October 31, 2014
Lessons Learned from the National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation
Eva Fillion
EcoAgriculture Partners
The Landscapes for People, Food and Nature initiative tends to focus primarily on projects taking place in developing countries, but it is important to remember that creating a healthy and resilient food system requires challenging efforts and innovation in the global North as well. Last week’s National Workshop on Large Landscape Conservation was the perfect […] ...
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October 29, 2014
Agriculture and Climate Change: The State of Ecosystems and Human Systems in the Tropics
Sarina Katz
EcoAgriculture Partners
Biodiversity and food insecurity in the tropics The 3rd International Conference on Biodiversity and the UN Millennium Development Goals (entitled Biodiversity and Food Security – From Trade-offs to Synergies) is currently underway in France. The conference serves as a platform to discuss the loss of biodiversity at all levels and food security challenges caused by […] ...
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October 27, 2014
5 Not-so-tidy Steps to Feed the World
Eva Fillion
EcoAgriculture Partners
A roadmap for feeding the world On October 22nd National Geographic and the FAO co-hosted the 2014 World Food Day discussion Feeding the World, Caring for the Earth. The event, which took place at the National Geographic Headquarters in Washington, DC, brought together global leaders from the food and agriculture sectors to discuss the state […] ...
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October 24, 2014
Yarsagumba Over-Harvesting and the Resource Curse in Nepal
Anju Air
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The tragedy of the (fungal) commons Commons are always being overexploited to maximize individual benefit, which also leads to local extinctions of species in some areas. The yarsagumba (or “summer plant, winter insect” Ophiocordyceps sinensis), an endemic species to the Himalayas and Tibetan plateau, faces this very fate. This unusual and much sought after species starts ...
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October 22, 2014
The Demise of Bio-Cultural Landscapes in Guinea-Bissau
Marina Temudo
African Studies Centre (Oxford University)
Tropical Research Institute (IICT)
Shifting cultivation has been considered a major cause of deforestation and forest degradation many times over by both by scholars and conservation agents. Thus, the adoption of permanent agriculture is advocated as an environmentally friendly alternative, allegedly because it will allow the intensification of land use and the set-aside and protection of forest reserves. The [& ...
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October 20, 2014
Systematic Planning for Wastewater Reuse in Agriculture
Priyanie Amerasinghe
International Water Management Institute
Priyanka Nanayakkara
Across villages and cities in India (and around the globe), water plays an undeniably vital role in human survival and resilience. In today’s world, wastewater could possibly be playing an even bigger role, particularly in agriculture development, although this is not well documented due to its informal nature. Urban return flow, or wastewater, constitutes 70-80% […] ...
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October 18, 2014
Landscape Democracy: Inconsistent or Lacking Altogether?
Editor’s note: Democracy in landscape policy and planning appears to be lacking. It is imperative to understand the roles and values of those cultivating the land when deciding the future of agriculture in a particular region. However, as Andrew Butler argues in this post that originally appeared on AgriCultures Network, in today’s dialogue there is an inconsistency [ ...
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October 16, 2014
Growing Food and Biodiversity
Sam Quinn
The Farm at Sunnyside
Food production and biological conservation may often appear to be at odds, but both share poignant similarities. Farming today faces its own diversity crisis—mirroring precipitous declines in biological diversity, fewer and fewer crops account for an ever-growing proportion of our diet. Thanks to this growing understanding of the inseparable link between wild species and far ...
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October 15, 2014
Addressing Gender Inequality in Climate Change Programs and Policies
Sarina Katz
EcoAgriculture Partners
The United Nations’ groundbreaking Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were signed by all 189 member states at the turn of the century in 2000 with eight goals aimed at reducing global poverty and its related consequences by the year 2015. In addition to income and hunger, the goals are tied to health, education, gender inequalities, and […] ...
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October 13, 2014
Tanzanian Villagers Take Land Use Planning Into Their Own Hands
Margie Miller
EcoAgriculture Partners
Tenure security and food security in Tanzania At this week’s 41st meeting of the Food and Agriculture Organization Committee on World Food Security, land tenure is sure to be an important topic. Villagers in Southern Tanzania also have this topic on their mind, as their communities are eyed with interest by the Southern Agricultural Growth […] ...
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