Gloria Agyare, our 2023 Impact West Africa Fellow, was recently spotlighted in The Green European Journal’s article sharing stories of young climate advocates from Ghana and Kenya leading change from the margins.
As a young Ghanaian environmentalist and advocate for sustainable agri-food systems, in this piece Agyare shares her experiences and the work of her organization, the Ghana Youth Environmental Movement, in mobilizing people at grassroots and the national political level despite barriers and exclusion at both national and international levels.
“Compared to their counterparts in the Global North, African grassroots activists receive less media attention and recognition for their tireless efforts in addressing climate change and promoting sustainable food systems”, notes Agyare. “This lack of visibility hinders the impact of our work. By excluding these voices, not only do we limit our understanding of the impacts of the climate crisis but we also risk rendering solutions ineffective”, she further adds.
Visibility and representation of grassroots voices is critical to make food systems sustainable and respond effectively to climate shocks. Recognizing this, Agyare calls for allies outside of the African continent with large platforms to amplify the efforts of grassroots activities who often times lack access to quality education, information, and financial resources.
To learn more about the “Forgotten Grassroot” and Agyare’s impactful work click below.