KANDY, Sri Lanka (PAMACC News) – At the Nyéléni Global Forum in Sri Lanka, women from across the world issued a bold call: feminism must be placed at the heart of the Common Political Agenda and Action Plan (CPAA). They warned that food sovereignty and climate justice cannot be realized without dismantling patriarchy and recognizing women’s contributions to sustaining life and communities.
Delivering the intervention on behalf of the Women’s Assembly, Susan Owiti of La Via Campesina stressed that women globally continue to shoulder the double burden of sustaining households and communities while being excluded from decision-making. “Women’s labour in food production is systematically exploited. The liberation of women will lead the transformation we seek—one based on equality, care, and solidarity,” she told delegates.
The Assembly highlighted glaring omissions in the draft CPAA, including silence on gender-based violence, patriarchy within movements, and the realities faced by women in conflict zones. Delegates noted that even within progressive spaces, women encounter exclusion and violence. “We cannot claim to fight for liberation out there if we reproduce domination in here,” the Assembly declared, pointing to incidents of disrespect and harassment reported during the forum itself.
In a show of internationalist solidarity, women expressed deep support for struggles against oppression worldwide, from Palestine to Afghanistan. They drew clear links between the exploitation of women’s labour, imperialism, and resource plunder. The Assembly insisted that feminism is not an optional perspective but a political necessity in confronting systems of domination.
Central to their intervention was the demand to recognize women’s historic and ongoing roles as seed keepers, fisherfolk, and custodians of biodiversity. Women condemned the corporate capture of seeds, water, and natural resources, stressing that these processes criminalize seed saving, destroy ecosystems, and deepen inequality. They called for decisive action to protect peasant and Indigenous seed systems, resist destructive extractivism, and defend territories from land and water grabbing.
The women also underscored the urgency of reorganizing and valuing care work, which underpins all economies but remains invisible and unpaid. They demanded policies to guarantee equal access to land, income, education, and healthcare, alongside strong public services and renewable energy systems that prioritize people over profit. Strengthening feminist education—rooted in popular, Indigenous, and grassroots perspectives—was identified as critical for building systemic change.
Sophie Ogutu, a Kenyan feminist with the World March of Women, reminded delegates that patriarchy is a global system deeply embedded in capitalism: “The end of capitalism alone will not end patriarchy. But the end of patriarchy will end capitalism, because global economies depend fundamentally on women’s unpaid and underpaid labour.”
This analysis reinforced the Assembly’s insistence that dismantling patriarchy is inseparable from struggles for food sovereignty and climate justice. The women urged the forum to treat feminism not as a separate agenda item but as a cross-cutting principle informing every aspect of the CPAA—from democracy and people’s economies to land, health, and climate.
The Assembly concluded with a powerful affirmation: “Without feminism, there is no food sovereignty. Systemic transformation—now and never!”
NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) – A €45 million partnership has been launched by the IKEA Foundation and SNV to reimagine how food and energy systems work together in Eastern Africa.
The five-year initiative, known as the Power for Food Partnership, will roll out in Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya with the aim of boosting resilience, improving livelihoods, and driving systemic change at the intersection of regenerative agriculture (RA) and the productive use of renewable energy (PURE).
Breaking silos to build resilience
For decades, food and energy systems in the region have developed in isolation. Farmers tested sustainable practices on one side, while renewable energy projects expanded separately on the other. This fragmentation limited their combined impact.
“This partnership is an opportunity to think differently about how systems can work together, and who gets to shape them,” said Annemieke Beekmans, Director of Technical Expertise at SNV. “Beyond a technical overlap, the focus on nexus points between regenerative agriculture and productive use of renewable energy, through better coordination, smarter, more inclusive investment and the primacy of stronger local leadership are vital to scaling outcomes. In a time of increasing fragmentation, values-driven partnerships like this are a way to build the kind of enabling environment that long-term, inclusive and sustainable development actually requires.”
Farmers at the frontline of climate change
The need for such integration is urgent. In Uganda, climate models predict that shifting rainfall patterns could reduce maize yields nationally by up to 10 percent in the near future. Across the region, most rural households remain off-grid, leaving farmers unable to irrigate crops, process harvests, or preserve produce.
While technologies like solar-powered irrigation, cold storage, and decentralized agro-processing already exist, uptake is hampered by affordability challenges, policy barriers, and weak infrastructure. For women and youth, who already face systemic barriers in accessing land, credit, and decision-making spaces, the challenges are even steeper.
Locally-led solutions at the core
The Power for Food Partnership is designed to address these gaps through locally-led innovations and systemic collaboration. By bringing together communities, governments, civil society, and private sector actors, the initiative will create an enabling environment where regenerative agriculture and renewable energy can reinforce each other.
“This partnership is rooted in trust and shared purpose. It’s about standing alongside communities who are leading change from within. By connecting regenerative agriculture and renewable energy, we’re supporting locally driven innovations that respond to real needs and lived experiences. We’re proud to partner with SNV and local leaders in building systems that are resilient, inclusive, and shaped by those most affected,” said Marilia Bezerra, Chief Programme Officer of IKEA Foundation.
A new chapter of collaboration
The partnership builds on earlier collaboration between IKEA Foundation and SNV dating back to 2019, which piloted approaches and generated learning in the same four countries. That experience laid the groundwork for this larger, longer-term commitment.
With this investment in its first phase, the Power for Food Partnership signals a bold new effort to bridge fragmented systems, tackle structural inequalities, and empower communities to build resilience in the face of climate change.
NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) – A €45 million partnership has been launched by the IKEA Foundation and SNV to reimagine how food and energy systems work together in Eastern Africa.
The five-year initiative, known as the Power for Food Partnership, will roll out in Uganda, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Kenya with the aim of boosting resilience, improving livelihoods, and driving systemic change at the intersection of regenerative agriculture (RA) and the productive use of renewable energy (PURE).
Breaking silos to build resilience
For decades, food and energy systems in the region have developed in isolation. Farmers tested sustainable practices on one side, while renewable energy projects expanded separately on the other. This fragmentation limited their combined impact.
“This partnership is an opportunity to think differently about how systems can work together, and who gets to shape them,” said Annemieke Beekmans, Director of Technical Expertise at SNV. “Beyond a technical overlap, the focus on nexus points between regenerative agriculture and productive use of renewable energy, through better coordination, smarter, more inclusive investment and the primacy of stronger local leadership are vital to scaling outcomes. In a time of increasing fragmentation, values-driven partnerships like this are a way to build the kind of enabling environment that long-term, inclusive and sustainable development actually requires.”
Farmers at the frontline of climate change
The need for such integration is urgent. In Uganda, climate models predict that shifting rainfall patterns could reduce maize yields nationally by up to 10 percent in the near future. Across the region, most rural households remain off-grid, leaving farmers unable to irrigate crops, process harvests, or preserve produce.
While technologies like solar-powered irrigation, cold storage, and decentralized agro-processing already exist, uptake is hampered by affordability challenges, policy barriers, and weak infrastructure. For women and youth, who already face systemic barriers in accessing land, credit, and decision-making spaces, the challenges are even steeper.
Locally-led solutions at the core
The Power for Food Partnership is designed to address these gaps through locally-led innovations and systemic collaboration. By bringing together communities, governments, civil society, and private sector actors, the initiative will create an enabling environment where regenerative agriculture and renewable energy can reinforce each other.
“This partnership is rooted in trust and shared purpose. It’s about standing alongside communities who are leading change from within. By connecting regenerative agriculture and renewable energy, we’re supporting locally driven innovations that respond to real needs and lived experiences. We’re proud to partner with SNV and local leaders in building systems that are resilient, inclusive, and shaped by those most affected,” said Marilia Bezerra, Chief Programme Officer of IKEA Foundation.
A new chapter of collaboration
The partnership builds on earlier collaboration between IKEA Foundation and SNV dating back to 2019, which piloted approaches and generated learning in the same four countries. That experience laid the groundwork for this larger, longer-term commitment.
With this investment in its first phase, the Power for Food Partnership signals a bold new effort to bridge fragmented systems, tackle structural inequalities, and empower communities to build resilience in the face of climate change.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (PAMACC News) – The 13th edition of the Climate Change and Development in Africa Conference (CCDA-XIII) took place in Addis Ababa with a strong message: Africa is ready to lead its own climate agenda, built on science, inclusive finance, and a just transition.
Convened under the theme “Empowering Africa’s Climate Action with Science, Finance, and Just Transition,” the three-day gathering brings together policymakers, scientists, climate negotiators, civil society leaders, development partners, and private sector representatives. Their mission is to sharpen an African-led, evidence-based climate agenda ahead of key global negotiations.
A Pivotal Moment for Africa
In her opening address, Jihane El Gaouzi, Head of the Sustainable Environment Division at the African Union Commission (AUC), delivered remarks on behalf of Commissioner Moses Vilakati. She described the conference as unfolding at a turning point for the continent.
“This year’s CCDA comes at a pivotal time. The climate crisis is accelerating — but so is Africa’s determination to lead with solutions grounded in equity, innovation, and resilience,” she said.
El Gaouzi stressed that Africa’s story is not solely about vulnerability. Instead, it is about immense potential for transformation.
“Over the next few days, we will explore not only the vulnerabilities that shape our shared experience, but also the immense opportunities to transform Africa into a hub of green growth and sustainable development,” she noted.
Her message was clear: Africa should not be defined by climate risks but by the solutions it brings forward. “From scaling up climate finance to strengthening adaptive capacity and advancing homegrown research and technologies, CCDA-XIII is a platform for bold ideas and collaborative action,” she concluded.
Putting People at the Center
For the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), which represents a broad coalition of civil society organizations, the urgency of the moment cannot be overstated.
Delivering remarks on behalf of Executive Director Mithika Mwenda, PACJA officials highlighted the devastating human toll of climate inaction.
“In 2024 alone, more than 110 million Africans were affected by climate disasters — floods, droughts, and heatwaves. These are not abstract statistics. They represent lives disrupted, dignity eroded, and futures compromised,” Mwenda emphasized.
He reminded participants that Africa, despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions, continues to bear the brunt of climate impacts. “Despite contributing the least to global emissions, Africa pays the highest price. That is why CCDA-XIII matters. This gathering must provide the scaffolding for Africa’s common position — equipping our leaders and negotiators with the evidence and solutions to stand tall in global climate diplomacy,” he said.
Mwenda also celebrated Africa’s pioneering climate initiatives, citing Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative — a massive tree-planting campaign — as a global model of ambition and vision.
Negotiators Call for Science-Driven Policy
The African Group of Negotiators (AGN), which represents the continent in international climate talks, echoed these sentiments while sharpening the focus on science and sovereignty.
Richard Muyungi, Chair of the AGN, declared that Africa was entering a new phase in climate leadership.
“Africa is entering a new phase — one driven by our ecological wealth, backed by our science, and asserting our sovereign rights to define our development trajectory. We stand not as victims, but as architects of just transitions,” he said.
Muyungi underscored the importance of building Africa’s own climate science and research base to inform decision-making and adaptation strategies.
“Africa cannot afford to depend solely on externally driven models. Our science must guide decision-making, adaptation tracking, and inform the Global Goal on Adaptation,” he stressed.
The Climate Finance Imperative
Perhaps the most pressing issue at CCDA-XIII is climate finance. African leaders and negotiators have long argued that without adequate financing, adaptation and resilience efforts will remain out of reach.
For Muyungi and the AGN, the demand is clear: “Climate finance is not charity — it is a right, a duty, and a measure of trust. We call for a needs-based new finance goal, the doubling of adaptation finance, the full operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund, and a reform of the global financial architecture to reflect Africa’s sovereign priorities.”
This strong stance reflects Africa’s collective frustration with unmet global commitments. Despite pledges made in past negotiations, adaptation finance continues to lag behind, leaving vulnerable communities exposed to worsening climate shocks.
A Platform for Collaboration
CCDA-XIII is not just a platform for speeches but also a space for developing practical strategies. Jointly convened by the Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) initiative — a partnership of the AUC, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), and the African Development Bank (AfDB) — the conference aims to link science, policy, and practice in ways that serve African priorities.
PACJA and other civil society partners are also deeply involved, ensuring that grassroots voices inform continental strategies.
Over the next three days, delegates are engaging in high-level panels, technical workshops, and policy dialogues. Discussions are centered on enhancing climate resilience, driving inclusive green growth, and mobilizing finance at scale. The sessions are aligned with the AU Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022–2032), which sets the roadmap for the continent’s climate response over the next decade.
Building a Just Transition
A central theme throughout the discussions is the concept of a just transition — ensuring that Africa’s shift toward green and resilient economies does not leave communities, workers, or vulnerable groups behind.
Speakers stressed that Africa’s youthful population, resource wealth, and innovative spirit provide the foundation for a transition that can deliver both climate action and socioeconomic transformation. Investments in renewable energy, climate-smart agriculture, and green infrastructure are expected to feature prominently in the deliberations.
Looking Ahead
As CCDA-XIII unfolds, participants hope the outcomes will strengthen Africa’s common position ahead of global climate negotiations, particularly as the world edges closer to reviewing progress under the Paris Agreement and advancing the Global Goal on Adaptation.
For many, the conference represents a chance to turn rhetoric into reality. As El Gaouzi urged in her remarks: “Let us make this conference a turning point — not just for dialogue, but for decisive progress.”
If Africa succeeds in shaping a climate agenda rooted in science, powered by adequate finance, and grounded in justice, CCDA-XIII could indeed be remembered as a watershed moment — one where Africa asserted its role not only as a frontline victim of climate change but also as a global leader of climate solutions.
