Tuesday morning was the inauguration of the climate conference in Cochabamba. The city’s accommodation capacity is exceeded by tens of social movements and organizations from around the world.

According to information provided by the organizers of the event, over 15,000 people are expected to participate in the summit. Several presidents of ALBA countries would be arriving in Cochabamba.

Some of the working groups have began working this morning, like the Tribunal on Climate Justice, the Structural causes of climate Change, Agriculture and Food Sovereignty, Carbon Markets, Kyoto Protocol, etc. There was also the Social Movement’s Assembly, where nearly 200 people participated, including La Via Campesina with a big delegation.

There were conferences of guest panelists and experts on several fields related with climate change, and the activities organized by social movements and organizations.

The Latin American Coordination of Rural Organizations (CLOC) circulated a press release saying that “every day we are suffering the consequences of global warming and climate change”. It cites examples of the “fast melting of the poles and the mountains; hurricanes, floods, droughts or landslides; islands and coastal populations threatened by the increasing tides and the storms and the sea water; growing desertification and accelerated urbanization that invades agricultural land; forced migrations of entire populations”.

In response to this reality, the CLOC proposes “small peasant agriculture is a key solution to climate change”. “Local sustainable food production uses less energy and keeps the carbon in the soil, while it increases its biodiversity”, says the PR. It adds that local seeds adapt better to changes in the climate, that family farming employs 2.8 billion people and continues to be the best way to tackle the current food crisis. “If small farmers are given access to land, water, education and health care, and if they are supported by policies that aim for food sovereignty, they will continue feeding the world and protecting the planet, says the CLOC.

Photo: Radio Mundo Real.