Mercy Corps Youth Employment’s Post

Member guest blog: Nuanced and Equitable: Mercy Corps’ Approach to Food Security and the Livestock Emissions Debate INTRO Mercy Corps is adding a critical perspective to the livestock emissions debate, emphasizing the potential benefits of pastoralists, or those who move herds across land, in drylands and opening a pathway toward food security previously often overlooked by dominant climate narratives. “What’s missing from climate action campaigns and commitments around livestock production? A lot,” says Carmen Jaquez, Mercy Corps Director of Evidence and Learning for Resilient Drylands Production Systems for the Horn of Africa. Current narratives are biased, lacking input from communities they seek to change – in this case, pastoralists in Africa – and failing to apply a much-needed climate justice lens. Jaquez expands upon this argument in a recently published paper in Mercy Corps Climate: Possible position paper series titled, “How livestock can advance climate adaptation and mitigation goals.” Here we take a look at some of the lessons learned. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gs3KnzWn #foodsecurity #sdg2 #zerohunger #pastoralism #hornofafrica #climatechange #climateaction #GlobalWAmember

Member guest blog: Nuanced and Equitable: Mercy Corps’ Approach to Food Security and the Livestock Emissions Debate INTRO Mercy Corps is adding a critical perspective to the livestock emissions debate, emphasizing the potential benefits of pastoralists, or those who move herds across land, in drylands and opening a pathway toward food security previously often overlooked by dominant climate narratives. “What’s missing from climate action campaigns and commitments around livestock production? A lot,” says Carmen Jaquez, Mercy Corps Director of Evidence and Learning for Resilient Drylands Production Systems for the Horn of Africa. Current narratives are biased, lacking input from communities they seek to change – in this case, pastoralists in Africa – and failing to apply a much-needed climate justice lens. Jaquez expands upon this argument in a recently published paper in Mercy Corps Climate: Possible position paper series titled, “How livestock can advance climate adaptation and mitigation goals.” Here we take a look at some of the lessons learned. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gs3KnzWn #foodsecurity #sdg2 #zerohunger #pastoralism #hornofafrica #climatechange #climateaction #GlobalWAmember

An interesting discussion on climate change and agriculture. Thanks Mike Strathdee, CFP (R) for the article

🌏The livestock sector has a critical role to play in the fight against #ClimateChange - not least because of its exposure to material climate risks. Heat stress to animals, higher feed and energy prices, water shortages, and regulatory changes could all contribute to rising costs. In fact, FAIRR’s research has found that 40 of the largest livestock producers could see total profits fall by nearly $24 billion in 2030 (vs 2020) due to climate change 📉 Despite the sector’s vulnerability, FAIRR’s latest insight, authored by Simi Thambi, PhD and Weiming Pu, shows that the quality of climate risk-related cost disclosures amongst livestock companies is still lacking. Investors can take action to improve the status of these disclosures by: ➡️ Encouraging more disclosure of climate-related costs from companies, not just emissions disclosures ➡️ Asking companies to disclose the resilience of their business strategies under different global warming scenarios Read the full insight to learn more 👉 https://lnkd.in/eA5sc76P

All those orgs who say you need extensive livestock to restore soil like Soil4Climate Inc. should support this report, it shows that less livestock is something that is to be welcomed and less crop depended livestock is where we need to put our efforts. There is room for both extensive livestock and the wonderful benefits it brings for nature and room for more alternative proteins and the wonderful benefits this brings to nature. Instead of attacking each other, work together and embrace less livestock, embrace better livestock - which works from a nutritional point of view, after all most Americans each too much protein and when digesting protein, the body really doesn't care if it from a plant of an animal - and go after crop-based systems that are the problem. We can make the same amount of protein, with less cropland. Alternative proteins in the American protein supply would require 47.3 million fewer acres of cropland – an area approximately the size of South Dakota. Alternative proteins enable large-scale restoration of threatened U.S. ecosystems.  A shift to alternative proteins could enable restoration of cropland acreage in 139, or 64%, of the 216 U.S. ecosystems that are currently threatened.  

🌍 Climate Risk Disclosure Insight! "Findings for Climate Risk Disclosure of Livestock Companies," co-authored by Simi Thambi, PhD and myself, reveals the critical need for robust climate risk disclosures in the livestock sector—an industry responsible for nearly 14% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Despite a promising increase—with 60% of major protein producers now reporting climate risks, up from just 30% in 2019—the quality of these disclosures remains insufficient. According to the FAIRR Climate Risk Tool, top livestock producers could see profits at risk of up to $24 billion by 2030. Enhancing the depth of these disclosures is not just crucial; it's an economic imperative. This research is vital for investors and stakeholders committed to a sustainable transformation of food systems. Let's champion transparency that matches the magnitude of these risks. 🔗 Explore our findings to see how enhanced transparency can safeguard the future of this pivotal industry. #ClimateAction #Sustainability #ClimateRisk #Agriculture #RiskManagement #Climatescenarioanalysis #climatechange #Disclosure

A new insight from our experts at the FAIRR Initiative, Simi Thambi, PhD and Weiming Pu, explores the climate risk disclosures of major public and private livestock companies.    Their analysis reveals that while the quantity of disclosures has increased, the quality of climate risk-related cost disclosures in the livestock sector still needs significant improvement.    Key findings include:  ✅ Dairy companies are currently leading in the sector regarding disclosing costs associated with climate risks.  ✅ Many pork and poultry companies, despite their significant exposure to climate risks through animal feed, still lack comprehensive climate-related cost disclosures.    Investors can encourage companies to disclose not only climate-related costs but also the resilience of their business strategies under various global warming scenarios.    Read the full insight: https://lnkd.in/eftdNTiM. 

ILRI senior scientist and Mazingira Centre team leader Claudia Arndt presented recent research through the session, 'Raising farmer voices: Advancing methane mitigation in African livestock systems' at the Climate and Clean Air Conference (CCAC) annual conference in February 2024. The session focused on practical solutions to reduce methane emissions while supporting the livelihoods of African farmers. https://lnkd.in/d4Cr_4qA

Do you want to know the interaction between pastoralist, climate practitioners. Read the article here you will learn how pastoralists are responding to climate change and GHG issues.

🚨 Just Published! 🚨 My new paper with Damian Maye and Julie Ingram investigates how UK news media represented the impact of ruminant livestock on climate change from 2016-2021. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, we identify four key "Critical Discourse Moments" (CDMs) that shaped public debate— from "We must eat far less meat" to "Fighting the anti-meat agenda" 📰 🔗 Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eeVYXFeK National media outlets often echoed calls to reduce meat consumption, particularly following high-profile reports like the EAT-Lancet Commission. In contrast, farming media highlighted efficiency and sustainability in UK livestock production, frequently framing climate debates as threatening to farmers. Our findings reveal both problematic polarisation and under-engagement with food system power imbalances 🍔 🌱 Key takeaway? Bridging divides in media representation is crucial for informed, collective climate action. #ClimateChange #FoodSystems #MediaAnalysis #RuminantLivestock #Sustainability #PhD