UN urged to act as invasive alien weeds threaten rural livelihoods and food security

The appeal was made during an oral intervention delivered at the UNHRC session under the agenda "Interactive Dialogue with the Working Group on the Rights of Peasants."

Sampath Mettu warned that invasive alien weeds are spreading rapidly across farmlands, causing significant soil degradation, reducing crop yields, and undermining biodiversity. Farmers are bearing the brunt of this ecological crisis, facing mounting challenges to secure their livelihoods and sustain food production.

He emphasised that these developments directly affect the human rights of peasants, including the right to food, the right to a healthy environment, and the right to sustainable economic activity.

During the session, he called on the UN to implement a series of urgent measures. These include the allocation of dedicated global funds to manage and control the spread of invasive alien weeds, as well as the appointment of a Special Procedure Mandate Holder to monitor, investigate, and advise on the human rights impacts of invasive species.

The Society also proposed the declaration of a "Decade of Action on Invasive Alien Weeds," urging the integration of these efforts into the review frameworks of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Highlighting the gravity of the situation, he said that addressing this ecological and agricultural crisis is not optional but an essential responsibility for the international community.

Effective action, the organisation stated, is critical to safeguarding rural livelihoods, ensuring food security, and protecting the long-term health of ecosystems.

The intervention by Sampath Mettu has drawn renewed attention to the urgent need for global cooperation to tackle invasive alien weeds. (ANI)