Giant heads sculpted from fruit and vegetables draw attention to rural communities at climate summit | WPN World People News

Drawing attention to the impact that climate change is having on smallholder farmers and rural communities in developing countries, British artists Adam and Silas Birtwistle unveiled four giant heads – Voices from the Good Earth - sculpted from fruit and vegetables at the Convention on Biological Diversity’s Summit (CBD COP13) in Cancun, Mexico.

Sponsored by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), a UN agency that is helping smallholder farmers adapt to climate change impacts, the four heads (displayed in an energy saving glass freezer) were sculpted from locally sourced foods, many of which are essential to the livelihoods of local farmers.

“Many of the foods sourced in the surrounding area and used in these sculptures are under threat from the changing climate here in Mexico,” said artist Silas Birtwistle. “We wanted negotiators at CBD COP13 to see for themselves the beauty of these ingredients and the crucial role they play in the wellbeing of rural communities while giving a voice to the rural communities as represented in our sculptures.”

Although the brothers have worked in many locations around the world creating thought-provoking art installations made from recycled materials, this is the first time they have worked in cooperation with IFAD and in Mexico, using ingredients grown by smallholder farmers.

“Farmers have to work with nature to create a truly sustainable food secure future,” said Margarita Astralaga, Director of IFAD’s Environment and Climate Division. “Working with Silas and Adam, exhibiting these amazing four food heads, we show the very real challenge of climate change and environmental sustainability for smallholder farmers in developing countries.''

IFAD works with smallholders in some of the world’s most remote locations. Many of the foods they grow - whether it is rice in Cambodia, truffles in Morocco or catfish in Vietnam - are threatened by climate and environmental change, putting pressure on local and national food security.

“Loss of biodiversity and ecosystems is real and it's happening every day, exacerbated by climate change,” added Astralaga. “We are seeing increased incidence of droughts, floods, pests, sea level rise, salinization, erratic rainfall, unpredictable seasons, lower yields and topsoil erosion in many of the communities we work in.

“This is coming at a time when, with population growth, we need to be expanding sustainable farming practices and raising yields. IFAD is working hard to help farmers adapt to these climate impacts in an environmentally sustainable way which ensures food security in the long term.''

Despite the challenges many farmers face because of climate change and environmental degradation, Silas Birtwistle says his sculptures are in fact about hope.

“Organisations like IFAD believe that the future lies in environmental sustainability and adaptation and it is working in developing countries worldwide, including Mexico, to offer farmers a voice, and a tangible solution to manage better ecosystems and deal with the changes they are facing.”

IFAD’s investments, including the Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP), help farmers in a variety of ways, from installing weather forecast systems, to introducing new drought resistant crop varieties, as well as setting up farmer field schools where knowledge and new climate smart agriculture techniques can be demonstrated and disseminated.

Source:International Fund for Agricultural Development