Blog for People, Food and Nature

A total traffic jam, par for the course at rush hour in Nairobi, has finally slowed the momentum of the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature in Africa conference field trip. I write this while we are barely crawling back into Nairobi during evening rush hour, and the reflections are fresh. We (50 participants from am…

70% of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa live in rural areas, which forces nations in this region to place a heavy emphasis on rural policy. Policy goals include increased agricultural productivity and improved rural incomes, as well as prudent management of natural resources and climate resilience--necessary not only …

Integrated Landscape Management (ILM) is increasingly becoming an important framework for addressing complex and interlinked agricultural and environmental issues and is garnering increased attention throughout Africa. It offers innovative strategies to promote agricultural production, improve rural livelihoods, and or…

Working from a landscape perspective means to be able to “see the bigger picture.” Besides having technical know-how, one needs to understand spatial processes, work in teams to make landscape decisions, balance the needs of many stakeholders, and be sensitive to local circumstances. Without a doubt, it is difficul…

In too many parts of Africa, a challenging combination of natural resource and labor constraints and limited access to agricultural inputs and technologies reinforces persistent yield gaps and rural poverty traps. Now more than ever, innovative research on sustainable agriculture is crucial to Africa’s well-being. …

With approximately 60% of the world’s remaining arable land, Africa is poised to achieve significant economic growth through agricultural development and other rural land uses.  It has been estimated that between 2008-2020, consumer products, natural resources, agriculture and infrastructure in Africa will combine f…