Climate change and sustainable agriculture: Ciné-ONU “Searching for Amani” at Luxembourg City Film Festival

As part of the 15th edition of the Luxembourg City Film Festival, which welcomed over 16,000 cinemagoers this year, the United Nations Regional Information Centre (UNRIC) hosted a Ciné-ONU screening of “Searching for Amani”. This powerful documentary by Debra Aroko follows a young journalist, Simon, as he uncovers the mystery surrounding his father’s murder against the backdrop of a climate crisis in Kenya. 

The documentary touches upon the impact of climate change in Kenya and its effects on agriculture. Climate action is a key focus of the UN’s work in Kenya. As a partner and convenor, the UN supports Kenya’s green transition and promotes value chains of nature-based enterprises in agriculture, food security, and clean energy. The country has made real progress on climate action, as reported in its 2024 voluntary national review report to the UN, which states that up to 93% of its electricity comes from renewable sources. 

“We need agriculture as part of the solution to climate change,” Raschad Al-Khafaji, Director of the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s Liaison Office with the EU and Belgium, opened the debate as one of the panellists at the Ciné-ONU screening in Luxembourg. Mr Al-Khafaji highlighted FAO’s work on promoting sustainable agricultural practices that both protect biodiversity and enhance community resilience. 

Mr Al-Khafaji addressed the audience alongside Baas Brimer, environmental and climate expert at LuxDev; Raquel Luna, partnership manager at Action Solidarité Tiers Monde (ASTM); and Christina Stuart, senior manager at Carbone 4 Luxembourg. 

They engaged in a compelling panel discussion on the film’s key themes, including climate change, sustainable agriculture, and the intersection of conservation, sustainable wildlife management, and food security. 

According to Baas Brimer, LuxDev’s environmental and climate expert, the film shows a similar situation to what is happening in the Sahel region, specifically in Burkina Faso, where the Luxembourg development agency ran several programmes: 

“What we saw in Burkina Faso is that securing pastoral land and investing in local livelihoods—especially for women and youth—not only reduced tensions between farmers and herders but also created a pathway for long-term climate resilience. These are local peacebuilding solutions with global relevance.” 

“When we restore degraded land and support communities to manage it sustainably, we are not just adapting to climate change; we are creating stability. That is where development, peace and climate action come together,” Mr. Brimer concluded. 

Marian Blondeel, Head of the Benelux & EU Desk at UNRIC Brussels, moderated the discussion. 

• To learn more about FAO’s work on wildlife and protected area management, please visit: https://www.fao.org/forestry-fao/wildlife/en/ 
• To learn more about the UN’s work in Kenya, please visit: https://kenya.un.org/en