To secure the future of food and farming, a 2015 climate agreement should reference food security and provide the financial, technical and capacity building support for countries to devise ambitious actions for the agricultural sector. This is according to experts from across CGIAR in a new analysis, Progress on Agriculture in the UN Climate Talks: […]
Zero net deforestation is the new standard for doing business in production of soy, beef, palm oil, paper, and other agricultural commodities. Today it is almost impossible for a business to maintain a large market share without integrating sustainability into the core of its business strategy, and creating prosperous partnerships with local and indigenous communities […]
When Indonesian President Joko Widodo took office in 2014, he made a commitment to strengthen the rights of local communities over land and forest resources. Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry has since announced that 12.7 million hectares of forestland will be transferred to local communities by 2019. This is an ambitious target that requires […]
Food security can’t wait and neither can decisive action on climate change FAO reported in its publication “State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015” last June that the number of hungry people has dropped to 12.9%. This is certainly good news, but at the same time, the absolute numbers are still staggering; 795 million […]
The UN-REDD Programme is pleased to announce the launch of the first online version of its succesful REDD+ Academy courses and accompanying Learning Journals, making this valuable knowledge resource available to REDD+ policymakers, practitioners and communities worldwide. The REDD+ Academy was designed to support developing countries to gain the knowledge and capacities needed to deliver […]
It’s probably safe to say that we know more about the physical state of the world’s forests than ever before. From satellites to drones to interactive apps, technological advancements in how we measure and monitor forests have been remarkable, and essential to reaching commitments for protecting forests—a crucial contribution toward meaningful action on climate change. […]
CATIE is an implementing partner of this year’s Global Landscape Forum, hosting a discussion forum that deals with Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA), together with the Association of International Research and Development Centers for Agriculture (AIRCA). Under the title Climate Smart Agriculture for healthy landscapes and livelihoods, CATIE and AIRCA want to show where and how CSA approaches have contributed to […]
Just now, the environmental NGO Friends of the Earth is bringing out a book with a provocative title: Why Women Will Save the Planet. It is a collection of articles and interviews from 29 leading environmentalists and feminists, meant as a “rallying call” to environmental campaigning groups to no longer neglect women’s empowerment in their work. Friends […]
The coordinating partners of the Global Landscapes Forum 2015 invite you to join them and find out why it’s all connected. Watch Watch Achim Steiner, Helen Clark, Mark Burrows, Paula Caballero, Andrew Steer, Jeremy Bird, Peter Holmgren and Debora Bossio. Video invites from implementing partners: the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., World Agroforestry […]
Written by Gabrielle Kissinger (Consultant, UNEP) with input from Ivo Mulder (REDD+ Economics Advisor, UNEP) and Johan Kieft (Green Economy Advisor, UNORCID) UN-REDD Programme This brief corresponds to the session: ‘Changing agricultural fiscal policies to stimulate sustainable economic growth, food production, and reduced deforestation‘ happening at the Global Landscapes Forum, 11.30 – 13.00, Sunday, 6 December, […]
Less than a month after the endorsement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations General Assembly and in view of COP 21 of the UNFCCC, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and the Institute for Advances Sustainability Studies (IASS) held a conference on bioenergy and development. The conference brought together a unique […]
More than 100,000 fires ravaged the Indonesian islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan throughout September and October 2015, producing a noxious haze that affected tens of thousands of people. Seasonal rains began in November, but 2015/16 are El Nino years, so the threat of new fires is far from over. The problem is complex but it can […]
Recent years have seen an expansion of commitments by forest country governments, corporations, donors, and investors to reduce deforestation and land-use emissions. However, these commitments have proven difficult to implement owing to the complex challenges of shifting from business-as-usual to a forest-friendly model of rural economic growth. At our session at the Global Landscapes Forum, […]
People love chocolate. Last year’s global consumption of this delicious and timeless treat was approximately 8 million tonnes, as more and more people can afford it. In particular, demand is rising sharply in in the new middle classes of China and India. The chocolate industry is highly competitive with global players dominating the market. For […]
In Indonesia’s Central Kalimantan province, the peat areas are burning and emitting a toxic smoke causing untold damage to the environment, wildlife and human health. Most of the fires in Central Kalimantan are blazing in former peatland forests, which have been drained, cleared and burned for oil palm and agriculture, large and small. The dried-out […]
