October 22, 2015
Forests and humans, history of a renewed harmony
Olivier Rousselle
Agro ParisTech University
This is a story that takes place in the French Alps and highlights the ties that have woven forests and humans for a century, along with the many services provided by forests. One century ago, in a desolate landscape… After the French Revolution, farming and industrialization led to massive deforestation in mountain areas. The Alps […] ...
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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 1, 2015
In City Farming, supporters ask the wrong question of a great solution
Anne Palmer
Center for a Livable Future, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Every so often, I read a headline highlighting a study that proposes to prove cities are able to grow significant amounts of food. These studies claim that urban farming can provide for the food needs of an entire city. For you urban dwellers, spend a day or two writing down everything you eat and then […] ...
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September 29, 2015
Solar Energy in Egypt for Agriculture, Business and Social Development
Christine Arlt
SEKEM Initiative
The ancient Egyptians developed the first means for using solar thermal energy by designing their buildings in architecturally appropriate ways. Today, thousands of years later, the conscious use of renewable energy is more important than ever. That’s why the Egyptian SEKEM Initiative has installed a number of solar panels on roofs, in fields, and even in […] ...
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August 4, 2015
Kenyan cattle grazing goes mobile to protect grasslands and wildlife
Alistair Pole
African Wildlife Foundation
A recent visit to Ol Pejeta Ranch in Laikipia, Kenya, highlighted the value of using mobile bomas, or enclosures, in a mixed wildlife and livestock ranching system. On the Manyara Ranch in the Maasai Steppe landscape of Tanzania we are developing such a system and are looking at many ideas to try and make the […] ...
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July 21, 2015
From vision to action, responsible soy is now on the map
Jimena Couto
Round Table on Responsible Soy
Verónica Chorkulak
Biodiversity loss is more than just a hot topic. It is climate change, habitat destruction, global warming, endangered species… a complete change in the world we live in, and therefore, in the way we live it. As the world’s population keeps growing, we pressure the planet’s resources. There are more mouths to feed and more people […] ...
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July 16, 2015
Catalyzing the uptake of the Landscape Approach
This past April, a team of ecosystem management practitioners came together in Nairobi, Kenya. Their mission? To put the Ecosystem Management of Productive Landscapes project on the map. Demand for food, energy, and fiber is projected to increase 40-60%, a strain on industry and agriculture that will also be exacerbated by stresses from climate change. Considering the futur ...
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July 6, 2015
The Value of Multifunctional Agriculture: a case study in northern Europe
Alberto Bernues
Norwegian University of Life Sciences
In some of the most biodiverse regions of the world, people have farmed for centuries, shaping magnificent agricultural landscapes. Multifunctionality recognizes agriculture as a multi-output activity producing not only private (market) goods such as food, feed, or fibre, but also public (nonmarket, non-excludable, non-rival) goods such as agricultural landscapes, farmland biod ...
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July 2, 2015
Protecting Endangered Plants, One Taboo at a time: traditional practices and conservation
Diana Quiroz
Naturalis Biodiversity Center
The iroko (Milicia excelsa) is one of West Africa’s most iconic trees. It is a sacred tree in many of the areas where it occurs. In Benin, people call Him “the king of the forest” and hence address Him with respect. For the past five years, our team has studied plant use in West Africa […] ...
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June 10, 2015
Harvesting Under Fear
Anne-Sophie Gindroz
Rights and Resources Initiative
A new measure by the Indonesian Government to give some state protected areas back to communities for management seeks to change local farmers’ lives. But how permanent is it? They harvested their coffee during the dead of the night, using the faint light from their mobile phones to guide them, trying not to get caught […] ...
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