Challenges and solutions for the climate conference in Baku
Mukesh and the forgotten superfoods
Locally led climate adaptation with "forgotten" foods: displaced by other crops such as rice during British colonial rule, local food's adaptability to changing climate conditions makes them a vital resource. Mukesh is working in his community in the Indian state of Jharkhand to make the local grain popular again.
Young people in the village of Burudih in Jharkhand in eastern India had never seen the local millet with their own eyes. It was one of the community's staple foods for centuries, but over time, it has been displaced by the cultivation of other crops. "I only heard about the types of grain that used to be grown on our farms from my grandfather's stories. 'Gondli' (small millet), 'Madua' (finger millet) and 'Kodo'. He told me that he never ate rice back then," says 18-year-old Mukesh Hembram.
With 2023 being celebrated as the International Year of Millets, young people are aware of the nutritional value of their native plants. Now, they want to bring them back into their food system with pride. "My grandfather used to jokingly tap me on the shoulder and say: 'My bones are much stronger than yours because we still had a healthy diet,'" says Mukesh with a smile.
Until recently, millets had disappeared entirely from Burudih. Not one of the 65 families grew it. For centuries, the Indigenous peoples of Jharkhand met their food needs with local crops. The local food systems based on millets were sustainable and independent of external inputs such as pesticides.
Millets thrive well with natural fertilizers from agriculture. It is tolerant of waterlogging and drought, so precious groundwater does not have to be pumped out for cultivation. Millets can also be stored for a long time without being attacked by pests. In the past, many different types of millet were grown, which in turn benefited dietary diversity. They were easy to sell at local markets, as people's eating habits were still based on locally available products.
"We should familiarize ourselves with our ancestors' traditional knowledge, which starts with nutrition."
Mukesh Hembram (18)British colonial rule and the Green Revolution in the 1960s greatly undermined indigenous food systems, affecting the communities' way of life and their connection to the forests. "The decline in millet cultivation is due to the increasing demand for cash crops such as rice, wheat, oilseeds, sugarcane and cotton," says Md. Shaban, Project Coordinator of Nutrition Smart CommUNITY.
COP29 Side Event
Locally-Led Climate Adaptation through Forgotten Foods
“This change in agricultural practices significantly impacted the Indigenous farmers, who had to adapt to the economic demands. In addition, the Indigenous communities were also dependent on the forest as a source of food and fodder. This has also disappeared over time and, with it, their livelihood. Due to the loss of indigenous food, women and children suffered from a lack of nutrients, especially protein, calcium, vitamins A and C and iron, which led to underweight, stunted growth, anemia and malnutrition,” he continues.
Welthungerhilfe (WHH) and its partner, Center for World Solidarity (CSW), founded a youth group in Burudih in 2022. The aim is to empower the young generation to revive the ancient crop and thus break the cycle of malnutrition.
“I want to learn a lot and get a job in public service. I want my village to be clean, green and free from malnutrition. To achieve this, millet must not just remain something from stories, but we have to bring it back to the menus of the present,” says Mukesh. Indigenous foods are particularly resilient. They can adapt better to climatic changes and survive extreme weather events than modern crops designed for mass consumption.
"First of all, we need to give the young people an understanding of the rich history and food culture that has been lost over time," says project coordinator Shaban. "We train them in sustainable agriculture with a more conscious use of natural resources." Most of the farmers grow rice. WWH's project initially aims to encourage them to use organic methods and reduce their dependence on chemicals in order to promote soil health. "In the next phase, we want to encourage them to use part of their farms to grow millet and other local foods. This will help ensure food security, especially during periods of drought," says Shaban.
Mukesh is confident that, with the support of WHH, the village community will be able to obtain seeds from the surrounding area and start growing millet as soon as the season begins. "I have read a lot about the nutritional benefits of millet. We should familiarize ourselves with our ancestors' traditional knowledge, which starts with nutrition," he says.
The younger generation of Burudih has come together and is committed to reviving lost culture and forgotten knowledge. These determined young people will undoubtedly continue to play an essential role in transforming the food system in the coming years. Politicians must set the course for strengthening national climate protection and increasing financial contributions to the fight against poverty and hunger.
What we ask of the German Federal Government at COP29
The German government must work towards ensuring the following outcomes at COP29:
- Climate justice through a new global goal: The New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) must consider the needs and priorities of the lowest-income countries, which need billions of USD annually to adapt to the consequences of climate change. Despite its strained budget, Germany must meet its international commitments and provide at least the promised EUR 6 billion from 2025, in the best case, eight to ten billion.
- Doubling adaptation financing: More money must be made available, especially for adaptation measures that lead to increased resilience for the populations of low-income and particularly vulnerable countries. The financing gap is widening despite clear signs of accelerating climate risks and impacts worldwide.
- Raising ambition: Countries must increase their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and present concrete measures to implement these targets in Baku or by 2025 at the latest, as set out in the Paris Agreement.
- Loss and Damage Fund: The full operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund is necessary to cover the needs of the most affected countries. The current need for the fund is estimated at USD 290-580 billion by 2030. So far, only USD 700 million has been made available.
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