Fighting climate change requires the development of “sustainable agriculture” (remunerative for farmers without compromising the environment), according to our partner The Conversation.
An interactive comic strip, in the style of “novels in which we are the hero”, aims to arouse the public's curiosity about the various professions of rural development.
The analysis of this phenomenon was conducted by Tiphaine Chevallier, researcher in soil organic matter dynamics, and Lydie Chapuis-Lardy, research director in soil sciences (both at IRD).
How to interest the general public in the climate issues of the agricultural sector?
Using the comic!
And more precisely with the help of an interactive comic strip, entitled
Une question à un million
, available in full on the site of illustrator Caroline Gaujour.
The agricultural sector is now particularly affected by the harmful consequences of global warming: the soil is degrading, crop yields are lower and sensitive to these disturbances.
A victim, agriculture is also an actor in this situation by contributing to the increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
If they receive less media coverage than forest preservation policies, land use methods nevertheless offer options for combating these disturbances.
Investing in agricultural practices based on the carbon enrichment of the soil thus represents a solution in the face of climate change.
Several international projects – from the 4 per 1000 initiative to the Great Green Wall – contribute to this.
© Caroline Gaujour, CC BY-NC-ND (via The Conversation)
The development of sustainable agriculture, profitable for farmers without compromising the environment, is now essential.
In the countries of the South, such projects, often supported by NGOs, invest in family farming.
The aim is to increase the productivity and profitability of agricultural systems, while helping to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.
As IRD researchers in this field, we wanted to popularize our work, carried out in collaboration with a team from the University of Antananarivo (Madagascar), and to arouse the public's curiosity about the various rural development professions.
In the Itasy region of Madagascar
We wanted to evoke situations and characters that allow readers to identify with them.
We wanted a discussion support for future interventions and training.
The first step consisted of publishing a scientific article published in an international journal with Narindra Harisoa Rakotovao, a young Malagasy scientist who became interested in agricultural development projects in the Itasy region.
So that the reader can wonder, we opted for an interactive scenario, in the style of the novels in which we are the hero.
We then opted for the flexible format of comics.
Illustrator Caroline Gaujour started by adapting the interactive scenario into a storyboard with the help of field reference photos.
She then created the visuals of the different characters, then developed the 35 comic strips needed to translate the story into drawings.
The reader shares the experience of Thomas, a young international consultant.
Drawings of the characters in the preparatory phase of the comic © Caroline Gaujour, CC BY-NC-ND (via The Conversation)
Sketch for the boards © Caroline Gaujour, CC BY-NC-ND (via The Conversation)
After explaining the challenges of a rural development project in the small agricultural region (1800 hectares) located near Itasy and the point of view of different characters - a farmer, a volunteer in an NGO, a colleague, the Internet, a researcher – the young consultant helped by the reader has the choice between different agricultural projects for the region.
The potential benefits of each project were quantified by three indicators projected over a 20-year period – the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions balance, the economic benefits for farmers and the effectiveness of economic investments to mitigate the GES.
The consequences of these different projects are explained separately.
One of the 35 pages of the comic, Thomas with his colleague © Caroline Gaujour, CC BY-NC-ND (via The Conversation)
An avalanche of questions and choices
Throughout the comic strip, the reader follows the thought process of the young consultant who works for a landlord.
International policies and cooperation between States encourage donors to invest in industrial, environmental or agricultural development projects.
These projects are often large in scale and the sums involved high.
The scope and consequences on populations can be significant: how and with whom should such projects be defined?
What are the desirable goals?
How best to use cooperation money?
Who is entitled to decide?
So many questions that the young consultant must ask himself.
Over the course of his encounters, the multiplicity of information and points of view further complicates his choices…
The young consultant Thomas deep in thought © Caroline Gaujour, CC BY-NC-ND (via The Conversation)
© Caroline Gaujour, CC BY-NC-ND (via The Conversation)
The character of the researcher wishes to bring the young consultant out of his torpor, but she knocks him out with a little more information.
Research is treated here in a humorous way: it gives no solution, finds nothing or very little, but raises a lot of questions!
Our "AGRICULTURE" file
This multiplicity of issues illustrates the vitality of research on these themes: there are no obvious solutions, but there are no bad choices either… except to do nothing.
Planet
Agroecology: Why soil salinization is a major challenge for global food security
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Agroecology: Will “fermented forest litter” become the biofertilizer of the future?
This analysis was written by Tiphaine Chevallier, researcher in soil organic matter dynamics, and Lydie Chapuis-Lardy, research director in soil sciences (both at the Institut de recherche pour le développement – IRD).
The original article was published on The Conversation website.
Declaration of interests
The “SoCa” research project of which this publication is part received support from the BNP Paribas Foundation as part of the Climate and Biodiversity Initiative program.
Find the entire comic strip "A question to a million"
>> here <<
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Sustainable development
Global warming
Climate change
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