Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, chair of the jury for the Calouste Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, warned in Lisbon on Thursday of the increasing frequency and intensity of climate change and highlighted the link with soil degradation.
“We feel very concretely, as is happening almost everywhere in the world, that the negative effects of climate change are enormous and are becoming more frequent and intense,” said a person in charge at a ceremony at the Gulbenkian Foundation to announce the winners of this year’s €1 million Prize for Sustainable Agriculture.
For this reason, Angela Merkel cited the 2019 report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC in its original acronym), which confirms the link between climate change, increasing desertification and soil degradation.
Global warming will worsen the situation and affect food security, he said, citing the document, adding that measures to combat desertification and sustainable soil management can prevent soil degradation and promote adaptation to climate change.
The importance of soils, sustainable agriculture and practices that respect the fact that soil is a living organism has been the recipient of this year’s fifth Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, a value shared by the Andhra Pradesh Community-Managed Natural Agriculture programme, Indian professor and soil specialist Rattan Lal, originally from India but based in the United States, and SEKEM, an Egyptian organisation that promotes sustainable agriculture.
Angela Merkel thanked the professor and representatives of the Indian and Egyptian organisations for their work, which she considers “an inspiration and a global model for sustainable agriculture and soil management in regions with difficult conditions.”
Antonio Fejo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, speaking at the ceremony, also mentioned the necessary connection with nature, remembering the founder of the Foundation, Calouste Gulbenkian.
Gulbenkian, when he lived in Lisbon, loved to stroll through Monsanto Park, taking off his shoes to feel the grass, he said, concluding that he would certainly not be surprised if the foundation singled out people and organizations that seek to preserve “the practices and gestures that have kept the Earth habitable for centuries.”
It was precisely these practices and gestures that this year’s award winners later spoke about, given that the problem of climate change can be solved through the soil.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity, which recognises exceptional contributions and solutions in the fight against climate change, has received a record number of applications for the 2024 edition: 180 nominations from around the world.
This award recognises exceptional contributions to climate action and climate solutions that bring hope and opportunity.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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