Carrying farmers' voices into the Second African Climate Talks

ASDA took part in the Second African Climate Talks, convened on 22–23 March 2018 by the African Climate Policy Centre of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

Writing afterwards, the Officer-in-Charge of the African Climate Policy Centre, James C. Murombedzi, thanked ASDA for its participation and noted that “your insights and contributions made the dialogue a collectively enriching experience,” adding that the Centre was “particularly emboldened by the resolve among all the participants to continue to seek just solutions to the climate crisis.”

The Centre went on to compile the key messages from the meeting as a submission to the UNFCCC Talanoa dialogue, along with collective recommendations — among them a proposal that the African Union Commission consider appointing a Commissioner for Climate Change. ASDA received a separate appreciation letter for its contribution to the ministerial meeting preparation and the drafting of resolutions.

For ASDA the value of these forums is direct. The households it works with in Arsi, North Shewa and Wolayita are already managing erratic rainfall, degraded land and shifting growing seasons. Bringing that field evidence into continental policy discussion — and bringing the resulting policy back to woreda level — is why ASDA also sits on the board of the Consortium for Climate Change Ethiopia and works through the Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network.