Blog for People, Food and Nature

For the past few weeks, business has been the topic of focus on the Landscapes Blog. Centered around the Landscapes Initiative’s launch of Reducing Risk: Landscape Approaches to Sustainable Sourcing, the Blog has highlighted examples demonstrating a business case for more integrated approaches to agricultural land and supply chain management. Moreover, there are a growing ...

The air is hot; the fields dry and dusty from last year’s sugarcane stalks now tilled back into the earth. As far as the eye can see the landscape is cultivated with soya beans, sugarcane, corn and pasture. This is central São Paulo state, Brazil. And here it is apparent what impact fast-expanding commodities, such […] ...

While environmental externalities have traditionally been ignored by the business community, for agribusiness in particular, natural feedback loops have started to turn these nuisances into actual line item expenses. In our upcoming report Reducing Risk: A Landscape Approach to Sustainable Sourcing, we focus on three organizations that are proving that good stewardship at the l ...

By now most everyone is familiar with eco-certifications of some kind: USDA Organic, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), and Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM are just a few we have been living with for at least a decade. But as these types of sustainability initiatives proliferate, expanding to new commodities and having larger impacts on supply chains and […] ...

In an increasingly globalized environment, the impact that worldwide trends have on businesses has never been greater. Over the past decade, rising prices for land and energy  have cut into businesses’ bottom-line, making current business procedures unsustainable for the long term. It is only by marrying business savvy with sustainable production that business can maximize ...

By Kirsty Shaw, Conservation Officer at Botanic Gardens Conservation International, United Kingdom Rounding out a week focused on forests and trees, today’s guest post introduces the work of Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) on forested landscape restoration in Africa. Wednesday’s author described how non-native plants contribute to livelihoods as well as bi ...

Earlier this week we highlighted the many functions  trees and forests serve within agricultural landscapes, contributing both to the well-being of people and the health of the ecosystems. Of course, the how of protecting and integrating trees and wooded habitats in landscapes is an additional topic for discussion. FAO’s guide on agroforestry for decision makers target ...

When looking at the mosaic of land uses, agroforestry systems are one of the most important means of harmonizing environmental protection and agricultural growth. Though most commonly known for its use in “forest farming”, other means of agroforestry such as serving as windbreaks for farm land, riparian forest buffers and inter-cropping can provide both environmental [&hell ...

By David King, Head of International Relations at the French Agricultural Society (SAF) As last week concluded with both a day to celebrate forests and another to celebrate water, it is clear that landscape approaches within agricultural systems can provide the suite of services and functions needed for healthy ecosystems and healthy people. While forests […] ...

Happy World Water Day! Celebrating the 20th anniversary, the day is observed annually to focus attention on sustainable management of freshwater resources. Agriculture is also a critical piece of the puzzle, both relying heavily on rainfall or irrigation for production and impacting the quality and quantity of surface and below-ground water supplies. This year’s theme [&helli ...