Nathan Einbinder
Without immediate action to help the world’s most vulnerable people adapt to climate change, millions of people face the prospect of their homes becoming unliveable, with no choice but to leave.
Consider Central America’s “dry corridor,” which stretches from Nicaragua in the south to the Mexican border in the north. The region, home to almost 12 million people, is being hit by a new mega drought. Recent heat waves have lasted for months here, leading to winter forest fires and drying up freshwater and soil.
The consequences, which have not yet been fully realized, will almost certainly include major crop losses and food shortages, which could spark violent conflict and force even more desperate families to flee.
But through researching nature-friendly forms of agriculture rooted in the region’s indigenous cultures (often collectively called agroecology), I’ve learned that extreme weather doesn’t have to end in tragedy. The right kinds of actions can help people adapt to and even mitigate climate change, while at the same time providing economic incentives to prevent them from migrating.
A Guatemalan youth project on food production. Nathan Einbinder
A green economy in action
Since 2009 I have been working in the Maya-Achi area in central Guatemala. Here, as elsewhere in the Dry Corridor, climate change has increased the frequency of heat waves throughout the year and made the wet seasons more erratic. As a result, small-scale farming, the main livelihood, is extremely difficult.
Climate change has also exacerbated existing problems, such as inequality, farmers’ dependence on expensive and polluting fertilizers and the consequences of the 1980s civil war that tore communities apart. These factors have led to an exodus of young people from the region in search of opportunities elsewhere.
I learned a lot from the Maya Achi, an ethnic group indigenous to Guatemala. I have discovered how age-old knowledge about local ecology can promote healthy soil management. I have seen community organizations contribute to sustainable livelihoods, with programs that restore and in some cases reintroduce indigenous foods and crop varieties, such as traditional corn and amaranth, which experts have found to be drought tolerant and highly nutritious.
Native corn varieties. Nathan Einbinder
I have also witnessed the success of local groups in coordinating hundreds of indigenous families in their pursuit of agroecology, including the restoration of degraded forests and watersheds. This has allowed farmers to grow more food because the availability of shade, moisture and healthy soil has improved, making small-scale farming more viable.
It’s no secret that strong social networks help increase resilience in agricultural communities. In our recent article, education scholar Michael Bakal and I argued that Mayan Achi organizations, such as Qachuu Aloom, a local farming and seed-saving association, are ideally placed to tackle the climate and migration crises.
Not only do these organizations understand the needs and values of their communities, they also promote a model of economic development that improves rather than destroys the environment – exactly the kind of green economy that is being called for internationally.
Agroecological plots like these grow food, provide shelter for wildlife and retain moisture. Nathan Einbinder
Every year, billions of dollars are spent worldwide on development projects aimed at improving conditions in areas such as the Dry Corridor. More and more funds are being earmarked for building resilience to climate change, including agricultural projects that introduce new technologies, crops and practices.
As useful as some of these efforts have been, in the Maya-Achi region many programs initiated by foreign governments and charities have failed to leave a positive legacy. This is often due to a lack of consultation with local people and community leaders, the continued donation of fertilizers and non-native seeds on which farmers become dependent, and the use of food aid, which is often unnecessary, culturally insensitive and disruptive. does local food production and diets.
I have also heard criticism from family farmers about the unrealistic expectations of simplistic (although expensive) projects that last at most two years. As one community leader put it, “They give us a shovel and expect everything to change overnight.”
Not all international aid and development programs have failed to improve local conditions. Yet it is clear that change is needed to meet the urgency of the climate and migration crises. Some researchers emphasize that governments subsidize agroecological agriculture in areas severely affected by climate change, and that traditional and indigenous techniques and crop varieties are at the heart of national campaigns to make communities more resilient.
Local agricultural leader, Alfredo Cortez. Nathan Einbinder
Instead of importing ideas and projects to climate-sensitive regions, we propose a new vision of development based on the values and well-being principles of local and indigenous communities. This would mean development rooted in healthy food and agricultural landscapes, close-knit communities of mutual support and respect for nature – principles that stem from the philosophy of Buen Vivir, also called ‘Utziil Kasleem’ in the Mayan Achí language .
As hundreds of millions of dollars become available for development, with programs aimed at tackling migration at its source, there is enormous potential to support local climate action: reforestation and agroecological agriculture, new markets for local products and ancestral practices blended with newer technologies. helping farmers adapt to changing circumstances. An example of this are improved composting methods and organic fertilizers derived from leaves and crop residues.
Development aid raised internationally could be much better spent mitigating climate change and helping vulnerable communities stay together. Rich countries and organizations must listen to and learn from local people, support their existing projects and enable them to reach their potential.
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Nathan Einbinder does not work for, consult with, own shares in, or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
