CFS 51 side event: Just transition or green grabbing? Land-intensive climate action and protecting the sustainable food systems of IPLCs

Large-scale commercial agriculture continues to replace agricultural practices of indigenous peoples (IPs), pastoralists, and smallholder farmers worldwide. At the same time, large-scale land deals for wind parks and solar farms take place in the context of global climate action. In addition, millions of hectares of land are required to meet the projected biological carbon removal in climate pledges and commitments. Such large-scale projects have detrimental impacts for indigenous peoples and local communities (IPLC).

These groups often rely on ecosystem-based approaches to agriculture such as agroecology that strengthen the resilience of food systems while supporting biodiversity, food security, nutrition and livelihoods. Given this they should be recognized and supported as partners to mitigating and adapting to climate change and for protecting biodiversity. Secure land tenure rights are key to support their food systems and livelihoods and to protect their land from increasing demand for climate mitigation. To avoid “green grabbing” but achieve a “just transition” the side event will raise awareness for the scale of the problem, present evidence about the contribution of these communities in tackling climate change, highlight lessons learned from the “global land rush” and discuss the role of strengthening international frameworks and land tenure rights.

Objectives:

• Highlight that climate action, food security and land issues cannot be discussed in silos and initiate a dialogue between different stakeholders with a key role for IP & LC;
• Show how IP & LC can contribute to mitigating and adapting to climate change;
• Demonstrate that secure tenure rights are a key factor for building sustainable local food systems, protecting biodiversity and protecting land rights of IP & LC from the increased demand for land by climate actions;
• Provide policy recommendations on how to implement and improve safeguards to ensure that IP & LC are not adversely affected by global climate action.

Date: 27 October 2023

Time: 8:30 - 9:45 (CET)

Register: Click here

Speakers:

• Joan Carling (Indigenous Peoples Rights International)
• Hillary Cheruiyot (The East Africa Farmers’ Association) (tbc)
• Aurelie Lhumeau (International Fund for Agricultural Development)
• Fanny Métrat (Farmer-Confédération Paysanne-Struggles for Land Forum)
• Nikka Rivera (Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development)

Moderator: Jann Lay (German Institute for Global and Area Studies/Land Matrix Initiative)

Organisers:

• Land Matrix Initiative (LMI)
• German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
• Global Land Observatory (FAO, ILC, CIRAD)
• Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)
• International Land Coalition (ILC)
• The East Africa farmers’ Association
• The Tenure Facility
• Struggles for Land Forum