Malidadi Langa

Early this week I boarded the 440 capacity Airbus A350-1000 to Arusha; I was stunned that all but a handful of passengers were tourists pouring into Tanzania with millions of forex. What is it that Malawi got wrong with its amazingly beautiful but unpatronised Lake Malawi?

It's great to be back on X; somehow lost it

Investment in agriculture productivity & building resilient community livelihoods is probably the only pathway to sustainable conservation and climate action. The faster funders and policy makers wake up to this reality, the better for people, nature, and the planet itself.

I recently have had opportunities to fly over the vastness of Southern Africa, East Africa, & West Africa as I crisscrossed Africa to promote @AICA. Looking below, it dawned on me that the continent is plagued by a dearth of investment in agriculture which drives habitat loss

Looking forward to a thought provoking keynote address that will unpack what needs to be done to 'put people at the centre of conservation'. From land and resource rights, human-wildlife conflict, to benefit sharing & direct funding for IPLCs. @AWF_Official @IUCN @LeadersSouthern

Heading to Monrovia, to participate in the launch ceremony for the AICA Liberia Chapter. AICA is the Pan-African Alliance of Indigenous and Peoples and Local Communities stewarding Africa's natural resources. Probably the most enduring APAC outcome. @LeadersSouthern @IUCN

Today I took time off to visit the @LeadersSouthern office in Windhoek. I felt proud that CLN has progressed from an idea at the Africa Wildlife Economy Summit in Vic Falls in 2020 to reality today. All in pursuit of putting people at the centre of conservation in Southern Africa

Back in Windhoek for regional NBSAP knowledge exchange event; great for sharing experiences and mutual learning. Descending on approach to Hosea Kutako Airport, the aerial view was spectacularly green. Never seen it like this before; great for people, livestock, and wildlife!

centerforahumaneeconomy.org/… Looks like powerful animal welfare groups have captured Botswana elephants; CBNRM and all it stands for might be at risk! What are casually called wildlife corridors here, to local communities they are actually villages, people, farms, and their food!

Heading to Bonamanzi Game Reserve for the African #Rhino Conference; keen to learn how rhino conservation is interfacing with #localcommunities. It's not a long time ago when these majestic creatures used to roam through my village, yet now seriously threatened!

Addressing historical grievances, human-wildlife conflict, securing land & resource rights, maximising benefits, and sustainable & direct funding for IPLC organizations remain among some of the top priorities. This is a clarion call to put people at the centre of conservation.

Africa's #IPLCs, thru #AICA/Pan-African IPLC Alliance, made a strong showing at this year's IUCN Africa Conservation Forum to contribute to finding African solutions for nature and people. Blending science and African wisdom is critical to meeting biodiversity and climate goals.

With poverty and livelihood pressures a known key driver of the massive deforestation and environmental degradation, keeping farm incomes low is suicidal for biodiversity loss and climate change goals. Increasing farm incomes is probably the most effective conservation strategy

Yet in a context where 85% of the population depends on agriculture for food and income security, suppressing farm incomes and locking 85% of the population in poverty is an own goal as it also works against well-meaning anti-poverty programs in other sectors.

Setting minimum prices for farm produce sends an adverse signal to the market to cluster prices around these low minimums. Keeping crop prices artificially low amounts to a subtle income transfer from poor smallholder farmers to rich urbanites and agro-dealers. Morally wrong!

One of many ivory contraband seizures; what does @CITES & animal rights groups expect govts to do, burn it? As long as legal ivory supply remains artificially choked, prices will continue to shoot through the roof and attract the daredevils out there. Time for sanity to prevail!

#AICA is premised on the stark reality that Africa's IPLCs face similar challenges routed in colonial history for which collective agency & action is needed. #AICA must be vigilant to arcane academic definitions of IP&LCs that seek divide, weaken, and make Africa's IPLCs pliable

At the #AICA Maputo Strategy Workshop, Africa's IPLCs reaffirmed their commitment to move beyond lofty resolutions & Declarations to resolutely confront their conservation related challenges to end socio-economic marginalisation & rights abuses. @LeadersSouthern @RightsResources