Corona makes it even more difficult to achieve a world without hunger by 2030. So that this perspective does not get out of sight, Germany must play a stronger role internationally - a summary of the Strategic Advisory Group of SEWOH.
Republic of Niger: Nutrition talk for mothers in a village center. Photo: Christoph Püschner/Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe
Heino von Meyer moderates the Strategic Support Group of SEWOH, in which representatives from civil society, science, the business world and associations advise the BMZ. Since 2019, he has been Head of Global Relations and Networking at the creative founding team of the international PtX Hub Berlin. Their mission is to catalyze green hydrogen solutions on a global scale, with a special focus on sustainability along the entire value chain.
‘Health protection, food security and poverty alleviation, SDGs 3, 2 and 1 belong together’, is the key message of a paper with directions and suggestions on the Covid-19 crisis, which special initiative 'One World – No Hunger' (SEWOH) addressed to German Federal Minister Dr Gerd Müller. According to the paper, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) has created structures and instruments with SEWOH that enable the BMZ to quickly achieve broad-based results on the ground and to organise effective international cooperation. During the Covid-19 crisis, it ensured that Germany was well positioned to assume global responsibility in close coordination with the EU and set an example in the areas of food security and agriculture – in the short, medium and long term as well as locally, nationally and globally.
Due to the broad approach and the diversity of SEWOH’s partners, Germany is predestined to help quickly in the Covid-19 crisis and to secure long-term structures. These efforts must focus on food security, because without it successful health protection cannot be ensured. Through strong networks, SEWOH can quickly implement problem-specific solutions with African partners. In Germany, SEWOH is supported by a broad network of experts from civil society, the business sector, associations and science.
The paper continues to point out that the German EU Council Presidency should be considered an opportunity but at the same time also a responsibility. The paper recommends that the German government should use it to consolidate the issues of health, food security and employment. The regional focus should be on collaboration with Africa. Global crises require global responses. While many other donors withdrew from SDG 2, Germany also set a strong example internationally with SEWOH. It enables Germany now to assume a stronger role worldwide.
‘Ostensibly, Covid-19 is a health crisis, but for many of our partner countries, especially in Africa, it can also lead to a dramatic food and agricultural crisis’, writes German Federal Minister Dr Gerd Müller in his reply to the SEWOH Strategic Support Group. ‘The two crises are feeding into each other.’ He then refers to the rapid response of the BMZ, which has reallocated one billion euros at short notice for emergency measures against Covid-19, which are being implemented quickly and flexibly on the ground by SEWOH’s partners and multilateral organisations. Furthermore, he is campaigning for additional funds, says Federal Minister Müller: ‘I have submitted an additional requirement of 600 million euros for the areas of food security and agriculture to the Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development (AWZ) of the German Bundestag.’ The objective is to make the agricultural and food supply system more crisis-resistant, especially in Africa, ‘because we can only solve the crisis globally – or we will fail to provide a solution’.
The goal of creating a world without hunger by 2030 and achieving SDG2 was already under threat before the Covid-19 crisis, not least because of climate change. The Covid-19 pandemic exacerbates the problem. With SEWOH and annual investments of €1.5 billion in food security and rural development, the BMZ is the largest bilateral donor worldwide. German Federal Minister Dr Gerd Müller thus sent a strong signal that has attracted global attention, including at the G7 summit declaration in Schloss Elmau (2015) and the German G20 presidency (2017).
It is necessary to think beyond the humanitarian crisis now. The challenges of climate change and the preservation of biodiversity must be taken into account during crisis management.
SEWOH and the Green Innovation Centres can make important contributions in the medium term to stabilise value chains, keep markets functioning and provide high-quality food. For example, they can recommend to switch to particularly supply-relevant products such as vegetables and legumes. The reinforcement of decentralised, local and regional value chains and markets is extremely important and can have a crisis-mitigating effect. What SEWOH has created must be mobilised during and after the crisis and can establish itself.
Many large and small civil society organisations are actively participating in SEWOH. In addition to their own configurations, they have also established stable networks with local partner organisations in many countries worldwide, including farmers’ organisations consisting of hundreds of thousands of smallholders. Especially in a crisis situation, in which external aid organisations are sometimes forced to withdraw, these partner networks and organisations create resilience, become locally active, organise and distribute aid, produce food and keep markets running. They also call on their own governments to take action.
The projects of the German agricultural industry and the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Association can help to establish a modern agricultural sector based on local private enterprise in the medium and long term. They can also increase the prosperity of countries and societies and simultaneously make them more resilient to future crises. In particular, the German agricultural industry participates in agricultural projects that serve to secure the income and food supply of family farms and smallholders. Self-help organisations such as cooperatives and associations play a key role in that regard.
It is already necessary to think beyond the humanitarian crisis now. The major systemic challenges of climate change and the preservation of biodiversity must be taken into account during crisis management. They must especially be addressed in medium and long-term development strategies and programmes. Roughly 60 per cent of all infectious diseases known today are zoonoses that spread from animals to humans at some point. Protection of biodiversity is a key factor in preventing the spread of new infectious diseases. The health of people, wildlife and the environment (One Health) must be consistently considered together. Promotion of sustainable and deforestation-free supply chains, research financing and vaccination of farm animals are important pillars of SEWOH in this respect.
Global crises require global responses. While numerous stakeholders, who have pushed for the achievement of SDG2 in the past, have recently retracted their commitment, Germany has sent a strong signal worldwide with SEWOH. It will enable Germany to play a stronger role on the international landscape and use its position in the G7, the G20 and during its forthcoming EU Presidency to push for global processes that are necessary to achieve SDG2. The Federal Government should use central activities of the German EU Council Presidency beginning on 1 July to consolidate the issues of health, food security and employment – with a regional focus on Africa.
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A contritbution by Essa Chanie Mussa (University of Gondar)
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A contribution by Dr. Kathleen Mar and Dr. Nicole de Paula
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A report by Bettina Rudloff and Annette Weber (SWP)
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A contribution by Heike Baumüller, Christine Husmann, Julia Machovsky-Smid, Oliver Kirui, Justice Tambo
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Interview with Paul Newnham, Director of the SDG 2 Advocacy Hub.
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Interview with Martina Fleckenstein (WWF), Michael Kühn (WHH) and Christel Weller-Molongua (GIZ)
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New insights on trade and value addition in the rice sector in West Africa
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A Contribution by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development
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A Contribution by Harry Hoffmann (TMG) & Nathalie Demel (WHH)
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A contribution by the Global Donor Platform for Rural Development
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Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Podcast of the Federal Government
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A Contribution by Carlos Castellanos & Yvonne Bielfeld
The shoe manufacturer Cueros Vélez as a good example of private sector responsibility: the photo gallery shows how the bark of the rubber tree becomes a reliable yet deforestation free companion on our roads.
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The Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2020 shows that the world is not on track to meet the international goal of “zero hunger by 2030”. If we continue at our current speed, around 37 countries will not even have reached a low hunger level by 2030.
110 speakers from 120 countries met virtually at the Global Forum for Food and Agriculture (GFFA) to discuss the challenges to global food supply. They asked the question: How can food systems support the health of people and the planet?
With the help of sustainable farming methods, soils can be preserved and made fertile again. The investment required is also worthwhile from a financial perspective.
Yemen is currently experiencing one of the worst disasters, due to war, hunger and disease outbreaks. The GIZ is locally engaged to improve the nutrition and resilience of Yemenites.
A contribution by Jes Weigelt and Alexander Müller
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A contribution by Kerstin Weber and Brit Reichelt-Zolho (WWF)
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A contribution by Dr. May Hokan and Dr. Arnulf Köhncke (WWF)
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Double interview with Tony Rinaudo and Volker Schlöndorff
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A study by Markus Hanisch, Agustina Malvido, Johanna Hansmann, Alexander Mewes, Moritz Reigl, Nicole Paganini (SLE)
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A contribution by Nadine Babatounde and Anne Floquet (MISEREOR)
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A report by Alexander Müller and Jes Weigelt (TMG)
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A contribution by Michael Brüntrup (DIE) und Daniel Tsegai (UNCCD)
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A contribution by Dr. Karin Gaesing and Prof. Dr. Frank Bliss (INEF)
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A Contribution by Emile Frison and Nick Jacobs (IPES-Food)
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A Contribution by Dr. Fatima Olanike Kareem and Dr. Olayinka Idowu Kareem
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In Togo’s capital, Lomé, home-grown rice costs almost twice as much as the imported product from Thailand. Yet there are good reasons for preferring the local product
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Happy youngsters in rural areas, green development and the connection to the digital age – professor Joachim von Braun believes in this future sceneraio for Africa. For three decades the agricultural scienties has been researching how politics can create prosperty on the continent.
By leasing a three hundred hectare fruit plantation in Ethiopia, Lutz Hartmann has realised a long-cherished dream: to run his own business in Africa. Now he has a personal interest in the issue of Africa’s development.
Small holders around the world are often forced to sell their harvests below market value due to a lack of market and pricing information. A new app by the UN World Food Programme (WFP) is going to change this.
It is 2080. We are on a farm somewhere in Africa. Everything is digital. The blockchain is an omnipotent point of reference, and the farm is flourishing. But then, everything goes wrong. A dystopian short story, written exclusively for SEWOH.
African inland fisheries are increasingly reliant on the capture of small fish species that are sundried and traded over long distances. They make an important contribution in alleviating “hidden hunger”: consumed whole, small fish are an important source of micronutrients. Only that, unfortunately, politicians haven’t yet realised this.
A quick and cost-effective method calculates living wages and incomes for many different countries. The GIZ together with Fairtrade International and Richard and Martha Anker have developed a tool that companies can use to easily analyse income and wage gaps.
Oxfam’s supermarket scorecard, which is in its third year, shows one thing in particular - it works! Supermarkets can change their business policies and focus more on the rights of those people around the world who plant and harvest food. However, this does not happen without pressure.
The Federal Government is fine-tuning a law that would require companies to ensure human rights – a supply chain law. What are the consequences for the agricultural sector? Dr Bettina Rudloff from the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) discusses linking policy fields with added value.
Why aren’t bars of chocolate made where cocoa is grown? Author Frank Brunner analyses the industry’s fragile value chain from the plantation to the supermarket
The soybean is a natural crop that can be used to make a lot of food. So, Tata Bi started a small processing business first on her own, then with a few other women, which provides the women with an additional source of income year-round besides selling the soybeans.
Chancellor Merkel has begun an ambitious European political programme: Striving for compromise in budget negotiations, an orderly Brexit as well as an appropriate response to the corona crisis. Unfortunately, one of her positions that she previously held is nowhere to be found: Africa's prosperity is in the interest of Europe.
Africa has a huge opportunity to make agriculture its economic driver. However, the potential for this is far from being made exhaustive use of, one reason being that women face considerable difficulties in their economic activities. The organisation AWAN Afrika seeks to change this state of affairs.
‘Fair’ and ‘sustainable’ are key words in Germany’s EU Council Presidency. At the same time, Germany pursues ‘modernization’ of the WTO and ‘rapid progress’ on free trade agreements. Are these goals really compatible? Can we be concerned about fairness and sustainability while continuing with ‘business as usual’?
The region of Sub-Saharan Africa is on the decisive verge of a great development boost in farming: it could skip entire generations of technological development. But how? About possible roles and potentials of digital services.
As President of the IABM cooperative in Muhanga, Alphonsine Mukankusi is not simply focused on the figures. She has learned how to deal with people and how to take on responsibility. At the same time, her work helps her to come to terms with the past
In the tropics rainforests are still being felled for the production of palm oil, meat and furniture. It is high time to act. Proposals are on the table.
The WWF has published a sensational study on food waste. The focus: farm-stage food waste. Peter McFeely, Global head of communications and strategic planning at WWF, explains what needs to be done.
Fish is important for combating malnutrition and undernourishment. But it is not only notable for its nutritional value, but also secures the livelihoods and employment for 600 million people worldwide.
"One World no Hunger" (SEWOH) becomes one of the five core themes of the BMZ. Dirk Schattschneider, SEWOH Commissioner about previous approaches, future areas of action, and the political will to end hunger.
Whether it's banana bread made from brown bananas, conscious shopping plans or foodsharing, we give you five tips on how to reduce your everyday food waste.
On the podcast ‘From the Field to the Shelf’, Marie Nasemann calls for new attempts to promote fair fashion. An evening about burnt returns, filterless washing machines and a lot of room for improvement.
The global trade in spices currently has a volume of over 10 billion euros. But at what price do these spices refine our Christmas cuisine? On closer inspection, aspects of the value chain leave a bitter taste.
Regarding deforestation free supply chains, there are challenges and opportunities for smallholder farmers as well as for international forest governance. Also, responsibilities for companies and potential incentives for manufacturers to use materials from fair trade and sustainable sources need to be explored. But what does “deforestation-free” actually mean?
Saskia Widenhorn, Head of the Cotton Component in Cameroon and the Sub-Saharan Cotton Initiative at GIZ, reports on the Bremer Cotton Week, which brought together international industry experts. The agenda included supply chain transparency, sustainability and new forms of cooperation between the private sector and partner countries.
An Artikel by the Initiative for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains (INA)
A study published by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) examines the differences between globally traded agricultural commodities and domestic niche products in terms of economic, environmental and social impact on the region of origin. The results provide new evidence to make supply chains more sustainable.
Until Easter 2022, GIZ publishes a new episode every fortnight introducing people who are committed to fair and sustainable cocoa in Côte d'Ivoire and Germany.
A Contribution of the 'Initiative for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains' (INA)
Fair Trade organisations and the Initiative for Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains (INA) have launched the #ichwillfair campaign during COP26 to highlight the link between global supply chains and climate change.
The German government is struggling to pass a supply chain law. It is intended to address violations of human rights, social and environmental standards. What would the consequences be for business? A double interview with Veselina Vasileva from GEPA and economics professor Andreas Freytag.
Protectionist policies like tariffs supposedly protect domestic producers if they cannot compete with cheaper imported products. Some African countries have therefore opted to impose such import restrictions for a number of products. For the case of chicken imports in Ghana, this study analyses whether restrictions would lead to overall positive or negative welfare effects among households.
Kenya is a large importer of vetable oils mainly from Indonesia and Malaysia - amongst them sunflower oil. Due to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, there were supply bottlenecks and food shortages, leading to less affordable vegetable oils in Kenya. As a response to the lack of supply, the Sanga'alo Institute of Science and Technology, took that impulse, teamed up with the GIZ and established regional cultivation and refinement of sunflowers.
Organic cotton is extremely popular – but farmers still find it difficult to change their conventional cultivation methods. A new project addresses this dilemma: Bundesliga football teams in Germany are promoting the switch to organic cotton in India. And thereby setting an example.
The complex interrelationships of the sustainable transformation of agricultural and food systems are not always easy to understand - the Agri-Food Map, an interactive online app, makes the comprehensive relations accessible by providing a wide range of comprehensibly prepared information.
The consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine have enabled many countries to open up new export markets for their agricultural goods. However, smallholder farms have been largely left out. Drawing on his experience in India, our author gives a brief overview of how this can be changed.
gebana, a Swiss fair trade company, follows the principle of "sharing" with its corporate philosophy: farming families in the Global South participate directly in the sales of their online shop. Caroline Schaar, Marketing at gebana, explains the company's approach.
From measures to promote biodiversity in Germany to more sustainable cocoa cultivation methods in Ecuador: WWF works at many different levels. At the Green Week, it will be demonstrated just how multifaceted nature conservation work is and what role each individual's decision plays.
A Contribution by Initiative für nachhaltige Agrarlieferketten (INA)
The demand for sustainable products and supply chains is constantly increasing. DIASCA is an alliance that works on interoperability of digital solutions in agricultural supply chains through the development of open standards for forest monitoring, farm income and traceability.
Female founder Ebun Feludu wants to bring the coconut value chain to Nigeria with her start-up Kokari. In this interview, she explains why she envisions every coconut palm tree bearing its own name in the future and how digitalization can contribute to this.
The textile industry contributes significantly to environmental pollution as it produces over 100 billion garments every year, resulting in huge CO2 emissions and water consumption. Fashion designer Paul Kadjo uses banana silk as an environmentally friendly alternative to make textile production more environmentally conscious and socially just.
Allan Mubiru was standing in front of a shelf in Kigali, Rwanda, and discovered a local type of coffee. He took it, tasted it and was thrilled. A story about a grocery shopping trip that became the beginning of a successful business idea.
Many of ALDI SOUTH Group supply chains begin in the Global South. How does the food retailer assume its responsibility? Questions for Sally Roach, Senior Manager - International Sustainability Department at the ALDI SOUTH Group.
The Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation is committed to the preservation of forests in Kenya: The establishment of so-called buffer zones counteracts deforestation by planting trees and tea. In addition to the production of environmentally friendly tea, the project benefits the resources of the forests and the livelihoods of the communities living near the forests, says project manager Wallace Gichunge.
The Federal Ministry ofor Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) presented a revised version of the 10-Point Plan for a sustainable cocoa sector. The plan takes into account new supply chain legislations and current developments. A particular focus is paid to a living incomes, responsible purchasing practices and ecological and climate-friendly cocoa cultivation.
The demand for fair-trade cocoa is growing – but how is the industry responding? In an interview, Claudia Brück, Executive Board Member of Fairtrade Germany, and Dr. Torben Erbrath, Managing Director of the Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry, discuss progress as well as challenges, and why real change can only be achieved through long-term commitment along the entire supply chain.
Maura Oerding has a mission: With the specialty coffee Angelique's Finest, she not only wants to enter new markets but also revolutionize the coffee industry. Her recipe for success? Empowering women from Rwanda and Uganda from cultivation to marketing. Oerding’s goal: quality, fairness, and self-determination in every bean.
A report by T. S. Jayne, A. Adelaja and R. Mkandawire
Thirty years ago, Africa was synonymous with war, famine and poverty. That narrative is clearly outdated. African living standards are rising remarkably fast. Our authors are convinced that improving education and entrepreneurship will ensure irreversible progress in the region even as it confronts COVID-19.
Urban gardening is becoming increasingly popular in northern metropoles. People who consider themselves part of a green movement are establishing productive gardens in the city, for example on rooftops or in vacant lots. In severely impoverished regions of the global South, urban agriculture is a component of the food strategy.
An Interview with Francisco Marí (Brot für die Welt)
Brot für die Welt (Bread for the World) did not attend the UNFSS pre-summit. Instead, the organisation took part in a counter-summit that took place at the same time. A conversation with Francisco Marí about the reasons, the process - and an outlook for the future
Every one degree Celsius rise in temperature increases the risk of conflict by two to ten percent. The climate crisis is a humanitarian crisis, as the photos by Christoph Püschner and Frank Schultze illustrate.
At the climate conference in Glasgow, activists from various groups protested again – Leonie Bremer from ‘Fridays for Future’ was there too. How can climate protection and development cooperation work hand in hand?
At LCOY Germany, the local youth climate conference, views on climate protection from all political spectrums are discussed. The Fairactivists, a programme of Fairtrade Germany, participated with a panel discussion on the link between social justice and climate justice.
There are only about 1 million jobs in the East African country. The majority of the population works in the informal sector, and it can be difficult for them to find customers. Biscate offers a digital solution - without the need for internet, data or smartphones.
Together they are stronger: In many African countries, young men and women are coming together to form youth organisations. These organisations help young people in rural areas to earn a living in the agricultural and food sector, creating prospects for the future in rural areas.
A conversation with Caroline Kayanja, Dr. Eileen Nchanji, & Theresa Herbold
A transformation of agricultural and food systems is not possible without overcoming structural gender inequalities. In this discussion, Caroline Kayanja (UCOBAC), Dr Eileen Nchanji (CIAT) and Theresa Herbold (Ministry of Development) reflect on the key challenges and solutions – from land access and representation to women-led collectives and innovative technologies.
The rural population and vulnerable groups should be involved in the implementation of the African Union's Kampala Declaration on the transformation of agricultural and food systems. This is the demand of sociologist Lawani Arouna, Vice President of the Regional umbrella organisation of farmers' associations in West Africa (ROPPA).
Two new podcast formats from the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) bring stories from on-the-ground project work to life: "Over to you!" from Malawi and "Voices of Change – Beneficiary Story Book" from Zambia. At the heart of these podcasts are the people behind the changes toward sustainable food security.
Small farmers in developing countries must modernise their farming methods, but poorly understood reforms could exacerbate poverty instead of alleviating it.
Companies in Africa that need financing between $20,000 and $200,000 find relatively few investors, as this sector is too large for microcredit and too small for institutional investors. This creates a "gap in the middle" where companies have limited options. A project of the World Resource Institute provides a remedy with the Landaccelerator 2020.
Artificial intelligence, big data and blockchain are the hottest topics of our time. The digital transformation of the African agricultural sector is ready for take-off. What will it take for the future of technology to hit the ground running?
What are the consequences of using synthetic pesticides in agriculture? Where do they help, where do they harm? Lena Luig, expert for the development policy organization INKOTA, and science journalist Ludger Weß discuss this controversial topic of international scope.
Stefan Liebing is chairman of the Africa Association of German Business. The manager calls for a better structure of African farms. Jan Rübel asked him about small farmers, the opportunities for German start-ups and a new fund.
A contribution by Michael Windfuhr (German Institute for Human Rights)
Land rights are no longer governed by the law of the strongest. That is what the international community has agreed to. Governments and private companies have a duty to respect human rights and avoid corruption.
Climate change is destroying development progress in many places. The clever interaction of digitalisation and the insurance industry protects affected small farmers.
How investing in healthy soils provides incentives for more sustainable agriculture even as it demonstrates the need for far reaching changes in the agrisector.
At the 8th German-African Agribusiness Forum (GAAF) representatives from business and politics discussed successful investment models to improve living conditions in Africa.
Future generations need more sustainable and stable agri-food systems. But how can this comprehensive transformation succeed and what responsibility does the private sector bear? These questions were the focus of the G7 Sustainable Supply Chains Initiative (G7 SSCI) side event as part of the ‘Champion Youth Action’ day at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27).
The Berlin start-up Klim is forging an alliance between farmers and companies. The aim is to use regenerative farming to remove CO2 from the atmosphere and sequester it as carbon in the soil. An interview with Nina Mannheimer.
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