Edito

You cannot create a different world with indifferent people.

We are delighted to share with you this summary of our actions and projects.

The history of Louvain Coopération spans decades and four continents. Through political, social, economic and technological changes, we have transformed our practices, projects and methodologies to ensure that our actions continue to match our ambitions, while remaining close to the populations of the South.

Today, the NGO sector is positioning itself more and more precisely: the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness, monitoring and evaluating progress, adapting to national situations, the Istanbul Principles, with a view to jointly creating knowledge and strengthening civil societies around the world.

It is in this spirit and with your support that we want to look at the present and play a role vis-à-vis the political and economic actors and future citizens who are being trained here at UCL. If we can contribute to a better world, it is in particular by encouraging students to imagine their civic and professional paths within a framework of solidarity and responsibility.

Once again this year, many of you have actively supported all these projects. You, our donors, our partners, public and private funders, and all those who place their trust in us. We would like to express our sincere gratitude on behalf of the entire Louvain Coopération team!

Félix Vanderstricht

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

Edito

Impact Chronicles

Spring is always a special time at Louvain Coopération. It is a time to take stock of all the actions carried out during the previous year and to present our Activity Report. This raises some difficult choices: what to include? What to choose from the multitude of things we have accomplished? Which results to highlight? How can we best illustrate our impact and the changes it brings about in the populations and communities with which we work?

This year, we wanted to embrace change and present our ‘AR’ in a completely different way. It comes in the form of a Devlop'RA. This special edition features our annual results, presented according to the systemic approach and specific methodology of Louvain Coopération, which we have defined in order to better respond to today's global, complex and interconnected challenges. Our goal is to act on four systems – agriculture and food, health, entrepreneurship and education – and their interactions in order to strengthen the resilience of change agents and develop cross-cutting, coherent and sustainable responses. We also wanted to take advantage of this Devlop'RA to continue talking to you about the heart of our work. So we are heading to Burundi, where environmental challenges are compounded by the need to produce enough food to meet the needs of a growing population.

A dual objective, therefore: to present our overall impact and offer more content.

As with any change, doubts arise. How will this new format be received? We sincerely hope that yours will be warm. In any case, we are always open to your feedback.

We hope you enjoy reading this issue and thank you from the bottom of our hearts, because the projects featured in this first Devlop'RA exist thanks to your support.

Emilie Stainier
Communications Officer

Edito

Complementary and interconnected solutions for sustainable change

Today, the challenges posed by climate change vary considerably between countries in the North and those in the global South, due to economic, social and environmental differences. Solutions exist to make vulnerable populations, mainly living in the Global South, more resilient. This requires a systemic and inclusive approach that builds local capacity and supports sustainable agricultural practices, while preserving the environment for future generations.

Sustainable food systems aim to address these issues by providing healthy food while respecting the ecological limits of our planet. To strengthen the resilience of agricultural producers, it is now imperative to promote agroecological practices that favour production systems that are both productive and sustainable. Agroecology promotes biodiversity, improves soil health, reduces the use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers, and supports local knowledge and practices. It integrates social and economic aspects by seeking to strengthen the autonomy of family farms.

By adopting sustainable agricultural practices, managing natural resources efficiently, strengthening local value chains and promoting social justice, it is possible to create food systems that feed the world's population while preserving the environment and promoting economic and social equity. International collaboration, technological innovation and the engagement of local communities are essential to successfully transitioning to sustainable food systems.

There is an urgent need to build a more resilient, equitable and environmentally friendly future. Our teams and partners are working tirelessly to achieve this ideal. In this endeavour, sustainable food systems, agricultural value chains and agroecology are our greatest allies: complementary and interconnected solutions to drive change.

Doriane Desclée
Sustainable Food Systems Theme Lead

Edito

Safeguarding the environment and human activities

Environmental issues are now becoming increasingly important in development projects. This is not a choice, but a necessity, an obligation, an urgent matter. Even more so than here, the impacts of climate change are disrupting daily life, particularly for people in the Global South. Farmers, fishermen, herders... all these men and women who depend on nature for their livelihoods are watching it rebel with a sense of helplessness and concern.

Much of the work to be done lies with us, in revolutionising our habits. If we want to take action elsewhere, then we must do so properly. It is not a question of imposing our vision of environmental conservation on the Global South. It is essential that we work with our partners and the communities concerned to understand their needs and develop sensible and effective actions.

Can a person's life be measured in hectares of forest? In the number of rare animal and plant species? We refuse to make that choice. The only possible path for us is to seek a balance between protecting the environment and human activities, between conserving natural resources and ensuring dignity for those who depend on them.

In this challenge, we can count on the expertise of our local partners, UCLouvain and local universities. These invaluable allies enable us to constantly challenge, rethink and innovate in our actions and in the quest for a fairer and more sustainable world.