If not agroecology and regenerative agriculture, we are witnessing the recycling of an old model, which continues to consider food as a series of commodities to be produced on a large scale, with monocultures assisted by futuristic technologies. which will make farmers increasingly dependent on large multinational companies and their patents.

To shift our global economy to a low-carbon model, officials want to continue to follow corporate rhetoric on high-tech, centralized industrialized agriculture and fake meat, Slow Food criticizes.

“One of the events of the COP today was on ‘Accelerating a just rural transition to sustainable agriculture’. For us, a just transition must be based on biodiversity, agroecology and social justice – and not on technological solutions ”, says Marta Messa, Director of Slow Food Europe, comments:

She adds: “Agricultural ecosystems must be restored in harmony with the natural environment. Tech fixes are a bogus solution, they are not based on the real innovations that communities come up with to be resilient. We want to see binding commitments by the end of COP26 and no empty promises ”.

Agroecology, or regenerative agriculture, is sustainable agriculture that works with nature. Ecology is the study of the relationships between plants, animals, humans and their environment – and the balance between those relationships. Agroecology is the application of ecological concepts and principles in agriculture.

I think one of the problems with discussing climate change at COP26 or in general is that we are giving too much power and credibility to the United Nations, a highly politicized group that is slow to act and even more so slow to act. But if not them, who else can influence big business and governments to shift away from fossil fuels? How can we connect one by one, but together, to make a change? Do we continue to scream like Greta or do we start to act in a new way – using old tools like agroecology?