COP28 Is A Call For Global Action” (21 Dec 2023, manilatimes.net): “The 28th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC or COP28 served as a wake up for all nations to do their share in building a resilient and sustainable global food system amid challenges from climate change.” 
(“Call” from who.int, “Hands” from innovationnewsnetwork.com)

COP28 was hosted by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 30 to December 12. Mr Dar says, “COP28 also highlighted the need to shift to new paradigms in food production, including regenerative agriculture.”

Mr Dar goes on to say:

The 28th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC or COP28 served as a wake up for all nations to do their share in building a resilient and sustainable global food system amid challenges from Climate Change.

I can even call COP28 a call for global action to avert the deterioration or destruction of our food production system amid the scourge of extreme weather changes.

I repeat for emphasis: “to avert the deterioration or destruction of our food production system amid the scourge of extreme weather changes.” I will emphasize extreme – of course, the weather always changes, but Climate Change is here and the changes are extreme and endanger all of us.

So I go back to the quote above, where Mr Dar says, “COP28 also highlighted the need to shift to new paradigms in food production, including regenerative agriculture.”

Regenerative Agriculture (RA) is our new hope to combat Climate Change in the farms.

RA is a far cry from the first reactions in the Philippines when it came to Climate Change.

In 2011, we members of the Philippine Network of Environmental Journalists attended the 4^th General Assembly of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, with Albay Governor Joey Salceda, UN Climate Change Champion, leading the Assembly. The consensus then was: Climate Change Adaptation, to conform to the changes that the seasons brought.

12 years have passed since the Legazpi “Summit” and “Adaptation” has left Farmer Poverty and Climate Change worse! We must now practice Regenerative Agriculture.

Except the name, regenerative agriculture is familiar as it comprises the practice of any/all of the following – sans chemical fertilizers and pesticides:

1, Compost application
2, Cover cropping
3, Crop rotation
4, Farm crops + tree crops (simultaneous)
5, Green manuring
6, Intercropping
7, Multiple cropping
8, No-till farming
9, Ratooning
10, “Three Sisters” cropping (corn + beans + squash)
11, Trap cropping
12, Trash mulching.

I will continue repeating that Chemical Agriculture (CA) is the enemy of modern farming: CA generates greenhouse gases (GHGs), and those GHGs are the ones that in turn generate Climate Change!

We have to stop Chemical Agriculture – otherwise, worsening Climate Change will stop our farming soon enough!@517