Adopt public policies and practices that preserve and restore the quality of Mother Earth
Every April 22, the whole world celebrates International Mother Earth Day. Indeed, the General Assembly designated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day by a resolution (A/RES/63/278) adopted in 2009. Land is a common heritage. The natural resources it hosts are useful for all humanity. Everyone has a duty to respect them. Agricultural systems have an important role in whether or not the quality of the Earth is preserved. Agriculture and food systems are interconnected with economies, cultures, societies, health, food security, malnutrition, climate, biodiversity and the environment.
Currently, the promotion of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers worries both producers and consumers. Indeed, Inades-Formation points out that ” The toxicity of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers for the environment and humans constitutes an obstacle to the right to healthy and sustainable food for all”
Today as in the future, Producing Without Destroying is of paramount importance.
To do this, Inades-Formation is committed to working on the emergence of Territories Produce Without Destroy “TPSD”. This notably involves the promotion of food systems based on family farming as a means of promoting practices that respect the environment and health. It is in this context that Inades-Formation carries the AlimenTERRE Awareness Campaign.
The word “ AlimentTERRE ” is specifically used to draw attention to the intrinsic link between the quality of the earth, which also depends on how it, too, is nourished and maintained, and the quality of the food it produces for food. healthy and sustainable populations. However, currently, the intensification of the use of synthetic chemical pesticides and fertilizers constitutes a threat to the expected quality of nourishing soil and that of irrigation water.
Food is a Right and Eating is a Vote
Across the AlimenTERRE Awareness Campaign , Inades-Formation seeks to bring the various players in food systems to become aware of the challenges of sustainable food production and to act for an agriculture that is more respectful of the Earth, biodiversity, the environment in its entirety. together and human health.
Furthermore, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for bold and transformative actions to put the world back on a path of sustainability and resilience while seeking to realize the human rights of all people [ 1] .
This 2022 edition of International Mother Earth Day is the first of the United Nations Decade of Ecosystem Restoration. These sustain all life on Earth . The healthier our ecosystems, the healthier the planet and its people. Restoring our damaged ecosystems will help fight climate change and prevent mass extinction of species [2] .
International Mother Earth Day reminds us of the importance of ensuring that we follow up on the implementation of certain international commitments regarding the prevention of pollution attributable to synthetic chemical pesticides. It is in particular:
- the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs),
- the Rotterdam Convention [3] on the prior informed consent procedure applicable to certain hazardous chemicals and pesticides;
- the agreement of Bamako [4] on the ban on importing hazardous waste into Africa and on the control of cross-border movements and the management of hazardous waste produced in Africa;
- the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR);
- United Nations resolution A/RES/72/239 on the Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028);
It is also an opportunity to review in each country the cases of damage caused by the intensive use of synthetic chemical inputs on the biodiversity that the earth hosts, on their structure itself, the pollution of water and the organisms that live in it.
Inades-Formation like other actors believe that it is important that on this International Mother Earth Day we insist on the transition to a more sustainable economy, which benefits both humanity and the planet. Ensuring harmony with nature and the Earth is no longer just desirable, but very necessary.
Given the danger of chemical pesticides on soils, water resources and biodiversity resources, Inades-Formation pleads for the following bold political measures:
- Reduce the import of synthetic chemical pesticides in agriculture;
- Strengthen regulatory measures on the import, marketing, conservation and use of synthetic chemical pesticides;
- Adopt public policies that take into account solutions based on agroecology;
To this end, Inades-Formation asks farmers and agricultural workers:
- To question their agricultural practices in relation to the preservation or restoration of ecosystems;
- To become aware of their role in sustaining local ecosystems so that they are available to their descendants and to future generations in a global way;
- Better organize themselves to create spaces for exchanging experiences and mutual learning to further enhance their knowledge and know-how in the field of Agro-Ecology;
Civil society, consumers in particular, are asked to:
- Organize to raise the awareness of the various actors on their role in the realization of the right to healthy and sustainable food;
- Create and animate a citizen dynamic to constantly question the traceability of products on the market, particularly market garden products;
- Observe and question the quality and registration of pesticides still in use;
Food is a Right and Eating is a Vote
Let’s vote for what protects the environment and human health.
