Blog for People, Food and Nature

While negotiations on the nuts and bolts of REDD+ at the UNFCCC COP18 may not have progressed as hoped, REDD+ itself remains one of the most concrete mechanisms through which to provide funding for land-based carbon. As an earlier post on the Landscapes Blog noted, REDD+ also represents an opportunity for promoting non-carbon benefits of […] ...

After the past month of climate frenzy, today is Terra Madre Day, a very welcome change of pace. Launched by Slow Food International in 2004, the day is a celebration of alternative models of food production and consumption rooted in local economies. Principles of sustainable production and food biodiversity lie at the very heart of the Terra […] ...

Funding is always a prominent topic of discussion, and often a sensitive issue at such international gatherings as the UNFCCC COP18. Commitments made by member countries usually have some financial strings attached, and the question is largely ‘who will pay, how much, and for what?’ At Agriculture, Landscapes, and Livelihoods Day (ALL) the issue surfaced […] ...

“No agriculture, no deal” was the mantra coming out the fifth Agriculture, Landscapes, and Livelihoods (ALL, formerly Agriculture and Rural Development) Day on Monday. Yet it appears as though the Subsidiary Body on Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) will not make any sort of recommendation regarding agriculture to the UNFCCC at COP18, due to difficul ...

Yesterday may have been the 6th Forest Day at the UNFCCC COP18, but the buzzword of the day was ‘Landscape.’ Peter Holmgren, Director General of the Center on International Forestry Research (CIFOR), extolled the past six years of Forest Days for putting forests on the international climate agenda, while stressing theme of Living Landscapes; the need to […] ...

It’s all about the institutions. That message came through strongly yesterday at an event on engaging communities in sustainable landscapes held by Rainforest Alliance and The Center for Peoples and Forests (RECOFTC). Honing in on how to advance adaptation and lower emissions, the panel set forth to address the challenges and tools for smallholders and […] ...

Day 3 of COP18 is well underway, and there are plenty of events related to agriculture on the horizon. Yesterday, a joint event held by FAO, IFAD, and WFP commenced the discussion, attempting to tease out answers to three questions related to climate-smart agriculture: How can climate-smart approaches be used to build resilience in food […] ...

Ever wonder what the climate will look in 10, 50, 100 years? Will corn be able to grow in the far northern reaches? Will the northern hemisphere play host to coffee and bananas? A spatial tool developed by the Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) research program of the CGIAR tries to illustrate these shifts. […] ...

In addition to the challenges of crafting policy to support climate-smart agricultural landscapes, those related to investment and the financial challenges of dealing with climate change have received considerable attention of late, and will be a major topic of discussion at the upcoming COP18. An earlier Blog post noted that more integrated finance mechanisms are needed to [ ...

This week’s Blog posts have focused on policies and financing mechanisms to align agricultural development and climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts. Since it’s inception in 2008, the UN program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD+) has come under heavy criticism. At the same time, it is one of the few opportunities ...