Articles

Impacts of palm oil

Palm oil is one of the most widely traded vegetable oils in the world and is used extensively in food products, cosmetics and biofuels. Oil palm is often considered one of the most land-efficient oil crops, producing substantially higher yields per hectare than alternatives such as soybean, rapeseed or sunflower oil (Meijaard et al., 2020). However, the rapid expansion of plantations has generated growing concerns regarding deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss and social impacts, particularly in tropical regions (Vijay et al., 2016; Ayompe et al., 2021). One of the strongest connections between palm oil and climate change is deforestation. Vijay et al. (2016) show that oil palm expansion has become an important driver of forest conversion in tropical regions, particularly in Southeast Asia. Forests and peatlands store large amounts of carbon, and when they are cleared or burned to establish plantations, significant greenhouse gas emissions are released into the at...
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Retailers, Sustainability and the Power of Narratives

 When we think about sustainability in food systems, we often focus on farmers or producers. However, after reading the different articles on food systems and food governance, I realized how much power retailers actually have in shaping what sustainability means for consumers. Supermarkets and large retail companies do not only sell products; they also influence production standards, consumer behavior, and even political discussions around food systems. Today, most major retailers define sustainability through concepts such as ethical sourcing, carbon reduction, traceability, recyclable packaging, and responsible supply chains. Labels such as “organic,” “fair trade,” or “sustainably sourced” have become common marketing tools. According to Fuchs and Kalfagianni, retailers use what they call “discursive power” to legitimize their role in food governance. In other words, they shape the narrative around sustainability and position themselves as key actors capable of solving environmen...
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Can Agribusiness Really Be Sustainable? Reflections from an African Perspective

Living and working in Africa, I often see how agriculture sits at the intersection of development, climate change, livelihoods, and inequality. Reading about sustainability in agribusiness made me reflect on the gap that sometimes exists between the way sustainability is presented in international discussions and the realities experienced on the ground. Today, agribusinesses increasingly communicate around concepts such as climate-smart agriculture, resilience, efficiency, and sustainable supply chains. On paper, these approaches make sense. Climate change is already affecting food production across Africa through droughts, floods, and rising temperatures. Improving agricultural productivity while reducing emissions seems necessary if we want to ensure food security for growing populations. Some of the ideas discussed by Campbell et al. on transforming food systems under SDG 13 clearly illustrate this urgency. At the same time, I think sustainability cannot only be reduced to technical...
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Food Systems Under Pressure: Climate and Livelihoods in Africa Recent news highlights how food systems are increasingly under stress globally, with direct implications for Africa and countries like Senegal. One major issue is the impact of extreme heat and climate change on agriculture. A recent UN-backed report warns that rising temperatures are reducing crop yields, stressing livestock, and making it unsafe for farmers to work in many regions, including sub-Saharan Africa . These environmental impacts affect water availability, soil quality, and biodiversity, while also threatening food production systems that are already highly climate-sensitive. In Senegal, where agriculture is largely rain-fed, these risks are particularly significant, making farmers highly vulnerable to climate shocks . A second issue is the growing food insecurity crisis linked to drought, conflict, and economic instability. A recent global report indicates that hunger is increasing, especially in regions like W...
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Climate Change in Madagascar

  Poor economic situation and development capacity make Madagascar more vulnerable on climate change and environmental hazards than any other country on the African continent (WB) [1] . Between 1980 and 2010, 53 natural hazards - including, droughts, earthquakes, epidemics, floods, cyclones, and extreme temperatures - affected Madagascar causing economic damages of over US$1 billion . Since 2010, There has been an increase in new hazards’ events such as droughts and floods, and the apparition of new ones such as epidemics (7 epidemic events in the last 2 decades compared with 0 in the 1990s).  While we can attest to the physical change in climate scenarios (increased cyclones, temperature rise rate of 0.2°c, sea surface temperature increased by 0.60°C, rainfall intensity leading to floods, liaison between drought records and lack of rain records) [2] , calculating these impacts at a social level is still in its infancy Furthermore, with more than 90% of the world’s species end...
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Climate Change in the news

Global citizen, Climate Change : What you need to know, by Angi Varrial, June 1, 2023 Climate change, generally associated with global warming of the planet, goes beyond an increase in the Earth’s surface temperature. It also involves “alterations in various climate patterns and systems, including precipitation, wind patterns, ocean currents, and the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events”. This change is directly linked to human activities since the industrial revolution brought about by developed countries. Unfortunately, people who are most affected by the associate shifts in climate patterns are not the ones responsible for it. Vulnerable populations, living in underdeveloped country (and the most marginalized communities such as indigenous people, women and children) suffer the most from its impacts (2 billion people in 2022 are highly exposed to environmental hazards, IEP). These environmental hazards certainly lead to social crisis. However, we can still act...
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The natural greenhouse effect vs the human enhanced greenhouse effect

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