Did you realise that climate change may also affect what’s on your plate in the future? That’s because extreme conditions and changes in weather patterns may decrease the quality and availability of our food.
According to some predictions, for instance, rice production in Indonesia will decrease with 0,6 tons per hectare over the next years. And obviously that’s bad news, not only for all those nasi goreng fans out there, but also for the farmers and their families, who may find it increasingly hard to sustain themselves.
Farmers work with these crops every day. They know their lands best, and their invaluable insights could help make a difference in drawing up effective plans to deal with climate change. That is why the Embassy was happy to host the launch of “Voice for Inclusiveness Climate Resilience Actions” (VICRA) on 3 February. VICRA is a project operated by research and advocacy organization PATTIRO and a consortium of civil society organizations. It aims to increase civic participation of local communities – including not only farmers, but also women and other vulnerable groups – in the development and implementation of climate resilience policies. By creating create civic space for them, they are given a voice in the discussion on climate action, hence making sure policymakers not only talk about them, but also with them. In the end, such an approach should come to the benefit of society at large.
The Netherlands Embassy warmly supports this project, and we will keep you posted on progress of the pilots that are currently starting up in West Sumatera, Lampung, Nusa Tenggara Timur, and Nusa Tenggara Barat.
