September 17, 2015
New research finds lessons for policy action around Green Growth
Kedar Mankad
The new book Steps Toward Green presents research across six countries in East and Southeast Asia to provide guidance to national policy makers in how to make seemingly conflicting land use priorities mutually beneficial. Academics and civil society often refer to the ‘enabling environment’ needed to solve some of the seemingly intractable issues around agricultural [&helli ...
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September 12, 2015
Biogas for Cambodian Farmers reduces emissions and inputs of agrochemicals
Jakob Assmann
Polarstern
A German company, a Dutch development organization, and the Cambodian government work with smallholder farmers to turn livestock waste into light and fuel. All around the world, both advocates and opponents of renewable energies are looking at Germany and its Energiewende, German for ‘energy transition.’ Since the late 1990s, the country has embarked on a […] ...
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September 10, 2015
Market Incentives for Eco-friendly SRI Rice Production in Cambodia
Caryl Levine
Lotus Foods
A recent push to grow sustainable rice in Cambodia has benefited producers, communities and landscapes, as well as created demand at home and abroad for environmentally-friendly products. Editor’s Note: Across East and Southeast Asia, civil society, NGOs and agribusiness leaders have piloted integrated landscape management initiatives in key commodity markets. Below, the co- ...
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September 2, 2015
Sustainable Agriculture in China, Then and Now
Seth Cook
IIED
The environmental impacts of China’s agricultural production affect not just China, but also the global environment. Editor’s note: In the last few decades, East and Southeast Asia used rapid agriculture expansion to grow national economies. This strategy initially paid off big, but overexploitation of key natural resources quickly threatened profitability, and caused ...
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September 1, 2015
In Vietnam, the landscape approach brings stakeholders together to address climate change
In Vietnam, somewhere between the aspirations of farmers and the goals of the national government lies an opportunity to implement the landscape approach. Editor’s Note: In the last few months, EcoAgriculture Partners visited the Ha Tinh province of Vietnam to study strategies for climate change mitigation and resiliency based in agriculture. While there, project manager Abi ...
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August 31, 2015
Agriculture Green Growth: Adapting Policy Frameworks in Asia
Sara Scherr
EcoAgriculture Partners
Widespread environmental degradation is undermining explosive commodity growth in Asia. Editor’s Note: In East and Southeast Asia, public policies and private investments to expand agricultural production of commodities have seriously undermined terrestrial and coastal ecosystems. In just a few decades, the region rapidly switched to monoculture export agriculture, supporte ...
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August 26, 2015
LUMENS is illuminating land-use planning for sustainable landscapes
Robert Finlayson
World Agroforestry Centre
Involving all levels of government in achieving environmental goals is key to creating green economies. Editor’s Note: In the forthcoming book, Steps Toward Green: Policy Responses to the Environmental Footprint of Commodity Agriculture in East and Southeast Asia, the authors call for policymakers to formulate national strategies to upscale the work of innovative civic s ...
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August 21, 2015
In Laos, an emphasis on cash-crop agriculture entails diverse impacts
Neil Dawson
University of East Anglia
East and Southeast Asia experienced a rapid development of their agricultural sectors that overturned the lives of rural communities and the structure of key ecosystems. High poverty rates, vast expanses of undeveloped land, and the availability of a large rural labor force presented ripe opportunities to develop the region as a leader in the production […] ...
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August 18, 2015
Collaborative Management around Agriculture in the Mekong River Basin
Nauman Haque
UN Environment
Across East and Southeast Asia, many on-farm and local efforts are underway to incorporate environmental stewardship into agricultural production, but is it enough to save local ecosystems? The newest research from The World Bank, EcoAgriculture Partners, and Clarmondial informs policymakers in how to set environmental standards and put them into effect in their agricultural se ...
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August 14, 2015
Roles Policymakers Can Play to Green Commodity Agriculture
Environmental issues are like a knot of tangled yarn. Within any given land area, there are many interconnections—between a country’s history, the area’s socio-political climate, its economic developments, the residing communities and their associated cultures, and regional and international interests—that all impact how natural resources (terrestrial and aquatic) are m ...
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