Participant at a webinar organised by Nestle, in partnership with the Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre (LBSSC), unanimously agreed that the media has a crucial role to play in making government and society take actionable steps towards addressing effects of climate change on food and nutrition outcomes for sustainable health and well-being of all.
With “Climate Change Implications for Food and Nutrition Outcomes: The Role of the Media,”as theme, participants also stressed need for media to tell stories, which would influence the public’s everyday health choices, thereby, prompting adjustments that lead to sustainable food and nutrition outcomes.
The conversation harped on role of media professionals in putting out relatable word and content that enlightens the public on the effects of climate change, which is disrupting delicate food systems, and food value chains, thereby jeopardising the availability of food, health and well-being of people and livelihoods across the continent and the globe at large.
According to the lead speaker and Executive Director International Climate Change Development Initiative Africa, Olumide Idowu, “media professionals must be interested in climate change, because it is changing every facet of our lives; how we live, work, and play, redefining our entire life trajectories.”
The media, he said, must create compelling contents that are accurate and will inspire change.
“In doing so, the media must convey information that is accessible, stimulatable, simplified and resonating to catch the attention of amplifiers and investors who are interested in climate change solutions,” he pointed out.
Speaking further, he insisted partnerships and collaborations between the government, private sector, nonprofits and the media are important to convey stories, news and contents around the effects of climate change on food and nutrition outcomes in an unbiased manner.
Participants at the webinar advocated for broader partnerships with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and Development Institutions who have done good job in pushing the climate change narrative should be encouraged.
They canvassed the need to do more with respect to partnerships in creating a bridge between the media and the private sector in key areas such as energy transitions to promote awareness and actionable steps for speedy progress.
“A case in point is airlines and hotels who are increasingly pursuing sustainability goals and energy transitions, thus, making media professionals become more interested in creating stories around climate change in ways that are creative enough to grab the attention of stakeholders and the public at large.
“We need to catch the attention of the amplifiers and these are investors who are interested in climate change solutions. Many of whom go to great lengths in funding these climate solutions for the benefit of society, thereby encouraging the need to write collaborative stories and making it possible for investigative journalism to be funded,” they said.
The participants noted that being able to show correlation in the outcomes of climate change and how it affects local communities would help to bring the message home and go a long way on how people adjust, how they live, what they eat and the deliberate efforts they make in infusing sustainability in their everyday choices.
In addition, they said the media should think in terms of making transition stories, and providing recommendations and solutions in their stories.
“These stories should also convey outcomes based on goals and actions taken. Stories should be told with nuances or should be very nuanced.
“They should be creative, intentional, factual, engaging, and infused with a call to action.”
In summary, they insisted that a lot of advocacy on climate change needed to be done and this is where the media comes in, to help policies that would help rein in climate change effects on food security and nutrition.
“Journalists should start by conducting research from established sources such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) or from reputable scientists, and then go on to tailor media information that is simplified, accessible, stimulatable, accurate, far-reaching, resonating and appealing enough to convey the needed change and prompt required action desired from the public,” a participant said.
“The media has to go over and above in exploring creative avenues to create awareness and prompt desired action on climate change and its effects on food and nutrition outcomes. Has the media partnered with Nollywood to put out a film on climate change? Has the media partnered with key stakeholders, states and government parastatals who have the means and policy instruments to influence social behaviour and enforce compliance?”
The participants concluded it is worthy of note that policy and intervention play key role in climate change solutions as it affects food security and nutrition.
While advising that government policies around climate change should be agile and proactive and not reactive,they said policies must identify the challenges, must be forward thinking and most importantly, they must be implementable.
