Edito
Let's turn risks into opportunities
First of all, you will notice that the cover of this magazine features a photo of farmers' hands, hands that bear the marks of regular, sustained work in all weathers. This is our way of paying tribute to the men and women in Belgium, around the world, and especially in the Global South, who work hard to produce the food that is essential to the human race. As we know, it is a particularly difficult job.
We all experience risk management in our daily lives. There are many types of risk, ranging from micro to macro, and they vary in nature. In the agricultural world, these risks are manifold: economic, from the moment a farm is taken over, but also social and cultural, as evidenced by rural depopulation and the lack of appeal of this demanding and undervalued work among young people.
Although farmers have always had to cope with unpredictable weather, the early signs of climate change are already visible in the form of extreme weather volatility and changes in the areas where certain agricultural activities are carried out. (In the future, it will become more difficult to grow coffee in certain mountainous areas of Costa Rica, and it may even become impossible to use the same Bordeaux terroirs to produce grand cru wines). We could despair!
Well no, like the young people who are protesting today about the climate emergency, but also, and above all, in a more structural way, all our academics, from both the South and the North, scattered actors (farmers, producer groups, cooperatives, marketing companies, committed citizens, optimistic and open-minded students, NGOs, etc.) who are taking up the challenge of sustainable, responsible agriculture that respects our environment and is capable of providing a decent income for those who practise it.
In this issue, we will start in Louvain-la-Neuve with the agro-ecological advocacy of Philippe Baret, dean of the Faculty of Agronomy at UCLouvain; then we will fly to Cambodia, where academics and field workers are supporting Cambodian farmers in reclaiming their activities; we will visit our Bolivian partners in the marginalised neighbourhoods of El Alto, who are also launching urban agriculture initiatives, before ending up in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where agroecology is taking centre stage. Finally, we will return to Louvain-la-Neuve, where Ingénieux-Sud is working with its local partners to develop intelligent solutions tailored to the agricultural problems encountered.
We hope that after reading our journal, you will be convinced, as we are, that together—producers, consumers, governments, private companies, and associations—we can transform risks into opportunities when faced with agricultural challenges.
Jean-Michel Pochet
Managing Director of Louvain Coopération
Based on the intuition that promoting sustainable agriculture would prove highly beneficial, Amaury Peeters, Louvain Coopération's national director in Cambodia, initiated a research project in partnership with the Ecoland research centre at the Royal University of Agriculture and the Earth and Life Institute at UCLouvain. ‘The primary goal of this research was to measure the benefits of sustainable agriculture on households and, secondarily, to inform civil society,’ explains Neang Malyne.
This research was conducted among 80 farmers using the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's ‘Assessment of the Sustainability of Agricultural and Food Systems’ tool. To do this, they were divided into two groups: one practising sustainable agriculture (solid line) and one practising conventional agriculture (dotted line). These two groups were similar in terms of vulnerability (similar farm sizes, family structures and access to natural resources). The diagram opposite shows the performance of farmers on various sustainability themes: environment, economy, governance and social issues. All these performances are between 0 (low sustainability in the centre of the red circle) and 1 (high sustainability outside the dark green circle).
It seems that making households dependent on agriculture more resilient is a challenge that has been met with flying colours. Increased incomes, real food security, improved health, and a growing sense of solidarity: sustainable agriculture has brought about profound changes in communities.
Today, farmers can imagine a different future for themselves and their families: ‘Since I started using sustainable farming techniques, we are no longer afraid of getting sick and we can save money for our children's education,’ says Kan La, a beneficiary of the Louvain Coopération programme.
Urban agriculture is flourishing around the globe. Whether in Detroit, Paris, Milan or Brussels, more and more cities are taking food security for their citizens seriously. With cities becoming increasingly vulnerable to environmental and economic crises, urban agriculture is taking a leap towards the agriculture of tomorrow.
We don't need to remind you about the rise of urban vegetable gardens around the world, as they have been all over the internet. In Paris, the Beaugrenelle shopping centre has a 7,000 m² roof that is entirely covered in vegetation. In Detroit, urban farms have sprung up where factories once stood. Brussels is not to be outdone, with more than 260 community vegetable gardens, including the ‘potage-toit’ on the roof of the Royal Library. But the South is not to be outdone either!
In Bolivia, Louvain Coopération and the Alternativas Foundation have been working since 2014 to promote urban gardening through the Huerto Lak'a uta project, a vegetable garden located on the outskirts of the city of La Paz, at an altitude of over 3,600 metres. A pioneer in community vegetable gardening in Bolivia, this project aims to motivate city dwellers to produce their own food without pesticides or chemical inputs in order to be less vulnerable to market fluctuations and to give themselves access to healthier food. In other words, to be more resilient in the face of external shocks. The activities that take place in this garden go beyond simple food production. Huerto Lak'a uta has a real educational function. Every week, groups of children and adults come to try their hand at planting, which allows everyone to realise how easy it is to produce their own food at home.
Finally, the experience in this vegetable garden goes beyond the individual experience; it is a shared experience. A real community is being created, enabling exchanges between the different beneficiaries from all walks of life.
Louvain Coopération works every day to support local farmers in the provinces of Kampong Thom and Kampong Cham in Cambodia. Sustainable agriculture is emerging as a key way to lift them out of vulnerability and make them more resilient.
Agriculture is one of the pillars of the Cambodian economy, accounting for nearly 25% of the country's GDP in 2016. Approximately 80% of households live in rural areas and depend, among other things, on their agricultural activities. Conventional farming methods remain the norm, but sustainable farming techniques are helping to rapidly improve the socio-economic status of households. ‘We can see that sustainable agriculture is a real success and that there is a great economic benefit. There are families who have significantly increased their incomes. They can now earn between £700 and £1,000 per month with five full-time equivalents,’ explains Neang Malyne, director of the Ecoland Research Centre at the Royal University of Agriculture.
When we talk about conventional farming methods, we are referring to farmers who do not use sustainable farming techniques: they mainly work in monoculture and are dependent on numerous chemical inputs (fertilisers and pesticides). Traditionally, agrochemicals have been favoured and defined as the norm to follow. Farmers therefore mainly receive advice from the retailers of such products. It is important to note that some of these types of products sold in developing countries do not meet international standards and are banned in developed countries because of the health and environmental risks they pose. Unfortunately, the use of agrochemicals creates dependency and therefore requires the continuous increase in the use of these substances, which are harmful to both the soil and humans. Year after year, we are seeing an increase in the pollution of soil, groundwater and surrounding water sources. From a purely economic point of view, the situation is alarming. Dependence on these substances requires increasingly high investments for similar production levels.
These farmers' expenses therefore continue to rise, with very little economic benefit.
Climate change, water, air, pollution, inequality, North-South relations, participatory democracy: these are just some of the themes addressed on the placards and banners carried during climate marches organised across Belgium.
Since 2 December, nearly 200,000 people, young and old, have braved the cold, wind and rain in Belgium to demand a more ambitious and fairer climate policy. These human waves are sending a strong and clear message: we are concerned, climate change is happening here and now! Citizens are determined to make their voices heard in order to bring about change. It is a peaceful movement, driven by a contagious energy that is spreading like wildfire. One thing is certain: inaction in the face of climate change is unacceptable! A collective frustration is growing in the hearts of citizens who are aware of both the destruction of our planet and the growing social divide.
Climate issues and their social consequences are making headlines in the international press, including the Belgian press. On 6 February, we read that the last five years had been the warmest on record since 1850. This is a chilling wake-up call, reminding us that every action counts and that together we can make a difference. And it shows. We are seeing a real network of local initiatives springing up around the world. In America, Africa, Asia and Europe, citizens are taking control of their future in a variety of ingenious ways. Here at Louvain Coopération, this strengthens our conviction that together, we can go further.
As an NGO, Louvain Coopération is also working to make its projects more sustainable by combining social and climate issues in the implementation of integrated projects. Our primary goal remains to work to increase the resilience of populations in the South, so that they can recover from shocks, whether economic or climatic, while contributing to the construction of a more ecologically sustainable world. We could give you countless examples, but instead we will let you discover how we are committed to a transition to sustainable agriculture in our various fields.