More than Just a Transition

Making changes are often difficult, but necessary. The Just Transition is a framework that encourages sustainable production to usher in a greener economy and achieve climate justice - it encompasses not only environmental issues but those of social and political relevance too. Climate justice looks at global warming holistically, and it is understanding that the much-needed change can only occur by finding solutions outside a market-based approach that solely benefits corporations. Therefore, the Just Transition encourages workers to be more involved in the development process of agroecological innovations and further down the food system. Aligning with the UN’s 12th Sustainable Development Goal (responsible consumption and production), the Just Transition is a trade union movement and it facilitates the transition from an extractive economy to a regenerative one (Climate Justice Alliance, n.d.).

Everyone’s Hungry

Emissions from agriculture, forestry and land use account for around 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions, which is very similar to the level of emissions from fossil fuels (Blattner, 2020). Workers in this sector are most vulnerable to climate change because environmental changes caused by global warming can directly affect food production, as well as their income. Of course, this rippling effect extends to the global food supply. Despite this grave threat posed to all our livelihoods, there are a lack of policies to control rising emissions. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased pressure on food production and the number of people that could fall into acute food insecurity could increase by 130 million as a result (Swiderska, 2020). Therefore, it is imperative that the rights of farmers are addressed along with new farming methods that ensure production follows a sustainable path.

Putting it to Work

A practice that has been around for the last century and recognised by larger institutions, is agroecology. The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) define agroecology as “an integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of food and agricultural systems” (FAO, 2018, p. 1). Soil and water conservation (SWC) is an agroecological method that became a huge priority for farmers and NGOs operating in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Not only did drought severely deplete the country’s vegetation and thus, food production, it also led to a decline in the population as out-migration (to find fertile land) increased. A variety of SWC methods were beginning to be used across farms in Burkina Faso in the early 1980s (Oakland Institute, 2015). These methods are just few ways that can be adopted into policies that follow a Just Transition.

In the space of eleven years from 1985, the improvement in environmental conditions led to the population growing by 25%. Burkina Faso saw rising water tables that improved water availability and met demand despite the increasing population. This allowed farmers to achieve higher crop yields.

More developed regions tend to have a different approach to the framework, however. The European Commission under the European Green Deal, for one, are using the Just Transition mechanism as a means of bringing in investment and financial support of at least €1 trillion. This will be spent on climate action and will enable member states to develop sustainable projects. Their pledge of “solidarity and fairness” will bring about the emergence of clean energy for citizens, train workers with transferrable skills and support new businesses and SME’s in energy efficiency. Although the region is primarily in the tertiary sector, the deal aims to accomplish organic farming in a quarter of farmland and provide fairer returns to farmers (European Commision, 2020).

The Good Kind of Change

Agroecology is beneficial in that it can be used to both adapt or mitigate climate change. Lower pesticide and fertiliser use diminishes soil degradation and erosion, whilst also reducing combustion of fossil fuels which is a key element of the fertiliser production process. In addition to this, afforestation and implementing agroforestry systems increases carbon sinks and avoids a loss in biodiversity (Anderson, 2019). In the long-run, this improves the growing times of produce and also the health of farmers since they work in a cleaner environment.

What once was a traditional agricultural lifestyle has become agribusiness, and workers are having to supply even more but with less returns. The reduced risk of crop failure through the implementation of agroecology, however, will increase production and crop yields, providing income security for workers throughout the agricultural production chain.

The majority of policies currently in place tend to favour the powerful rather than the poor, the marginalised and those who work directly in agriculture. It is apparent that further measures must be implemented to ensure that vulnerable communities are protected and can become more resilient. The International Labour Office (ILO) have created guidelines to support those who are negatively affected by the sudden sweeping changes being nationally implemented and which are aimed at advancing towards sustainable development. It outlines that Just Transition policies should ensure participation at every level, so that all stakeholders have an input in the process  (ILO, 2018, p. 3).

All in all, the Just Transition framework can slowly lead to climate justice but it is a long-term project that must be considered by local farmers as well as national governments, and which mandates a strong collaboration between the two stakeholder groups. The framework is more than just a transition into applying more sustainable practices in agriculture; it is a structured pathway that encourages large organisations and governments to increase their green activity and smoothen their journey to this much-needed green, new reality.

By Lakshumie Saththiyan

References

Anderson, T., 2019. Principles for Just Transition in Agriculture. [Online] Available at: https://actionaid.org/sites/default/files/publications/Principles%20for%20a%20just%20transition%20in%20agriculture_0.pdf

Blattner, C. E., 2020. Just Transition for agriculture? A critical step in tackling climate change. Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development, 9(3), pp. 53-58.

Climate Justice Alliance, n.d. Just Transition. [Online] Available at: https://climatejusticealliance.org/just-transition/ [Accessed 23 06 2020].

European Commision, 2020. Financing the Green Transition. [Online] Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/newsroom/news/2020/01/14-01-2020-financing-the-green-transition-the-european-green-deal-investment-plan-and-just-transition-mechanism [Accessed 05 07 20].

FAO, 2018. The 10 Elements of Agroecology. [Online] Available at: http://www.fao.org/3/i9037en/i9037en.pdf [Accessed 24 06 2020].

ILO, 2018. Just Transition Towards Envionmentally Sustainable Economies and Societies For All. [Online] Available at: https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_dialogue/---actrav/documents/publication/wcms_647648.pdf [Accessed 01 07 2020].

IPCC, 2014. Mitigation of Climate Change. s.l., Cambridge University Press.

Oakland Institute, 2015. Soil and Water Conservation Techniques in Burkina Faso, s.l.: Oakland Institute & AFSA.

Swiderska, K., 2020. Resilient food systems and COVID-19: lessons for a Just Transition. [Online] Available at: https://www.iied.org/resilient-food-systems-covid-19-lessons-for-just-transition