Blog for People, Food and Nature

Yesterday was Terra Madre Day, which celebrates local food traditions and agrobiodiversity. Today, the Landscapes Blog explores an example of this in practices. Landscapes Initiative Co-Organizer, Bioversity International discusses new research on how to support farmers and local institutions in the conservation and us…

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 t…

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 …

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="305" caption="Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda giving the opening address at Agriculture, Landscapes, and Livelihoods Day."][/caption] "No agriculture, no deal" was the mantra coming out the fifth Agriculture, Landscapes, and Livelihoods (ALL, formerly Agriculture and Rural Developme…

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 them…

In the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, severe land degradation, population growth and immigration, and unsustainable agricultural practices and management have undermined food security and rural livelihoods. Increased and recurrent drought and unpredictable and variable rainfall since the 1970s have exacerbated these probl…