Blog for People, Food and Nature

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 …

"Landscapes do not exist in a vacuum, but are influenced by a wide range of external factors including policies and economic conditions generated far outside it..." Businesses operate in the realm of markets, and this week the Sustainable Food Lab brings together many of these market actors to discuss sustainabili…

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 s…

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 h…

By Christian Kull, Associate Professor at Monash University, Australia For the past week the Landscapes Blog has taken a closer look at trees and forests in the context of agricultural landscapes. While there is often an emphasis on native vegetation in conserving or restoring landscapes, introduced species of plants p…

One size doesn't usually fit all. And the case of reducing deforestation and forest degradation is no different. While agriculture is often viewed as a driver of deforestation, context is key for developing policies to maintain ecosystem benefits within a landscape. A recent paper examines different stages of forest-ag…