Strengthening local voices policy debates on climate change, agro-fuels and the food-energy nexus

National and global debates on climate change strategies around agrofuels and agricultural development have had little input from civil society, particularly from groups traditionally excluded from policy processes such as women and indigenous people. These groups are at risk of becoming further marginalized from decision-making processes aimed at mitigating, and adapting to, climate change and the impacts of agro-fuels on food security and the environment. Two participatory action research projects seek to redress this imbalance in policy debates:

i) The Indigenous Peoples’ Climate Change Assessment (IPCCA) with a particular focus on the impacts of climate change on food security, landscapes and human well being. A bottom up process grounded in indigenous worldviews and knowledge systems. This multiregional project also seeks to inform policy and practice on responses to the food & climate crisis. For more information see project web site

http://www.ipcca.net

ii) The Food-Energy nexus: Indigenous Peoples’ responding to agro-fuels policy in South India. Forest based indigenous communities in Andhra Pradesh are assessing agro-fuels and climate change strategies in relation to rights to food and land - thereby addressing the convergence of food, energy, climate change and land use issues. For more information see:

http://foodenergynexus.wordpress.com/