Harris tours Zambian farm with climate change in mind

Vice President Kamala Harris toured a farm outside Zambia’s capital on Saturday to use new techniques and techniques to boost vegetable yields while highlighting how to secure food supplies in an era of climate change. ing.

“It’s an example of what can be done all over the world,” she said after walking past rows of peppers and inspecting a drip irrigation system.

Unlike the United States, where climate change conversations typically revolve around replacing fossil fuels with clean energy, Africa’s focus is on expanding access to food. Rising prices from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are hurting poor countries, and global warming is expected to pose even more challenges in the coming years.

Hunger can also create instability that leads to migration and conflict.

“The relevance of these issues is very clear,” Harris said.

To help Africa prepare for the impacts of climate change, she promotes $7 billion in private sector investment, primarily to promote conservation and improve food production. Her announcement of that goal comes as she concludes a week-long visit to Africa, which includes previous visits in Ghana and Tanzania. It was intended to facilitate US efforts to expand into parts of the world.

This is the biggest ticket item Harris has announced, but it will require a lot more work to execute.

For example, the nonprofit African Parks has pledged to raise $1.25 billion over the next seven years to expand its conservation programs. Another organization, One Acre Fund, plans to raise $100 million for him to plant a billion trees by the end of the decade.

The politics of climate change are complex in Africa, which contributes far less to overall greenhouse gas emissions than wealthier regions of the world such as the United States.According to the International Energy Agency, 43% of Africans Electricity will not be available in 2021 and recent power outages have caused frustration.

In Ghana, Harris was queried at a press conference about how Western countries can demand that Africa become environmentally friendly and use less of its natural resources. Wealthier countries were also pressed to supply $100 billion a year.

“As a global leader, it’s very important that we tell the truth about the disparities that exist in terms of cause and effect, and address those disparities,” Harris said. said it could help generate growth in Africa.

As for funding, President Joe Biden has requested $11 billion in the proposed budget to meet international commitments.

“We are waiting for Congress to do its job,” Harris said.