Due to climate change, precipitation in the southern Andes is decreasing. continuous off. The barren soils do not yield enough to feed people well, and there is no money to buy food. "If crop yields then dwindle because the climate becomes drier, people's livelihoods are threatened," says Erik Nijland, coordinator of food sovereignty projects in Latin America at Mission 21. Many children and also adults in the region are sick. They suffer from deficiencies because the diet is not balanced and nutrients are lacking.
Dependence on rain and chemistry
Water scarcity is a major reason why smallholder farmers are using more and more pesticides and fertilizers, as new pests appear in the changing climate. The chemicals further reduce water and soil quality, while at the same time farming families are becoming increasingly dependent on large agrochemical companies. Mission 21 recently assisted with the construction of a water reservoir in Sorata, Bolivia. During periods of high precipitation, water is collected there, which can be directed to lower-lying fields during dry periods. Almost the entire community gathered when the construction was finally completed. It should improve the lives of the people, contribute to a more balanced diet and a better income. This is because the yields end up on the table of the farming families and surpluses can be sold at local markets.
A small drop in the bucket, one might think - selective aid that cannot change anything about problems such as climate change or social injustice. But Mission 21 works with its partners on these issues in larger contexts. In the projects on food sovereignty in Latin America, the focus is on agroecological cultivation methods using local seeds. They teach environmentally friendly cultivation techniques that can be applied under difficult climatic conditions, as well as knowledge about how to improve their political participation. In this way, farmers gain more knowledge and a greater say in the management of land and resources.
With your donation, smallholder families get the opportunity to produce high-quality food according to agroecological principles and to eat a healthy and balanced diet all year round. They cultivate the fields in a resource-conserving way and in harmony with nature.
Thank you very much for your donation on the occasion of "World Environment Day".
Donations: online or with IBAN CH 58 0900 0000 4072 6233 2 and note "Ernährung Südanden".
â–º Information on the "Food Sovereignty in the Andean Region" Project
