Accelerated climate actions transform agri-food systems

Ashton Mutyavaviri

FARMING communities must protect forests and mountains to mitigate the effects of climate change while conserving biodiversity to ensure food and nutrition security plus the general conservation of cultural landscapes.

In a video message on X (formerly twitter), the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said accelerated climate actions transform agri-food systems and help achieve food security and nutrition for everyone.

The world recently celebrated the International Mountain Day to create awareness on the importance of mountains to life, highlighting the opportunities and constraints in mountain development and to build alliances that will bring positive change to mountain people and environments around the world.

Healthy mountains matter for biodiversity for ecosystems restoration, said FAO.

“Mountains cover 27 percent of the earth’s land surface and host 25 of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots. Biodiversity is the thread that connects us all. Our life and wellbeing on earth depends on it yet we are losing it at an astonishing rate with 33 percent of fish stocks estimated to have been overfished.

“At least 17 percent of vertebrate pollinators and 26 percent of local breeds of livestock could go extinct. Time is running out. We need to restore our lands. Conserve and sustainably use genetic resources and draw on nature-based solutions to produce the food we need.

Without biodiversity there would be no food. Biodiversity depends on how we manage our agri-food systems and take care of nature,” FAO explained.

It added that mountains were home to 15 percent of the world’s population and a quarter of land, animals and plants while their conservation was key for achieving the global goals.

Forests cover 39 percent of global mountain area, FAO observed.

Mountain forests and grasslands can cool local temperatures, increase water retention, store carbon and reduce risk of erosion and landslides.

FAO challenged communities to recognise the importance of mountain ecosystems adding that resilient mountain ecosystems were key to climate adaptation.

“Up to 13 billion tonnes of carbon is stored in the trees and soil,” the video confirmed.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) also added that protecting forests including those recognised as World Heritage Sites was beneficial to the planet and all its people.

Forests are some of the most biodiversity rich habitats on earth. They play a crucial in climate regulation by absorbing carbon dioxide (CO2) and are considered as one of the most cost effective forms of climate action.

Mountains’ role in capturing, storing and realising water sustains ecosystems, supports agriculture and provides clean energy and medicines.

The Government is currently rolling out reforestation and afforestation programmes to mitigate the effects of global warming and climate change, which have become a global problem.

Every citizen is encouraged to plant a tree to help combat the effects that come with the absence of trees such as soil erosion. Deforestation is a major cause of climate change and reforestation is one way of curbing the scourge.