December 31, 2013
Landscapes for People, Food and Nature: A Year in Review
As another year is coming to a close, the Landscapes Blog is taking a moment to reflect on the events and accomplishments that captured our attention in 2013. The Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative filled its second year with new engagement with landscapes, stakeholders, and policy processes. ‘Landscapes’ have begun to pervade the sustainable development [& ...
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December 26, 2013
Saving the Trees for the Forest: Towards Landscape Restoration
Trees do it all – from slowing climate change and improving water quality to producing food and enhancing human health. Unfortunately, the number of trees available to perform these services has dramatically decreased over the last several centuries, as twenty percent of global forest cover has been degraded and thirty percent cleared. I learned these […] ...
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December 20, 2013
Landscapes as a Matter of National Security
By Bruce Beard and Stephanie Hertz, Texas A&M University For integrated landscape management, we stress cross-sectoral collaboration and inter-ministerial coordination. But sometimes partnerships arise in unexpected places. Today’s guest post from Texas A&M University contributors describes one such recently-launched initiative that recognizes the critical role sustai ...
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December 18, 2013
A Dialogue for Landscape Action in the Maasai Steppe
The Maasai Steppe Heartland is home to Maasai pastoralist communities, who raise cattle, sheep, and goats across some of northern Tanzania’s most important wildlife corridors. Encompassing both Lake Manyara and Tarangire National Parks, the Maasai Steppe Heartland is home to numerous species of wild animals, including elephants, wildebeest, zebras, buffalo, giraffes, and Thom ...
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December 17, 2013
Testing the Waters: Experimentation and Innovation in Markets for Integrated Landscapes
A paradigm of agricultural landscape management, in which stakeholders work towards common objectives and the environmental and economic bottom lines are not at odds with one another, doesn’t seem too far out of the question. Yet, as our contributors over the past two weeks have emphasized, it’s not as easy as a wave of the […] ...
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December 16, 2013
Designing Standards for Impacts at Scale
By Bambi Semroc, Center for Environmental Leadership in Business (CELB), Conservation International Several posts in this Landscapes Roundtable have said sustainability standards may play an important role in shifting the way in which agricultural landscapes are managed. While great strides have recently taken place, there are still many challenges to address, particularly in ...
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December 12, 2013
Setting the Standard: Improving Monitoring and Evaluation for Sustainable Supply Chains
In athletics, when a team has been under-performing for a long time, a new coach often takes over by implementing changes in process: how the team practices, player diets and curfews, the tactics used during the game. Doing things the “right way,” or “sticking to the plan” is emphasized. But as the team improves, and […] ...
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December 10, 2013
Experimenting with Certification: Towards a Sustainable Livestock Sector in Brazil
Peter Newton
International Forestry Resources and Institutions Research Network, School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan
Last week’s guest authors honed in on issues of partnership, support, and reducing risk within supply chains. Major commodities such as soy and palm oil formed the basis of these discussions, but one of the major contributors to land cover change and degradation was largely absent – cattle. Today’s author, Peter Newton, a postdoctoral research fellow [&hellip ...
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December 6, 2013
Risky Business: A Landscape Approach to Sustainable Supply Chains
Gabrielle Kissinger
Lexeme Consulting
By Gabrielle Kissinger, Lexeme Consulting On Wednesday, we saw how partnership and collaboration can facilitate the move towards sustainable agricultural production at a landscape scale. Yet risk is still a constant concern within supply chain management. In today’s post, author Gabrielle Kissinger examines the experiences of businesses taking more integrated approaches t ...
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December 4, 2013
Producer Support Structures for Sustainable Landscapes: Solidaridad's Perspective
By Katie Minderhoud and Andreanne Grimard, Solidaridad Network To open our fourth installment of the Landscapes Roundtable, representatives from the Solidaridad Network discuss the role of sustainable agricultural production as an entry point to an integrated landscape approach. Coming from an agricultural commodity supply chain perspective, there is a strong emphasis on partne ...
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