LONDON, UK — They say a picture is worth a thousand words. The hunt is on for powerful images that can inspire action on climate change.
Today, global agri-business Olam International, in partnership with leading media title Eco-Business, has launched ‘Re-imagining a Brighter Future’, a global photo challenge to capture the innovative solutions that can either help hold back rising temperatures or help people to cope with them.
The effects of climate change are happening everywhere and impacting people all over the world. Across Southeast Asia, prolonged dry spells have caused water levels in reservoirs to plummet, while in California, residents have found themselves in a cauldron of triple-digit temperatures and wildfires. Even in Sweden, within the Arctic circle, the worst fires the country has seen in decades are burning.
Chris Brown, Vice President for Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability at Olam, commented: “All around us, the reality of climate change is plain to see. Temperatures are soaring to such record heights, that even the Arctic is on fire and countries not usually susceptible to heatwaves and dry seasons, like the UK, are seeing the ruinous impact on crops. There’s strong evidence linking climate change to a range of issues including food security, which are driving migration on a scale greater than during the Second World War.
“But while global temperatures continue to heat up our planet, action remains fragmented. Through this challenge, we want to shine a light on the solutions that can halt these devastating effects which, if remain unchecked, will become irreversible. It is our mission to find those powerful images that inspire the viewer to back and adopt the solutions depicted, igniting momentum towards climate action at scale.”
Jessica Cheam, Managing Editor of Eco-Business added: “We are thrilled to be partnering Olam on this global photo challenge, which is part of the larger Changing Course campaign to inspire climate action. This photography competition will focus specifically on solutions that will help us tackle the greatest challenge that we face today. We want to engage our community with powerful images that inspire them to think about how we are all empowered to act.”
The judging panel includes National Geographic 2017 Nature Photographer of the Year, Jayaprakash Joghee Bojan, Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and Group CEO of Olam International and Eco-Business managing editor, Jessica Cheam.
As one of the prizes, Olam is offering a unique five-day hosted trip to either Africa or Asia to visit its climate-smart agricultural programmes and meet smallholder farmers; representing the company’s commitment to re-imagine how the agricultural sector mitigates and adapts to the impacts of climate change.
