The 10th Global Landscape Forum 2023 (GLF 2023) has opened in Nairobi to discuss ways to transform food systems, secure land rights and restore landscapes through African-led solutions. The conference, which brought together leading African changemakers, scientists, practitioners and community leaders of all ages from 130 countries, will discuss issues, including ways to build resilience to the climate crisis and other ecological challenges. Ms Éliane Ubalijoro, Chief Executive Officer of the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) and Director General of ICRAF, speaking at the opening, said Africa had existing solutions and tools to develop new ones that the world truly needed. ‘… And when we come together, we can go beyond surviving – to thriving. We are living in a digital age, characterised by interconnectedness and interdependence,’ she said. She underscored the need to employ tools, including artificial intelligence and cutting-edge research to address global challenges in an inclusive and responsible way. ‘It’s time to ensure that knowledge and wisdom from around the world are shared with those who need it most. Our work, in collaboration with our partners, provides tangible solutions to some of the most pressing challenges of our time,’ she said. Mr Jochen Flasbarth, the State Secretary of the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), said human’s resilience was related to the way landscape was protected and managed Landscape, he explained, offered man with a wide array of ecosystem services and was the backbone of agriculture. ‘Restoration projects, ranging from soil restoration, and rehabilitation over peatland rebuilding to restoration of forest landscapes offer a remarkable opportunity to create new and green jobs. They are a good example of the synergies that can exist between environmental stewardship and economic prosperity,’ he said. Mr Daniel M’Mailutha, Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya National Farmers’ Federation, stated that the issues bordering food systems transforming in Africa especially in Kenya could not be discussed without putting farmers at the centre. ‘We need to make sure that farmers understand that it is in their self-interest to do what is right as far as the landscape is concerned,’ he said. Mr Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, said up to 40 per cent of the world’s land had been degraded and that was affecting half of the world’s population. ‘By degrading land, we degrade our ability to produce sufficient and nutritious food, quality water and quality air. Africa has suffered 44 per cent of the world’s major droughts over the last 100 years. In the last 50 years, the continent has suffered economic damage of more than USD 70 billion, not to mention immense human hardship. ‘Africa, which is very rich in ecosystems, traditions and knowledge, holds the key. The continent has long practiced sustainable agriculture from the terraced fields of Rwanda to the agroforestry traditions of West Africa. It’s time to amplify these African led solutions, scaling them up and out.’ ‘The GLF Nairobi 2023 Hybrid Conference: A New Vision for Earth’ is taking place in Nairobi and online on 11 and 12 October, gathering leading scientists, activists, indigenous leaders, financiers, women, youth, policymakers, the private sector and more. Day one focused on African sovereign solutions. Day two will gather a global audience in crafting a survival guide for a planet in crisis and set the stage for a fairer world ahead of the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28).
Source: Ghana News Agency