{"id":36444,"date":"2025-07-03T17:53:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-03T20:53:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redept.org\/blogosfera\/labora-puts-agrarian-reform-and-agroecology-on-the-climate-agenda-in-london\/"},"modified":"2025-07-03T17:53:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T20:53:09","slug":"labora-puts-agrarian-reform-and-agroecology-on-the-climate-agenda-in-london","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redept.com.br\/blogosfera\/labora-puts-agrarian-reform-and-agroecology-on-the-climate-agenda-in-london\/","title":{"rendered":"Labora puts agrarian reform and agroecology on the climate agenda in London"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nick Robins, Camilo Augusto Santana, Ana Val\u00e9ria Ara\u00fajo and Nick Robins at London Climate Action Week. Photo: Diego Silveira\/Brazil Human Rights Fund\u2019s Collection<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By Sara Baptista
From Fundo Brasil<\/em><\/p>\n

A just energy transition must place rural workers and local communities at the center of debates and decision-making. This was the central message of the panel \u201cLand, Labor, and Climate: Agroecology and Agrarian Reform for a Just Transition,\u201d held last Friday (27th) in London, United Kingdom.<\/p>\n

The event was promoted by the Labora \u2013 Fund for Decent Work as part of the London Climate Action Week. Labora is an initiative of the Brazil Human Rights Fund that aims to strengthen workers\u2019 organizations \u2013 especially those in more precarious conditions \u2013 in the fight for decent work, social protection, and a just transition.<\/p>\n

The panel was moderated by Ana Val\u00e9ria Ara\u00fajo, executive director of the Brazil Human Rights Fund. Participants included Camilo Augusto Santana, from the national coordination of the Landless Workers\u2019 Movement (MST); Oliver Gordon, writer and researcher at JUST Stories \u2013 a global storytelling project from the Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB) focused on Just Transition; Nick Robins, Chair of the Just Transition Finance Lab at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); and, joining via videoconference, Mar\u00eda Leonor Yonda, Vice President of the National Agrarian Coordinator (CNA) of Colombia.<\/p>\n

In addition to the essential conversation, the event also offered snacks to the in-person audience at the headquarters of the\u00a0United Voices of the World Union in London\u00a0\u2014 all prepared with ingredients from agrarian reform initiatives, brought directly from Brazil in participants\u2019 luggage. There was also a photo exhibition featuring images taken by photographers from Brazilian social movements in rural areas, river communities, and forests \u2014 all part of the Brazil Human Rights Fund\u2019s collection.<\/p>\n

In their remarks, the two rural workers\u2019 leaders were unequivocal: there can be no just transition without agrarian reform and land democratization. Camilo Santana, from the MST, brought the Brazilian perspective by stating that \u201cone of the fundamental points is recognizing the role that populations play in protecting and caring for nature, especially those from rural areas.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no way to move forward on solving environmental issues without advancing agrarian reform,\u201d said Camilo. \u201cThis agrarian reform policy should be thought of in a broad sense, with agroecology at the center and the work of local peoples as a foundation,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n

Leonor Yonda brought the Colombian point of view, which she said is similar to Brazil\u2019s: \u201cIn Colombia, there have been agrarian reforms, but they were neoliberal in nature and didn\u2019t generate policies for rural communities. So we say that to move forward, the true democratization of land is needed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Leonor also stressed the importance of occupying decision-making spaces: \u201cLabor, pension, health, and education reforms have always been dominated by those who allow nothing for the working class. For us, participation of rural communities in politics is essential,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

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Mar\u00eda Leonor Yonda (videoconference), Camilo Augusto Santana, Nick Robins, Nick Robins and Ana Val\u00e9ria Ara\u00fajo at London Climate Action Week. Photo: Diego Silveira\/Brazil Human Rights Fund\u2019s Collection<\/em><\/p>\n

The activists\u2019 speeches resonated with Nick Robins\u2019 final comments, in which he warned that \u201cthere\u2019s a risk that the concept of a just transition could be hijacked and emptied of meaning.\u201d Nick noted that the discussion helped clarify that it is through local action and grassroots movements that the transition gains meaning.<\/p>\n

Drawing from his experiences listening to communities affected by the climate crisis, Oliver Gordon reinforced the message: \u201cWhat\u2019s key is giving these communities a voice in how the transition is designed. At the end of the day, the people who will decide whether the transition is just or not are the communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perspectives for COP 30<\/strong><\/p>\n

With COP 30 approaching this November in Bel\u00e9m, the conference also came up during the debate, along with reflections on what key topics should be brought to the forum and how to ensure that affected populations are heard. Camilo emphasized that agrarian reform grounded in agroecology must go hand in hand with the energy transition in discussions and proposals.<\/p>\n

For Nick Robins, \u201cCOP 30 is an opportunity to fill the just transition with meaning again, by listening to grassroots social movements.\u201d On the other hand, Oliver Gordon argued that more than relying on large multilateral decision-making spaces, it is essential for common people to pressure for a truly just transition.<\/p>\n

Leonor emphasized that sustainable production and development models are non-negotiable. \u201cFor us, arriving at COP means there must be a commitment to these policies. How can we articulate all this to ensure the planet can continue to resist?\u201d she asked. \u201cThe solution is not in the money, it\u2019s in our ways of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ana Val\u00e9ria Ara\u00fajo, executive director of the Brazil Human Rights Fund, also shared the role of the foundation in the debate and in actions related to a just transition. \u201cWe invest in mobilization,\u201d she said, explaining that they\u2019ve been funding the participation of social movements, Indigenous peoples, and quilombola communities in preparatory processes. \u201cBecause it\u2019s in these preparatory stages that you can, in some way, influence what happens in official forums.\u201d<\/p>\n

She also highlighted the People\u2019s Summit \u2013 which will take place alongside COP in Bel\u00e9m and will have high visibility \u2013 and is primarily composed of social movements. \u201cAnd that makes a difference. Funds like ours are working to ensure that we can give voice to social movements and, with that, prevent the agenda from being co-opted.\u201d<\/p>\n

Financing a just energy transition<\/strong><\/p>\n

The central debate on climate financing was also a key part of the panel. Oliver Gordon shared the case of women working in salt extraction in Gujarat, India, and the partnership developed with Sewa UK and the International Finance Corporation (IFC). There, a model was created based on vendor financing, capital subsidies, and low-cost loans, which has proven successful economically, socially, and environmentally.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been very transformative for them as a community. But also, [this model] is incredibly scalable. It\u2019s a model that works in other settings as well,\u201d the journalist noted.<\/p>\n

Professor Nick Robins spoke about the various sources of financing, including commercial banks, development banks, pension funds, and community funds. \u201cWe can talk about all these types of financing, but how do they come together? You don\u2019t need one type of financing, you need many,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

Drawing from her philanthropic experience, Ana Val\u00e9ria Ara\u00fajo stated that it\u2019s necessary to think about how to further democratize access to climate finance. In that sense, the experience of philanthropy \u2013 especially independent philanthropy from the Global South \u2013 is fundamental to moving actions forward in the region. \u201cWe know philanthropy is very effective at getting resources to communities. It\u2019s a key partner for major financing mechanisms, to make them truly effective.\u201d<\/p>\n

London Climate Action Week brought together around 45,000 people from various countries in over 700 in-person and online events, held between June 21 and 29.<\/p>\n

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Photos: Diego Silveira\/Brazil Human Rights Fund\u2019s Collection<\/em><\/p>\n

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Photos: Diego Silveira\/Brazil Human Rights Fund\u2019s Collection<\/p>\n

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Photos: Diego Silveira\/Brazil Human Rights Fund\u2019s Collection<\/p>\n

O post Labora puts agrarian reform and agroecology on the climate agenda in London<\/a> apareceu primeiro em MST<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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