Blog for People, Food and Nature

In the beginning, it was about the trees. 18th century urban growth in Europe had already begun to encompass nearby forests – Epping [London], Grunewald [Berlin], Fontainebleau [Paris]. In the US, Thomas Jefferson, disheartened by rampant cutting of trees in the swamplands of the new capital, confided to a friend th…

As environmental and resource challenges become more complex—think climate change—sensible land use policy will require sophisticated and integrated analyses, looking at the holistic level of the landscape, not just its individual components. This has important implications for the design of research efforts and th…

You have probably read an article or two (or more) about how climate change is going to be the end of chocolate. Compounded by potential losses of our other favorite indulgences - coffee and wine - this is nothing short of tragic. But what these articles don't really discuss is what happens to the farmers who grow th…

Reflections from my trip to Montpellier, France, in late January for the ‘Living Territories’ conference. I joined more than 250 others at the event, organized by CIRAD, the French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development, to debate and take stock of territorial approaches. Though my work at EcoA…

As a graduate student majoring in Environmental Policy, I was given the amazing opportunity to attend the Executive Group Meeting (EGM) held in New York this January. The EGM focused on the importance of interlinkages between sustainable development goals (SDGs) and targets and explore themes for the High-Level Politi…

Toolkit uses participatory process designed to help landscapes connect their plans to achieve the SDGs with the finance and investment they need. Finance plays a critical role in implementing the diverse investments required for a sustainable landscape. There has been a considerable uptick in analysis, programs and i…