November 20, 2015
A survey on food security and biodiversity conservation
Jan Hanspach
Leuphana University Lueneburg
Landscape experts: we need your help. We are currently working on the development of a global theory that explains which characteristics of social-ecological systems benefit both biodiversity conservation and food security. Among other project components, we have designed a questionnaire that asks experts to share their insights on a specific landscape that they understand well ...
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November 10, 2015
The Great Balancing Act of the 21st Century necessitates the Landscape Approach
Amanda Grossi
School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
As the curtains rise on the global development stage, the scene is set: A population swelling upwards of 7.3 billion people is occupying a world with finite space. These are the 7.3 billion actors who must choose what part to play in what might be titled The Great Balancing Act of the 21st century, where competing […] ...
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October 13, 2015
Calling all land managers, share your Sustainable Stories!
With the SDGs now decided, the world is begging the question: How can we create truly sustainable societies? The SDGs look at the root causes of poverty, hunger and injustice to create healthier and more secure livelihoods and environments for people around the world. The vision for a world relieved of these issues can seem […] ...
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October 8, 2015
Is the French call for action on soil and climate a promising game changer?
Wanqing Zhou
Worldwatch Institute
Editor’s Note: The following was originally published on the Worldwatch Institute blog on October 7th, 2015. It is reposted here with permission of the author. We’re often told that agriculture is a “victim” of climate change and needs to adapt. But farmers, ranchers, and researchers increasingly recognize that industrial agriculture is itself a major emitter o ...
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October 6, 2015
The sleeping giant of the research-policy-action chain of development
Amanda Grossi
School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
As 2015 comes to its conclusion, the world is engaged in a battle for sustainability, but what political headway is being made in the field? Editor’s Note: Steps Toward Green, recently published by EcoAgriculture Partners and the World Bank, discussed pathways for improving agri-environmental policy in East and Southeast Asia. Among the recommendations was for policymakers ...
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September 22, 2015
Report on climate change resilience for service providers-Part 2
The science is clear—climate change is happening. How are farmers grappling with changes in local climate regimes, vegetative variability and soil quality? Editor’s Note: In August we posted the first part of an interview with researcher Rachel Schattman on her graduate work for the University of Vermont Center of Sustainable Agriculture. By conducting interviews wit ...
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August 6, 2015
Report on Climate Change Resilience for Service Providers – Part 1
Rachel Schattman
University of Vermont
Dry places are getting dryer while wet regions are getting wetter. A shift in climate regimes has farmers feeling the impact, but how are they coming to terms with change? Editor’s Note: Rachel Schattman of the University of Vermont set out with a team of diverse stakeholders to talk to farmers about climate change challenges […] ...
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July 31, 2015
Integrated farming systems optimize landscapes for the best outcomes
Tom Goddard
Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
Society’s environmental and health concerns are playing a more prominent role in directing agricultural policy. Beyond the ever-present issues of health care, education, and a safe and reliable food supply, society has become more concerned about the environment (and health linkages), energy use efficiencies, industrial and human footprints, and climate change. The agric ...
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July 28, 2015
Land Use and Disease Emergence
Max McClure
Catherine Machalaba
EcoHealth Alliance
Zoonoses, diseases transmitted from animals to humans, are currently enjoying a moment in the sun—at least by disease standards. There are now popular depictions of spillover events, as in the movie Contagion, reflecting real-world examples where disease is transmitted from animals to humans. The most recent and significant series of zoonoses events points to this […] ...
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June 30, 2015
Producer Movements in Integrated Landscape Management
You can have a great idea, but it goes nowhere without someone on the ground to put it into practice. In the case of sustainable land management that means motivated farmers. At the landscape level that means producer movements with the capacity to engage in dialogue and action to integrate agriculture, rural development and environmental […] ...
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