Blog for People, Food and Nature

August 26, 2013

Ecosystem-Based Approaches for Resilience

Whether for banana management in Uganda or a mixed crop and livestock system in Malawi, the provision of ecosystem services is increasingly promoted as an integral part of adaptation to change and resilience within landscapes. The blog concluded last week with a look at ecosystem services and public goods in multifunctional landscapes, and today marks […] ...
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August 21, 2013

Managing the Land for a Resilient United Kingdom

While discussion of resilience often focuses on the middle latitude regions of the world, more northern climes are also tackling the challenge of how to be responsive to change. The United Kingdom’s Adaptation Sub-Committee of the Committee on Climate Change recently produced a robust report outlining how land use choices, particularly in agriculture, must shift [… ...
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August 12, 2013

A Foodshed View of Resilience

By Philip Ackerman-Leist, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Director of the Masters in Sustainable Food Systems*, Green Mountain College, Vermont, USA As July transitioned to August, the Landscapes Blog concluded its second Roundtable, focused on urban food systems. What many of the authors alluded to, and what the rest of this month’s posts will […] ...
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August 9, 2013

Indigenous Peoples and the Diversity of Food

Today is International Day of the World’s Indigenous People. This year’s theme around building alliances is a reminder that indigenous people are often left out of political decision making processes that directly affect their lives and livelihoods. Today, it is vital to acknowledge the importance of indigenous peoples’ contributions to our collective knowledge of global ...
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August 7, 2013

Indigenous Peoples Rights and Land Grabbing Violations

International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is on Friday, August 9th, and this year’s theme is “Indigenous peoples building alliances: Honouring treaties, agreements and other constructive arrangements.” In recognition of this upcoming day, the Landscapes Blog is taking a look at agreements that have been made to protect indigenous peoples land and rights ...
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July 22, 2013

Growing Greener Cities

For the past couple of weeks, the Landscapes Blog has spent a little more time than usual ruminating on population and the ever-growing constraints of a finite planet. With the number of humans pushing past 7.2 billion this year and expected to hit 9.2 billion by 2050, the question of adequate space and resources is a legitimate one. […] ...
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July 17, 2013

Accounting for Natural Capital

Last week we observed World Population Day with an acknowledgement that a growing human population requires certain resources to sustain itself, and the current approach to using land and water resources will not allow us to remain within certain planetary boundaries. One of the reasons behind the current mode of growth and land management is […] ...
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July 11, 2013

A World Population Balancing Act: Food, Agriculture, and Environment

Nearly two years ago, the world hit a milestone of 7 billion people, and the projections for 2050 continue to suggest an addition of 2-3 billion people. Underlying the concerns over natural resource scarcity and ecosystem health often rests the interests of people. Today as World Population Day is observed around the globe, there is […] ...
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July 8, 2013

Legislating Food Security in India

As the world’s second most populous country, with nearly one and a quarter billion people and about 600 million of those involved in agriculture, India is an important country to watch with regards to agricultural land management and food security. However, the question of how to best relieve some of the food insecurity and poverty […] ...
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July 3, 2013

"Re-Greening" Landscapes for Food Security

Last week, Chris Reij, Sustainable Land Management Specialist and Senior Fellow at the World Resources Institute (WRI), discussed the contribution of Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration to both addressing concerns related to climate change and food security. Set in the context of President Obama’s trip last week to Africa and his recent announcement of a U.S. […] ...
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