Regeneration International Chilean COP25 Delegation Calls for Four-Prong Approach to Scale Up Regenerative Solutions in Time to Restore Global Climate Stability

Delivered by Regeneration International Steering Committee Member, Precious Phiri, on behalf of the Regeneration International COP25 Chilean Delegation, at the Official COP25 4p1000 Initiative Day in Madrid

Contact:

Latin America: Ercilia Sahores, ercilia@regenerationinternational.org, +52 (55) 6257 7901

US: Katherine Paul, katherine@regenerationinternational.org; 207-653-3090

SANTIAGO, Chile – December 11, 2019 –When COP25 was moved from Chile to Madrid, Regeneration International chose to send a delegation to Madrid. However, in solidarity with farmers and civil society organizations with whom we had spent months organizing COP25 events in Chile, we also sent a strong delegation to Santiago.

I am here today on behalf of the delegation present in Chile, representing farmers, NGOs and local governments from Canada to Tierra del Fuego, who are meeting this week in Santiago to discuss the need— including the immediate action steps required—to rapidly scale up regenerative agriculture and land restoration solutions for the global climate emergency.

Chile is proud to be a 4p1000 signatory, and Regeneration International remains committed to recruiting NGOs and national and local governments to sign on to the 4p1000 Initiative.

However, our message today, given the unprecedented and accelerating global-scale emergency that scientists warn is upon us, is that farmers, governments, organizations and citizens must insist on, and immediately begin implementing a four-prong approach to regeneration, one that includes but is not limited to the implementation of scientific and technical regenerative agriculture practices. 

Today, the Regeneration International COP25 delegation in Chile calls on global governments and societies to rapidly invest in and scale up the following:

  1. Public education and movement-building
  2. Implementation of existing regenerative agriculture practices that promote ecosystem restoration, carbon-capture in soils, and food security 
  3. Reorientation of public policies to support regenerative agricultural practices
  4. Incentivization of massive public and private investment for regenerative practices

The current global emergency and eco-social crisis that is now at our doorstep urgently demands that we immediately implement all four of these strategies if we hope to avert a total collapse of our ecosystem and global society as we know it.

We know this is possible, if we achieve a critical mass of awareness, technical expertise, political will, collaboration and financial commitment.

Thank you,

We are counting on you and you can count on our collaboration and support.

Organizaciones regenerativas continuarán con los eventos agendados en torno a la COP25 en Chile, y también enviarán delegaciones a Madrid

Regeneration International, Savory Institute, Organic Consumers Association y muchas otras organizaciones comprometidas a apoyar el movimiento regenerativo en América Latina

Contacto:

América Latina: Ercilia Sahores, ercilia@regenerationinternational.org, +52 (55) 6257 7901

Estados Unidos: Katherine Paul, katherine@regenerationinternational.org; 207-653-3090

SANTIAGO, Chile – 7 de noviembre de 2019 – En una demostración clara de solidaridad con el creciente movimiento regenerativo en Chile y en América Latina, Regeneration International anunció que llevará a cabo la asamblea anual de la red y participará de otras instancias claves y estratégicas sobre el clima y la agricultura en Chile y regiones, a pesar de la decisión del gobierno de Chile de no ser anfitrión de la Conferencia climática COP25.

Regeneration International y aliados claves también enviarán delegaciones a la COP25 oficial, que ahora tendrá lugar en Madrid. 

“Este es un momento histórico de profundo simbolismo para Chile,” afirmó Ercilia Sahores, Directora para América Latina de Regeneration International. “Nuestra decisión de continuar con las reuniones que hemos organizado durante meses junto con otras organizaciones de la sociedad civil, refleja nuestro compromiso de asegurar que las voces ciudadanas, no solo las institucionales, puedan unir fuerzas y tener una plataforma en la COP25. Creemos que el Movimiento Regenerativo ofrece una esperanza que se traduce en soluciones políticas, ambientales y socio-económicas prácticas ante la crisis sistémica que se está viviendo en este momento en Chile y otras partes del mundo.”

“Regeneration International está inspirado y con nuevas fuerzas por el surgimiento de resistencia de base y por la regeneración que se está contagiando en todo el planeta, declaró Ronnie Cummins, co-fundador y miembro de la junta de Regeneration International.” Los levantamientos que hemos visto en Chile, Hong Kong, Moscú, el Líbano y otras naciones y el rápido crecimiento de Extinction Rebellion en Europa y el movimiento Sunrise en Estados Unidos, son claros llamados para que el sistema cambie como condición clave para enfrentar la crisis climática y la crisis social, política y económica que están claramente relacionadas. Desde Regeneration International y en conjunto con organizaciones aliadas estamos esperando con ansias ir a Santiago en diciembre para, junto con nuestros colegas en América Latina y Chile, construir un movimiento fuerte a través de América y lograr un Nuevo Acuerdo Verde transcontinental con un fuerte foco en la reforestación, la agricultura y la alimentación regenerativa, así como la restauración de ecosistemas..” 

“La hora esperada ha llegado, luego de años de practicar y capacitarnos activamente en la regeneración eco-social en nuestras manos, mentes y corazones,” compartió Javiera Carrión, co-fundadora de El Manzano Permacultura, organización afiliada a Regeneration International. “El contexto ha cambiado de una manera rápida y violenta en Chile, y lo mismo está ocurriendo en otras partes del mundo“. Estos son tiempos interesantes y de gran incertidumbre. Es también el momento adecuado para que el Movimiento Regenerativo se reúna y vuelva a pensar su estrategia. Tenemos mucho trabajo por hacer y estamos muy agradecidos del apoyo de Regeneration International en este momento crítico.”

” En Savory nos llena de entusiasmo unir fuerzas con Regeneration International para esta COP25,  tanto en Chile como en España” señaló Daniela Howell, CEO del Savory Institute,” Los líderes de nuestros Hubs en Sudamérica y en Europa se unirán para expresar el apoyo y el compromiso hacia el movimiento regenerativo en esta región y de manera global. Queremos participar como un frente unido en sesiones claves para apoyar la promoción de la agricultura orgánica y la iniciativa global  4×1000, compartiendo también tiempo para inspirarnos, conectarnos y generar amistades.”

Regeneration International llevará a cabo su Asamblea General en Santiago el 9 y 10 de diciembre.

Regeneration International es una organización sin fines de lucro 501 (c) (3) dedicada a promover, facilitar y acelerar la transición global a la alimentación, la agricultura y la gestión de la tierra regenerativas con el propósito de restaurar la estabilidad climática, poner fin al hambre en el mundo y reconstruir los sistemas sociales, ecológicos y económicos deteriorados. Visite https://regenerationinternational.org/.

Regeneration Movement Will Hold Scheduled COP25 Events in Chile, Also Send Delegations to Madrid

Regeneration International, Savory Institute, Organic Consumers Assoc. among other regenerative organizations committed to supporting the Regeneration Movement in Latin America

Contact:

Latin America: Ercilia Sahores, ercilia@regenerationinternational.org, +52 (55) 6257 7901

US: Katherine Paul, katherine@regenerationinternational.org; 207-653-3090

SANTIAGO, Chile – November 11, 2019 – In a show of solidarity with the growing Regeneration Movement in Chile and throughout Latin America, Regeneration International today announced it will hold the regeneration network’s annual general assembly and related global climate events in Santiago and regions, as planned, despite the recent announcement that Chile has pulled out of hosting the COP25 Global Climate Summit.

Regeneration International and key partners will also send delegations to the official COP25, which has been relocated to Madrid. 

“This is a historical and deeply symbolic moment for Chile,” said Ercilia Sahores, Regeneration International Latin America director. “Our decision to proceed with the meetings we’ve spent months organizing on the ground with Latin American civil society organizations reflects our commitment to ensuring that citizen voices, not just institutional voices can join forces and have a platform at COP25. We believe that the Regeneration Movement offers hope, in the way of practical, environmental, socioeconomic and political solutions to the systemic crisis occurring now in Chile and other parts of the world.”

“Regeneration International is inspired and energized by the unprecedented upsurge of grassroots resistance and regeneration spreading across the globe, said Ronnie Cummins, Regeneration International co-founder and steering committee member. “The recent uprisings in Chile, Hong Kong, Moscow, Lebanon and other nations, and the rapid growth of the Sunrise and Extinction Rebellion movements in the U.S. and Europe, are calling for system change as the only way to address the Climate Emergency and the related political, social and economic crises bearing down upon us. Regeneration International and our allied NGOs look forward to traveling to Santiago in December to participate with our Chilean and Latin American partners in building up a strong network throughout the Americas for a transcontinental Green New Deal with a strong focus on regenerative food, farming, reforestation and ecosystem restoration.” 

“The time we expected has arrived, years of training and active experimentation for eco-social regeneration in our hands, hearts and minds,” said Javiera Carrión, co-founder of El Manzano Permaculture, a Regeneration International affiliate. “The context has changed rapidly and violently here in Chile, as is happening in other parts of the world“. These are interesting and uncertain times. It is also time for the Regeneration Movement to gather and re-strategize. We have much work to do, and are grateful to have the support of Regeneration International at this critical moment.”

“Savory is excited to join forces with Regeneration International,” said Daniela Howell, CEO of the Savory Institute,” in both Chile and Spain during COP25, with our Hub leaders in South America and Europe joining in an expression of our committed support to the regenerative movement in these regions and globally. We look forward to participating as a united front in key sessions to advance the support for regenerative agriculture and the global 4×1000 initiative, as well as shared time of inspiration and friendship.”

Regeneration International will hold its General Assembly in Santiago December 9-10.

Regeneration International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting, facilitating and accelerating the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems.

Regeneration International and Regeneration Belize Announce the 2nd Annual Tropical Agriculture Conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 29, 2019

BELMOPAN, Belize – Regeneration International and Regeneration Belize today announced that the 2nd Annual Tropical Agriculture Conference will be held at the National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) grounds in Belmopan, Belize, November 11-13, 2019.

The event is an opportunity for all farmers to come and hear successful tropical farmers and consultants share their experiences in putting regenerative agriculture methods into practice.

Topics and international speakers include:

  •     Mitigating Drought: Mr. Roland Bunch
  •     Keys to Managing Nutrition to Control Plant Disease: Dr. Don Huber
  •     Regenerative Poultry Production Protocols: Mr. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin
  •     Regenerative Practices for Cattle Ranching: Mr. Brock Menking

Local Speakers include:

Mr. Gerardo Aldana, Ms. Olivia Carballo-Avilez, Dr. Rosita Arvigo, Ms. Omaira Avila Rostant, Mr. George Emmanuel, Mr. Hector Reyes,  Ms. Teresita Balan, Dr. Ed Boles, Mr. Earl Green, Mr. Santiago Juan, Mr. Christopher Nesbitt, Mr. Henry Peller and Mr. William Usher.

The opening ceremony will be Monday, November 11 at 2:00 p.m. CST at the main NATS stage where several of the international speakers will preview their presentations.  On Tuesday, November 12 and Wednesday, November 13, attendees can choose from 16 different presentations and panels to be given throughout the day at four stages, as well as visit the booths of sponsors of the event.  Food vendors will be at the event on November 12 and 13.

For the schedule of topics and speakers click here.

More here on the Regeneration Belize Facebook page.

CONTACT: regenerationbelize@gmail.com for more info. 

Major sponsors for the conference include: Ministry of Agriculture, REDD+ Belize; The Embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan); Development Finance Corporation (DFC); Belize Telecommunications Ltd (BTL); and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center.

Regeneration International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting, facilitating and accelerating the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems. Visit https://regenerationinternational.org/.

National Coalition of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal Responds to Secretary Perdue’s Comments at Dairy Expo: ‘Bigger Ain’t Always Better’

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 3, 2019

National Coalition of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal Responds to Secretary Perdue’s Comments at Dairy Expo: ‘Bigger Ain’t Always Better’

Perdue’s ‘the big get bigger and the small go out’ comment exemplifies the failure of current agriculture policies that prop up industrial agribusiness and leave America’s family farms behind, group says.

Contact:

Katherine Paul, Regeneration International: katherine@regenerationinternational.org, (207) 653-3090

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A coalition representing more than 10,000 U.S. farmers and ranchers responded today to a comment made by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to reporters following an appearance at the World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisc. Perdue told reporters:

“In America, the big get bigger and the small go out. I don’t think in America we, for any small business, we have a guaranteed income or guaranteed profitability.”

“The situation described by Secretary Perdue did not come about by accident. It’s the direct result of corporate agribusiness lobbying to tip the policy scales in favor of a few big corporations, to the detriment of America’s small and mid-sized independent farmers,” said Ronnie Cummins, co-founder of Regeneration International, which helped organize the farmer and rancher coalition. “The result is that today’s food and farming policies make it nearly impossible for America’s farmers and ranchers to compete in the marketplace. Those policies have also brought us degraded soils, polluted waterways and unhealthy food. The Green New Deal provides a roadmap for reversing this destructive policy trend, but only if organic and regenerative farmers have a seat at the policymaking table.” 

“Mr. Perdue and I are both Georgia farmers of the same generation. I do not share the secretary’s perspective on size, but we are in agreement that there should never be a guaranteed income or profitability,” said Will Harris, coalition co-chair and owner of White Oaks Pastures in Bluffton, Ga. “My farm, which employs 165 people full-time, is the largest private employer in our county. We are operating on the higher end of the scale of efficiency for a regenerative and humane farm. Unlike factory farm operations, farms like mine aren’t highly scalable. But they are replicable. If we had one or two or three farms like White Oak Pastures in every agricultural county in the U.S., we’d turn a lot of decaying ghost towns into thriving communities—and we’d have cleaner water, healthier soils and less CO2 in the atmosphere. Bigger ain’t always better.”

“U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue’s recent statement regarding agriculture exemplifies what we have seen for decades. The majority of agriculture policies disregard the importance and need for small farms and businesses in the U.S.,” said Sherri Dugger, coalition co-chair and executive director of coalition member organization, Women, Food & Agriculture Network. “We need systems in place that offer equal access to markets, fair prices, truth in labeling and representation at all levels of government for all farmers. We need legislation that promotes a just and ecological agricultural and food system, and we need it now.”

“It was Sonny Perdue’s predecessor, Earl Butz, who sent us down this disastrous road of ‘get big or get out,’” said Suzan Erem, executive director of coalition organization member, Sustainable Iowa Land Trust. “Policy, not the market, put the thumb on the scale for Big Ag. Now, instead of farmer-neighbors being accountable to the communities where they live and work, we have corporations running roughshod over the last farmers left standing, wrecking our land, air and water and starving our rural communities. Small farms answer to their customers and their communities. They create jobs, don’t destroy them. The question isn’t whether or not small farms will survive in this ‘market’ our government policy created. The question is what will our government do to protect and support them?”

“Mr. Perdue’s comment is an affront to American family farms and farmers, the rural communities they live in and support and the American consumers who support these farmers,” said Carrie Balkcom, executive director of the American Grassfed Association, a coalition member. “Small farms need access to markets and support from the governmental agency created to support agriculture, not agribusiness.”

“Our family farms are under tremendous financial stress. Secretary Perdue’s dismissive attitude is very disturbing, although not surprising as politicians from both sides of the aisle have done little to support farmers,” said Patti Naylor, Iowa farmer and board member of Family Farm Defenders, a coalition member. “Continuing low prices are causing farmers to make the heartbreaking decision to give up their dairy cows while giant CAFOs grow. To address the multiple environmental and social crises this world is facing, including climate change, we need more family farms, not fewer. And, we need to get livestock back onto farms with pastures and diverse crop rotations. We can do this through the Green New Deal by including policy from the original New Deal—a parity system of price floors, supply management, and food reserves. Our future depends on it.”

“As usual, Secretary Perdue confuses size with health. Just like a healthy soil, a healthy economy is one based on diversity and complexity, not one based on simplicity and vulnerability,” said Dave Chapman, a Vermont farmer and executive director of the Real Organic Project, a coalition member. “In his effort to support the few who profit from an increasingly fragile system, Perdue is putting us all at risk. We need to build agricultural systems that are resilient, not brittle. He just doesn’t understand.”

U.S. Farmers and Ranchers for a Green New Deal, a joint organizing effort of Regeneration International (RI) and the Sunrise Movement, was officially launched last month at a press conference in Washington, D.C. The coalition advocates for a massive overhaul of U.S. food and farming policy, believing that Green New Deal’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2030 is achievable, but only if the resolution includes policies that spur two large-scale transitions: the transition to renewable energy alternatives, and the transition to regenerative agriculture and land-use practices.

The coalition’s Congressional Advisory Committee members are: Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).

The coalition is committed to working with Congress to ensure that farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table when it comes to defining and finalizing the specific policies and programs that will form the basis for achieving the goals outlined in the Green New Deal Resolution.

Letter to Congress
https://regenerationinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Letter-from-U.S.-Farmers-Ranchers-to-Congress-We-Need-a-Green-New-Deal.pdf


U.S. Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal policy goals
https://regenerationinternational.org/2019/09/09/us-farmers-ranchers-for-a-green-new-deal-policy-goals/

FAQ
https://regenerationinternational.org/2019/06/20/farmers-ranchers-for-a-green-new-deal-frequently-asked-questions/

Regeneration International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting, facilitating and accelerating the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems. Visit https://regenerationinternational.org/.

Coalition Representing 10,000 U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Urges Congress to Support a Green New Deal for Agriculture

[Download/Print as PDF]

National coalition of independent farmers, anchored by Regeneration International and Sunrise Movement, calls for massive overhaul of food & farming policy to address climate and farm crises

Contact:

Katherine Paul, Regeneration International: katherine@regenerationinternational.org, (207) 653-3090
Isa Flores-Jones, Sunrise Movement: press@sunrisemovement.org, (916) 266-1464

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — September 18 — In the lead-up to the September 20 Climate Strike and New York City Climate Week, representatives of a national coalition representing almost 10,000 U.S. farmers and ranchers held a press conference today in Washington, D.C. to announce the delivery of a letter to Congress urging support for the Green New Deal and calling on lawmakers to make agriculture policy reform a priority for addressing the climate crisis and the economic crisis facing independent family farms.

The coalition, a joint organizing effort of Regeneration International (RI) and the Sunrise Movement, said it believes the Green New Deal’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2030 is achievable, but only if the resolution includes policies that spur two large-scale transitions: the transition to renewable energy alternatives, and the transition to regenerative agriculture and land-use practices.

“We stand ready to help achieve all of the goals outlined in the Green New Deal,” the coalition said in its letter. “But we need Congress to work with us to develop food and agriculture policies that support climate-friendly organic and regenerative farming, ranching and land-use practices.”

Ronnie Cummins, RI international director, said: “It’s time to empower farmers and ranchers to transform the country’s agricultural landscape by transitioning to production practices that are aligned with the Green New Deal’s goals for clean water and air for everyone, access to local and healthy food for all, a level playing field for small businesses and net-zero emissions by 2030.”

“Farmers and ranchers are essential to stop climate change, but current policies put them in shackles,” said Garrett Blad from Sunrise Movement. Blad’s family has farmed in northwest Indiana for three generations. “My grandmother lost her sense of purpose after my family sold the dairy cows because growing corporate industry consolidation made the farm unprofitable. I feel disheartened when I see my uncles stress about historic rains delaying planting season, or how Trump’s tariffs are throwing my family’s business into jeopardy. I’ll be damned if I’ll let global warming take the rest of what my grandparents built. It’s well past time our government fight for the farming families that have been left behind for far too long. A Green New Deal must break the stranglehold corporations have on farmers and empower them with the tools and financial support to be the good stewards they are. With a Green New Deal, we have a historic opportunity to break corporate control of farming, invest in rural America and stand behind the hard-working people who grow our food every day.”

“Farmers are our allies in the fight against climate change. For them, change is already at their door, and they’re feeling the effects,” said Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine). “Farmers and ranchers have a critical role to play in mitigating the devastating effects of greenhouse gas emissions. As this Congress prioritizes bold solutions to the climate crisis change, we must remember to bring farmers to the table.”

Sherri Dugger, an Indiana farmer, coalition co-chair and executive director of both Women, Food and Agriculture Network and the Indiana Farmers Union, said: “We recently completed a climate-related survey with Women, Food and Agriculture Network (WFAN) members, and the results showed that our members care deeply about stewardship of the land and climate mitigation,” “Their lives are regularly being impacted by climate change. How we react now determines the security and future of America’s food systems.”

Will Harris, a fourth-generation farmer from Bluffton, Ga. and coalition chair, said: “I am delighted to be part of this effort to rethink how food and energy are produced in this country.”

“Farmers across New England are already feeling the effects of the climate crisis. From extreme weather to invasive species, they are getting squeezed not only by a changing climate, but also by federal policies that too often prioritize unsustainable farming and industrial agriculture over the needs of local farmers,” said Congressman Jim McGovern. “Farmers and ranchers put food on the table every day for families across America – now, we need them at the table here in Washington to help guide us towards a more fair, equitable, and sustainable agricultural policy.”

“We must reset our agricultural policies through the prism of sustainability,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.). “Decades of unsustainable food and farm policy has had an overall negative impact on the environment. But with the right support, farmers and ranchers across the country can play a key role in addressing environmental degradation and the climate emergency. It’s going to take bold, transformative ideas like the Green New Deal to save our planet. Equitably reforming our food and farm system must be part of the plan.”

David Levine, president of the American Sustainable Business Council, an organizational member of the coalition and the leading business organization representing the public policy interests of responsible businesses, said: “The American Sustainable Business Council is proud to stand with the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal. Our businesses across all sectors understand the value of farmers and ranchers as the backbone of our communities and our economy. Farms and ranches are businesses that not only provide healthy food for a strong and resilient workforce, but they also help combat climate change. Our Business for A Green New Deal campaign will work side by side with the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers for Green New Deal to advance the policies needed for a sustainable future for all businesses.”

The coalition supports policy reforms that expand economic opportunities for farmers and ranchers whose practices and businesses:

  • combat climate change by reducing emissions and drawing down and sequestering carbon
  • contribute to a clean environment and restore natural habitats
  • provide access to locally produced, contaminant-free, nutrient-dense food
  • help build and support resilient local and regional food systems and economies
  • provide safe working conditions and living wages for farm workers

The coalition’s Congressional Advisory Committee members are: Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine), Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.), Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.).

The coalition is committed to working with Congress to ensure that farmers and ranchers have a seat at the table when it comes to defining and finalizing the specific policies and programs that will form the basis for achieving the goals outlined in the Green New Deal Resolution.

The Organic Consumers Association, American Sustainable Business Council, American Grassfed Association, Institute for Ag & Trade Policy, Organic Farmers Association, Women, Food & Agriculture Association, Savory Institute, Indiana Farmers Union, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire and Commonwealth Urban Farm, and Community Farm Alliance are among the nearly 50 organizations that signed the letter to Congress.

Letter to Congress

U.S. Farmers & Ranchers for a Green New Deal policy goals

FAQ

Regeneration International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting, facilitating and accelerating the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems. Visit https://regenerationinternational.org/.

Sunrise is a movement of young people uniting to stop the climate crisis. We are building an army of young people to break the hold of oil and gas CEOs on our politics and elect leaders who will protect the health and wellbeing of all people, not just a wealthy few. Visit
https://www.sunrisemovement.org/

Leaders in Regenerative Agriculture Movement: It’s Time to Speed up the Cool Down

Women and Immigrant farmers, Environmentalists, Soil Scientists, Advocates and Food Security Experts Join Forces to Accelerate Action at UN Climate Change Conference (COP 24)

 

Katowice, Poland, December 10, 2018 – Today, Biovision, IFOAM-Organics International, Organic Consumers Association (OCA), Regeneration International and Shumei International announced their side event, Speed Up the Cool Down: Scaling Up Regenerative Solutions to Climate Change, at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 24) in Katowice, Poland on Wednesday, 12 December 2018 at 11:30-13:00 GMT. The delegation from Australia, India, Mexico, Switzerland, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe will travel to Katowice to join thousands of advocates, non-profits, soil scientists and environmentalists to push for action and solutions to drastically reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere to reverse climate change.  They are part of a growing movement that aims to draw down carbon into the soil through regenerative agriculture and land management.

 

“According to a peer reviewed study in Nature, the last time the world had 400ppm of CO2 the temperatures were 16C (38F) and the sea levels were 20 to 60 meters higher,” said André Leu, International Director of Regeneration International, one of the co-organizers and a leading voice in the movement. “We have to draw down the excess CO2 with regenerative agriculture to avoid catastrophic climate change,” he added.

The “Speed Up the Cool Down” side event is focused on showcasing concrete “shovel-ready” solutions and frameworks to accelerate carbon sequestration, food sovereignty and biodiversity preservation. Speakers will present on global efforts being made to scale up agroecology, consumer campaigns, true cost accounting and policy change to create resilient communities and ecosystems.

“This year, it is necessary to build a solid framework that fosters adaptive capacity and resilience and contributes to the equitable achievement of the Paris Agreements 1.5C goal,” said Gabor Figezcky, Head of Global Policy at IFOAM – Organics International. “It is also important to safeguard key elements from the Paris Agreement preamble, namely food security, human rights, including the rights of indigenous communities, gender equality, and ecosystem integrity. Transforming our food systems is a key component to address climate change,” he added.

Speakers include: Barbara Hachipuka Banda, Founder/Director, Natural Agriculture Development Program Zambia; Hans Herren, President, Biovision, Switzerland; André Leu, International Director, Regeneration International, Australia; Mercedes López Martinez, Director, Vía Orgánica, Mexico; Shamika Mone, Treasurer and Managing Committee member of Organic Farming Association of India (OFAI); and Precious Phiri, Founding Director, EarthWisdom Consulting Co., Zimbabwe.

“Right now there are thousands of small-scale women farmers in rural Zambia working to scale up agroecology programs that support self-sufficiency, resilience, land preservation and biodiversity to avoid crop failures, hunger and forced migration caused by climate change,” said Barbara Hachipuka Banda, Founder of the Natural Agriculture Development Program Zambia. “However, we need everyone to play their part in transforming the agricultural system because we are all interconnected, and we are faster and stronger together.”

For more information on the UN Side Event, please visit: https://bit.ly/2B8z7DX

 

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About Biovision

Since 1998, Biovision Foundation has been promoting the development, dissemination and application of sustainable ecological agricultural practices, allowing people in the developing world to help themselves. Key is our holistic approach: The health of people, animals, plants and the environment are central aims in all our projects. Focusing on our key priority of Food security and sustainable agriculture, Biovision is contributing to the implementation of Agenda 2030 both globally and nationally; it takes as its point of reference SDG 2 “Zero Hunger”. Biovision Foundation is a charitable organisation in Switzerland. In 2013, Biovision and its founder Hans Rudolf Herren won the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize. For more information, visit www.biovision.ch.

 

About IFOAM-Organics International

Since 1972, IFOAM- Organics International has occupied the unchallenged position as the only international umbrella organization in the organic world, uniting an enormous diversity of stakeholders contributing to the organic vision. As agents of change, their vision is the board adaption of truly sustainable agriculture, value chains and consumption in line with the principles of organic agriculture. At the heart of IFOAM- Organics International are about 800 affiliates in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.ifoam.bio.

 

About Regeneration International

Regeneration International, is an international non-governmental organization that promotes, facilitates and accelerates the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems. For more information, visit www.regenerationinternational.org.

 

About Shumei International

Shumei International, headquartered in Japan, is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to working toward the betterment of the human community. Shumei has programs around the world that foster a way of life that is in harmony with nature through Natural Agriculture, the appreciation of art and beauty, and a balance between inner and outer development. For more information, visit www.shumei-international.org.

 

Regeneration International Founding Member Receives Lifetime Ashoka Fellowship

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2018

Contact:
Regeneration International: Katherine Paul, 207.653 3090, katherine@regenerationinternational.org

Ashoka: Amy Clark, 202.365.3452, aclark@ashoka.org

Regeneration International Founding Member Receives Lifetime Ashoka Fellowship

Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin One of 11 Social Innovators Awarded Prestigious Fellowship in 2018

MINNEAPOLIS – Regeneration International (RI) announced today that Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, founding and steering committee member, has been awarded a lifetime Ashoka Fellowship.

“This award is well deserved,” said Andre Leu, international director of RI. “Reginaldo has developed a unique regenerative poultry and agroforestry system that can used by small scale farmers around the world to take them out of poverty, produce high quality food and improve the environment. We hope that the recognition that comes with this award will assist in the scaling up of these important regenerative farming systems.”

Haslett-Marroquin said: “The Ashoka Fellowship comes at a time when I have personally struggled to find a crack in the wall of systems change, it opens a huge gap in it, sufficiently big to walk myself, my team and partners into a world of new possibilities, with less stress, with a world community and ecosystem of people also bent on changing the world, I feel blessed and fortunate to have this opportunity, I look forward to using it to expanding our collective capacity to draw down carbon, cool the planet, feed people healthy foods, and help bring back some dignity and purpose to the time honored profession of farming.”

Simon Stumpf, Director of Venture and Fellowship at Ashoka, said: “This group of Ashoka Fellows reminds us that even our most complex and tangled social challenges are solvable. Among these new Fellows are innovators transforming our food system, criminal justice system, workforce development sector, even the funeral industry. These people show us how to champion real, transformative change in a world that needs it.”

Ashoka evaluates more than 500 promising nominations every year in the United States and conducts hundreds of hours of in-person interviews before selecting Ashoka Fellows. This year’s Fellows come from small towns and urban centers all across the country. With creativity and commitment, they tackle complex challenges, imagine a new way forward and build it for everyone, for the good of all. They forge partnerships and pathways for everyone—all ages, backgrounds, walks of life—to contribute fully as changemakers.

Haslett-Marroquin is the principal architect of the poultry-centered regenerative agriculture model promoted by the Main Street Project, and which serves as the cornerstone of his work on behalf of RI, He also directs the Regeneration Agriculture Alliance, a platform designed for building regenerative agriculture support infrastructure. A native of Guatemala, Haslett-Marroquin, who lives in Northfield, Minnesota, earned his agronomy degree from the Central National School of Agriculture in Guatemala, and degrees in international business administration and communications from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has won numerous awards for his work, including the Twin Cities International Citizens of the Year (1996), and the Northfield, Minnesota, Service to Mankind Award (SERTOMA), 2008. He serves on several nonprofit boards, including the Conservation Core of Minnesota and Iowa. Haslett-Marroquin is a founding member of Regeneration International and Regeneration Guatemala. He was appointed to the RI steering committee in 2017. He is the author of “In the Shadow of Green Man.”

The other 2018 Ashoka Fellows are: Brandon Dennison, Coalfield Development, Wayne, West Virginia; Erica Gerrity, Ostara Initiative, Viroqua, Wisconsin; Jess Ladd, Callisto, San Francisco, California; Kara Bobroff, NACA Inspired Schools Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Katrina Spade, Recompose, Seattle, Washington; Lam Ho, Community Activism Law Alliance, Chicago, Illinois; Molly Burhans, Goodlands, New Haven, Connecticut; Rachel Armstrong, Farm Commons, Duluth, Minnesota; and Steve Miller, HBCU Truth & Reconciliation Oral History Project, Henderson, Texas.

Regeneration International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to promoting, facilitating and accelerating the global transition to regenerative food, farming and land management for the purpose of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger and rebuilding deteriorated social, ecological and economic systems. More here. https://regenerationinternational.org/.

For 35 years, Ashoka has pioneered social entrepreneurship, an entire field dedicated to fostering energetic problem-solving right in the communities where the problems exist. Through its time-tested growth platform, it finds, vets, and supports thousands of leading changemakers in the United States and around the world. More here.  https://www.ashoka-usa.org

Regenerative Solutions to Climate Change Gain Momentum at COP 23

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Regeneration International Second General Assembly Addresses State of the Regeneration Movement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 22, 2017

English: Katherine Paul, 207.653 3090, Katherine@regenerationinternational.org

Spanish: Ercilia Sahores, +52 (55) 6257 7901, ercilia@regenerationinternational.org

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE, Mexico – About 105 experts in soil, water and land management, agriculture, media and campaign strategy assembled today in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, for a three-day international conference on how to scale up organic and regenerative agriculture, land management and livestock grazing to address global warming, global food insecurity and public health.

Representatives from 21 countries are attending the three-day strategy meeting organized by Regeneration International (RI), a project of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA).

The conference is being held at OCA’s Vía Orgánica teaching farm and conference center. It is RI’s first global strategy meeting since the organization’s initial launch in June 2015, in Costa Rica.

“We are in the terminal phase of a degenerative food and farming system which forms the underlying basis for war, poverty, poor health and food insecurity,” said Ronnie Cummins, OCA’s international director and a member of the RI steering committee. “The hundreds of millions of small-scale farmers and herders around the world have the power to turn things around. They need our support to scale up regenerative farming and land-management practices that will draw down and sequester carbon, produce abundant, nutrient-dense food and regenerate local economies.”

“This is a gathering about the future of the world, pure and simple, said Larry Kopald, co-founder of The Carbon Underground, a founding partner of RI. “If we don’t quickly draw down carbon and restore our soil, we will lose the chance to keep feeding the planet and to deal with climate change.”

Andre Leu, president of IFOAM International and an RI steering committee member said: “This is the beginning of one of the fastest-growing movements in the world. The word ‘regeneration’ is resonating. We have the science now to scale up regenerative farming. We have the responsibility to scale it up. If we don’t, we face a real threat of extinction by the end of this century.”

Participants of the General Assembly will attend sessions on how to fund and scale up the Regeneration Movement, how to support the France’s 4/1000 Initiative: Soils for Food Security and Climate, and how to build a grassroots movement around regenerative food, farming and climate.

Regeneration International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization building a global network of farmers, scientists, businesses, activists, educators, journalists, governments and consumers who will promote and put into practice regenerative agriculture and land-use practices that: provide abundant, nutritious food; revive local economies; rebuild soil fertility and biodiversity; and restore climate stability by returning carbon to the soil, through the natural process of photosynthesis.