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 […]
The fires raging across Indonesia, and the hazardous smoke they create, are causing even greater damage to the environment, wildlife and communities than first imagined. While much of the recent focus has been on Sumatra—and the spillover into Singapore and Malaysia—the province of Central Kalimantan, on the island of Borneo, faces a greater crisis. Once […]
The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit 2015 in New York. They replace the Millennium Development Goals which have achieved substantial changes in some, but not all areas. The 17 SDGs and 169 targets were developed in a process of consultations involving governments, civil society and many […]
The Think Forests video competition organized by CIFOR has announced its winners: 1st Prize: In ‘Our Land’, Amin Panji Wijaya and team show us how forests secure our lives and that it’s not too late to repay them. Our land ‘Farming is our way to interact with God, people and nature’ By: Amin Panji Wijaya, […]
The Sustainable Development Goals, adopted last month by the UN General Assembly, include goals on ending hunger, promoting good nutrition and health, and making agriculture sustainable. The important contribution of forests in achieving these goals is becoming increasingly evident—and increasingly discussed, as food, land-use and nutrition experts work together to find integrated solutions. On World […]
This is a big year for the planet. Just look at the United Nations’ calendar. Just last week, the global community saw the launch of the U.N.’s new and ambitious 15-year Sustainable Development Goals. And in December, leaders will be convening at the U.N.’s Conference of Parties (COP) 21 in Paris with the hopes of […]
MYscape – YOURscape – OURscape: exploring the relationship of landscape and democracy Register now to be part of the Online Seminar on Landscape Democracy 2015. The European Landscape Convention asks its signatory parties “to establish procedures for the participation of the general public, local and regional authorities, and other parties with an interest in the […]
Industrial timber plantations could provide a way for Ethiopia to reduce rural unemployment and conserve natural forests. Work on a timber plantation in Ethiopia is tough, with low wages, poor conditions and little security – but at least it’s a living. And in a country with high demand for wood products and widespread rural poverty […]
Wageningen University, the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) and the World Agroforestry Centre have designed a 2-week course on landscape management. Towards innovative arrangements for inclusive decision making at landscape level, is the title of the international course for forest and nature management professionals. Scholarships are available for applicants before 20 October 2015. Where: Bogor, […]
Moving beyond “zombie statistics”: land restoration and gender issues CGIAR has pledged in its latest Strategic and Results Framework (2016-2030) to contribute to the restoration of 190 million ha of degraded land. About 3.6 billion hectares were degraded over the 1982-2006 period. Land degradation occurred in both tropical and temperate regions and in rich and […]
New York – A year ago, the New York Declaration on Forests set a daring goal: a world without deforestation. But it didn’t lay out a plan for how to get there. The agreement – to cut deforestation in half by 2020, and eliminate it entirely by 2030 – was signed by 30 national […]
