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Change called for in mountain agriculture

02.04.2014

The 100 participants from 30 countries attending the International Conference on Organic and Ecological Agriculture in Mountain Ecosystems developed an action plan for the transition towards organic agriculture and food systems in mountain areas. The international gathering of mountain farmers, scientists, food system workers, government representatives and development experts outlined the plan in the “Thimphu Declaration,” issued at the end of the three-day meeting in Thimphu, Bhutan, on 8 March 2014.

Co-organized by the Government of Bhutan , the Millennium Institute,  Navdanya and the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements, the conference urged a move away from chemical-based agriculture, which they maintain causes widespread environmental degradation, towards an ecologically sustainable agriculture system. Chemical-based agriculture, according to the declaration, is not only less ecologically viable because of its role in increasing greenhouse gas emissions, speeding up biodiversity loss and intensifying soil erosion, but is also less economically sound as it increases migration from rural areas, leading to more urban poverty.

In line with the transformation of agriculture and food system recommended by the Rio+ Declaration “The Future We Want,” the Thimphu meeting agreed that agriculture needs to be multifunctional and to address the social, ecological, economic dimensions of sustainable development. In particular, it underscores that the solutions to many challenges lie in smallholder family farms.

The declaration, building on Bhutan’s commitment to a 100 percent ecological organic agriculture guided by the philosophy of Gross National Happiness, says that food and agriculture systems should be grounded in the principles of happiness, well-being and quality of life. It urges governments, development partners, the scientific community and private sector to implement the paradigm shift by, for example, ensuring the universal right to food; placing small family agriculture, food and nutrition security at the centre of Post-2015 development agenda; carrying out national agri-food system assessments to inform new policies and supporting the development of new partnerships within the mountain regions of the world.

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Photo:Flickr/baron reznik