Publications
-
A whole earth approach to nature-positive food: Biodiversity and agriculture
This analysis takes a whole-of-food-system approach, drawing on the contributions of leading biodiversity experts to document the best available evidence of agriculture’s relationships with biodiversity. The authors recommend actions to move towards the delivery of integrated agricultural solutions for climate, biodiversity, nutrition and livelihoods.
Read more -
Action needed to make carbon offsets from forest conservation work for climate change mitigation
To maintain both incentives for forest conservation and the integrity of global carbon accounting, the authors of this review of 26 voluntary avoided-deforestation projects in six countries on three continents call for urgent revisions to methodologies used to construct deforestation baselines for carbon offset interventions.
Read more -
Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solution
To address current uncertainty around which agroforestry actions can provide mitigation and how much, as well as the inability to reliably track progress, this perspective piece assesses the status of agroforestry in the context of global climate ambitions, highlighting regions of underappreciated expansion opportunity and identifying priorities for policy and praxis.
Read more -
Gender transformative approaches to strengthen women’s land and resource rights
Securing women’s land and resource rights is a critical goal in and of itself, as well as being a crucial factor in achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet the understanding and application of Gender-transformative approaches (GTAs) to promote gender equality in resource tenure systems remains limited. This brief aims to fill this gap by exploring GTAs in relation to women’s land and resource rights.
Read more -
Supporting better forest landscape restoration by making investor funding for tree planting conditional on an adequate explanation of how tree seeds and seedlings will be sourced
Massive public and private investments in tree planting are being made in attempts to sequester carbon, support human livelihoods and conserve biodiversity. But failure to consider the needs of local communities, as well as a reliance on genetically unadapted and physiologically poor seeds and seedlings, has led to poor growth and environmental damage. Based on a survey of the global tree planting community, the authors provide recommendations to improve tree seed and seedling sourcing practices.
Read more -
Agroforestry and sustainable woodfuel: Experiences from the Yangambi landscape in DRC
First-ever efforts to integrate agroforestry with charcoal production in the Yangambi tropical forest landscape resulted in both increased food crop production and reforestation, as well as the establishment of producer-led local associations and greater collaboration between communities and local authorities. Capacity strengthening, understanding local land and tenure rights, governance systems and social norms, and a participatory approach are critical to the successful adoption of activities by communities.
Read more -
Bioenergy sustainability in the Global South: Constraints and opportunities
Increased efficiency, lower production costs, legislative support and investment incentives have put bioenergy on a course to become a renewable energy substitute for fossil fuels. Many countries have recently adopted bioenergy as part of a critical strategy to meet their climate goals. This study offers a simplified sustainability framework for wood-based bioenergy and provides guidance for countries that aim to integrate bioenergy into their national energy plans.
Read more -
Major carbon losses from degradation of Mauritia flexuosa peat swamp forests in western Amazonia
Recurrent cutting of Mauritia flexuosa palms for fruit harvesting in Peruvian Amazonia, has resulted in severe degradation of palm swamps, the prevalent peat ecosystem. This study estimated emissions from degradation along a gradient in palm swamps to assess the magnitude of carbon fluxes in natural and disturbed conditions. The large total loss rates originating predominantly from biomass changes call for sustainable management of these peatlands.
Read more -
Agroforestry: A primer – now available in Spanish, Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog
As a nature-based approach to production and land use, agroforestry will play an important role in the transformation of food systems and can also be used for restoring both agricultural and forest ecosystems. This indispensable guide helps practitioners apply agroforestry principles and concepts to meet climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable agriculture and other goals.
Read more
A whole earth approach to nature-positive food: Biodiversity and agriculture
Action needed to make carbon offsets from forest conservation work for climate change mitigation
Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solution
Gender transformative approaches to strengthen women’s land and resource rights
Supporting better forest landscape restoration by making investor funding for tree planting conditional on an adequate explanation of how tree seeds and seedlings will be sourced
Agroforestry and sustainable woodfuel: Experiences from the Yangambi landscape in DRC
Bioenergy sustainability in the Global South: Constraints and opportunities
Major carbon losses from degradation of Mauritia flexuosa peat swamp forests in western Amazonia
Agroforestry: A primer – now available in Spanish, Bahasa Indonesia and Tagalog
News
Explainer: Five reasons why trees are a solution to the climate crisis
Degraded Amazonian peatlands are overlooked carbon source
Want to know where (most) trees grow? Ask TreeGOER
Evidence of forest buffalo presence raises hopes for recovering wildlife populations in DRC
New accounting methods could rebuild confidence in forest carbon markets
Toucans, tapir and tortoises: Revealing the biological riches of southern Guyana
Energy transfer: How one woman scientist aims to spark enthusiasm in the next generation
For many Indigenous communities, land titles aren’t the same as tenure security
Sustainable forest management: Indonesia navigates a paradigm shift
-
Explainer: Five reasons why trees are a solution to the climate crisis
One of the most important solutions is often hiding in plain sight. From storing carbon and improving climate resilience, this explainer outlines the ways tree, forests and agroforestry can play a critical role in global climate solutions.
Read more -
Degraded Amazonian peatlands are overlooked carbon source
Peru’s Amazonian palm swamp peatlands store large amounts of carbon, but the unsustainable harvesting of palm fruit causes degradation that increases carbon emissions. A new study by CIFOR-ICRAF scientists is the first to actually measure the carbon being lost from palm swamp peatlands, which will allow the country to calculate its greenhouse gas emissions more precisely.
Read more -
Want to know where (most) trees grow? Ask TreeGOER
A new open-access database that documents the observed environmental ranges for most known tree species is tipped to be a key development in climate change adaptation and restoration planning.
Read more -
Evidence of forest buffalo presence raises hopes for recovering wildlife populations in DRC
Scientists have captured camera trap footage indicating the possible recovery of forest buffalo populations in the northern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, after a five-year search for the near locally extinct species without success.
Read more -
New accounting methods could rebuild confidence in forest carbon markets
Evaluating the impact of forest carbon offset projects on emission reductions is a challenging task and involves a complex set of rules and requirements, which were subject to media scrutiny earlier this year. This is why reliable, verifiable accounting procedures and a consolidated methodology are needed to measure, report, and verify changes in GHG emissions so that effective forest-based mitigation policies can be developed.
Read more -
Toucans, tapir and tortoises: Revealing the biological riches of southern Guyana
In Karaawaimin Taawa, a remote mountain range in the rainforests of Rupununi in southern Guyana, a community-led bio-cultural assessment was carried out via a three-week-long expedition involving local and international wildlife experts.
Read more -
Energy transfer: How one woman scientist aims to spark enthusiasm in the next generation
Ahead of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (11 February), we asked women scientists about what motivates them, any barriers they overcame, what it means to them to be a woman in science, and why it’s important for women to have equitable positions and adequate representation in the sector. This interview features Nairobi-based CIFOR-ICRAF scientist Mary Njenga.
Read more -
For many Indigenous communities, land titles aren’t the same as tenure security
For forest dwellers, legal rights are only one aspect of tenure security, according to a new CIFOR-ICRAF study. Government officials and others must also listen to communities’ needs and help them bring their visions of the future to fruition, taking into account the different factors that make that possible in each place.
Read more -
Sustainable forest management: Indonesia navigates a paradigm shift
The Indonesian government has taken critical steps to protect as much as possible of its precious forest estate, but there is also considerable pressure on its land to meet demand for food and materials. In this context, the government has taken the initiative to shift from conventional forestry practices, to finding ways to value – and add value to – the diverse set of services that are provided by an intact ecosystem.
Read more
Features
-
The future of food: Serving people and the planet
Over 800 million people worldwide suffer from hunger, while global food systems are contributing to biodiversity loss, water pollution, land degradation, climate change, and social inequity. The Transformative Partnership Platform on Agroecological Approaches to Building Resilience of Livelihoods and Landscapes (Agroecology TPP) aims to foster transitions to more sustainable agricultural and food systems by accelerating and coordinating the actions of a range of institutions that are already working on agroecology across various scales, contexts, and locations.
Read more -
It starts with seeds: Seeding diverse, productive ecosystems and economies
To address the lack of quality tree-planting materials that are suited to location and purpose poses serious constraints to tree-planting initiatives worldwide, CIFOR-ICRAF is developing genetic resources to safeguard tree diversity, domesticate tree species, and provide tree growers with the best-suited planting material for their particular needs. Our collaborative research and development aims to ensure the right tree can be planted in the right place, for the right purpose.
Read more -
CIFOR at 30: Celebrating three decades of impact
This feature showcases major milestones in the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)’s journey to bring critical forest research to global discussions, raise the profile of tropical forests and of the people who depend on them, and influence policy and practice at international, national and subnational levels – highlights the ways CIFOR’s merger with World Agroforestry (ICRAF) is accelerating impact in forestry and agroforestry research, policy and development.
Read more -
The centrality of soil: Why we can no longer take ‘Earth’s skin’ for granted
With over one third of the Earth’s surface degraded and over 3.2 billion people negatively affected by degradation, it is clear that without healthy, well-functioning soil we cannot produce nutritious food and achieve food systems transformation. This feature showcases some of CIFOR-ICRAF’s recent work as a global centre of excellence for soil and land restoration, integrated soil information, and soil organic carbon accounting.
Read more -
Life support: Forests, trees, water and wetlands
Although forests can supply many urban populations from Manhattan to Mumbai with clean water at low cost, their water-related ecosystem services are threatened by the climate crisis. is changing all of this, often in unpredictable ways. This feature showcases recent work by CIFOR-ICRAF on forests, agroforestry, water and wetlands that shows how sustainable forest management and agroecological approaches such as agroforestry can restore the critical connections between trees and water.
Read more -
Annual report 2022. Interconnected: Trees, people, planet
This year’s report features milestones towards our solutions to five global challenges – deforestation and biodiversity loss, climate change, dysfunctional food systems, unsustainable supply and value chains, and inequity – illustrated by specific landscapes across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia.
Read more -
Putting gender equity and social inclusion to the fore
Inequity is one of the five global challenges that CIFOR-ICRAF has chosen to address strategically over the next 10 years. As a human right, equity for women, including Indigenous Peoples, youth, refugees, and other marginalized groups is essential to the success of sustainable development initiatives. As a cross-cutting theme, gender equity and social inclusion (GESI) informs the CIFOR-ICRAF works across all our activities, from forest and agroforestry landscapes to climate change policy and action to inclusive value chains.
Read more -
Wildlife back from the brink?
How to ensure countries can deliver on the targets set out in the Global Biodiversity Framework, which includes ambitious goals to protect 30% of the planet by 2030, restore 30% terrestrial and marine ecosystems, phase out harmful subsidies, and boost funding to developing countries by USD30 billion per year. This feature highlights CIFOR-ICRAF’s work on the critical role that trees – whether in forests or on farms – play in protecting biodiversity and supporting the wild plants and animals that are central to both ecosystems and local livelihoods.
Read more -
Trees for Resilience: CIFOR-ICRAF at COP28
It’s still possible to limit global heating to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels– but it will take decisive and immediate actions to avoid the worst effects of climate change. As a global leader on forest, tree and agroforestry landscapes, soil health, and sustainable development, CIFOR-ICRAF brought to the 28th UN climate conference (COP28) the evidence and analysis needed to make the difficult choices that will determine the future of our planet.
Read more
The future of food: Serving people and the planet
It starts with seeds: Seeding diverse, productive ecosystems and economies
CIFOR at 30: Celebrating three decades of impact
The centrality of soil: Why we can no longer take ‘Earth’s skin’ for granted
Life support: Forests, trees, water and wetlands
Annual report 2022. Interconnected: Trees, people, planet
Putting gender equity and social inclusion to the fore
Wildlife back from the brink?
Trees for Resilience: CIFOR-ICRAF at COP28
Videos
Celebrating CIFOR’s 30th anniversary: Three decades of impact for trees, people and our planet
Rattan’s economic impact: A lifeline for smallholders in Sulawesi
Éliane Ubalijoro opens GLF Nairobi 2023: A New Vision for Earth
Five reasons why trees are a solution to the climate crisis
FACT: A dialogue on sustainable commodity trade for resilient food systems, people and climate
CIFOR-ICRAF statement to UN Climate Change Conference 2023
Luxembourg and CIFOR-ICRAF Resilient Landscapes new partnership for NbS
Agroecology and the future of food: Serving people and the planet
Improving forest reference emission levels (FREL) in wetland-rich tropical countries
-
Celebrating CIFOR’s 30th anniversary: Three decades of impact for trees, people and our planet
For the last 30 years, CIFOR has been at the forefront of groundbreaking research and transformative action. This video takes a look back at how CIFOR’s work has shaped global discussions and fostered a better understanding of the crucial role of forests in our and our planet’s well-being, and a look forward to the future of CIFOR-ICRAF.
Read more -
Rattan’s economic impact: A lifeline for smallholders in Sulawesi
In the village of Lelekaa, Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, everyone has been involved in the tradition of rattan harvesting for decades. Although rattan is abundant, there are challenges in producing high-quality rattan-based products and maintaining competitive prices. This film tells the story of how the people of Lelekaa live closely with rattan.
Read more -
Éliane Ubalijoro opens GLF Nairobi 2023: A New Vision for Earth
Opening remarks by CIFOR-ICRAF CEO Éliane Ubalijoro at the GLF Nairobi 2023 Hybrid Conference: A New Vision for Earth at the CIFOR-ICRAF Nairobi campus. The two-day event, held on 11 and 12 October, brought together global audiences to explore two key themes: African sovereign solutions and crafting a survival guide to the climate crisis.
Read more -
Five reasons why trees are a solution to the climate crisis
Five compelling reasons why trees should be valued as a critical component of the solution to the climate crisis. From carbon sequestration to storm surge protection, trees play a pivotal role every step of the way.
Read more -
FACT: A dialogue on sustainable commodity trade for resilient food systems, people and climate
Launched at COP26, the Forest, Agriculture and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue and its accompanying Roadmap of Action aims to promote sustainable trade and development while addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis, through government-to-government dialogue among 30 of the largest producer and consumer countries of internationally traded agricultural commodities such as palm oil, soya, cocoa, beef and timber.
Read more -
CIFOR-ICRAF statement to UN Climate Change Conference 2023
In this statement at a high-level segment at COP28, CIFOR-ICRAF CEO, Eliane Ubalijoro, outlines the benefits of forests, trees and agroforestry, calling for increased investments in forests and trees for climate action.
Read more -
Luxembourg and CIFOR-ICRAF Resilient Landscapes new partnership for NbS
The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and CIFOR-ICRAF officially announced a new partnership Resilient Landscapes, which will focus on strengthening Nature-based Solutions finance while directly benefiting from CIFOR-ICRAF science. The new partnership will connect key players in a single geography for the establishment of a global, innovative hub, successfully growing private investment into high-quality Nature-based Solutions and long-term landscape transformation.
Read more -
Agroecology and the future of food: Serving people and the planet
Inspired by natural ecosystems and based on both local and scientific knowledge, agroecology is gaining prominence as a means of generating solutions to our broken food system. The Transformative Partnership Platform on Agroecological Approaches to Building Resilience of Livelihoods and Landscapes (Agroecology TPP) is filling knowledge and implementation gaps to accelerate an agroecological transition.
Read more -
Improving forest reference emission levels (FREL) in wetland-rich tropical countries
CIFOR-ICRAF and the International Tropical Peatland Center (ITPC) are working in wetland-rich countries like Indonesia, Peru, the Republic of Congo (RoC), and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to help them improve forest reference emission levels (FREL) for wetlands and better track their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) contributions.
Read more
Photos
Events
-
Trees for Resilience: CIFOR-ICRAF at UNFCCC COP28
In December, the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) met in Dubai at COP28 to agree on actions that will determine our planet’s future. As a global leader on forests, trees, agroforestry and soil health, CIFOR-ICRAF brought the evidence and insights needed to make these hard choices.
Read more -
CIFOR-ICRAF at Bonn Climate Change Conference
From forests and trees for adaptation to forest carbon markets to net zero food systems and the future of land monitoring, CIFOR-ICRAF hosted a variety of side events at the 58th Session of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies.
Read more -
The One Million Voices citizen science platform launch webinar
Launched by the Transformative Partnership Platform on Agroecology (Agroecology TPP) as part of the One Million Voices initiative, this citizen science digital platform allows farmers, producer organizations, consumers and anyone else interested in or practicing agroecology to share experiences, help generate knowledge, and meaningfully and inclusively participate in agroecology movement around the world.
Read more -
Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2023: Food systems transformation: a worldwide response to multiple crises
This forum featured several events that brought together experts from the worlds of politics, business, science and civil society to address and reach consensus on issues and challenges relating to global agricultural policy and food security.
Read more -
GLF Nairobi 2023: A New Vision for Earth
Hosted in Nairobi, Kenya, and online, the GLF Nairobi 2023 Hybrid Conference: A New Vision for Earth united over 7,000 participants from 130 countries, along with 218 speakers and 121 global and local partner organizations, to pave a path to a fairer world ahead of COP28.
Read more -
SIBOS 2023: Partnering with CIFOR-ICRAF for a sustainable future
At this annual event organised by Swift for the financial industry held in Toronto, Canada, CIFOR-ICRAF CEO Éliane Ubalijoro spoke at the session “It’s not easy being green: Building standards into green finance” on how the industry can collaborate to achieve a standardized framework for impact investing.
Read more -
Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023
From agroforestry to mangroves and peatlands, CIFOR-ICRAF researchers presented at several events during this annual platform for policymakers, practitioners, businesses and civil society to discuss climate solutions, challenges and opportunities in the region.
Read more -
Finance for Nature Digital Forum: Investing in Equitable Futures In Latin America and the Caribbean
Rural communities receive a tiny fraction of climate finance, despite their in-depth knowledge of their land. On 13 July, the Luxembourg–GLF Finance for Nature platform explored ways to support the stewardship of local communities and enterprises in Latin America and the Caribbean through sustainable finance.
Read more -
2023 CIFOR-ICRAF Science Week: Equity in Action
Held both online and in person at CIFOR-ICRAF’s headquartes in Nairobi, Kenya, this event featured several first-ever public sessions with prominent scientists and leaders. The event provided a unique opportunity to learn about CIFOR-ICRAF’s commitment to equity and inclusion and how its work addresses the global challenge of inequity in all its work with and for communities, partners and governments.
Read more
Trees for Resilience: CIFOR-ICRAF at UNFCCC COP28
CIFOR-ICRAF at Bonn Climate Change Conference
The One Million Voices citizen science platform launch webinar
Global Forum for Food and Agriculture 2023: Food systems transformation: a worldwide response to multiple crises
GLF Nairobi 2023: A New Vision for Earth
SIBOS 2023: Partnering with CIFOR-ICRAF for a sustainable future
Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023
Finance for Nature Digital Forum: Investing in Equitable Futures In Latin America and the Caribbean
2023 CIFOR-ICRAF Science Week: Equity in Action
In Depth
Prized for its potential: South Sumatran village in mangrove forest wins tourism award
Adjacent to protected mangroves, lowland forest, and peatlands in Sembilang National Park, the coastal community of Sungsang IV Village in South Sumatra now boasts the title of ‘Best Tourism Village’ in the province and one of 75 best tourism villages in the country. CIFOR-ICRAF and local partners Sriwijaya University and the South Sumatra Watershed Forum have been implementing a participatory action research project in the village to develop ecologically-feasible, locally-appropriate, and community-based business models for mangrove restoration.
Read more
Listen and learn: Why research needs to start with women and communities
Based on interviews with CIFOR-ICRAF researchers working on gender equity and social inclusion, this in-depth story describes some of the partnership between scientists and local communities – especially women – that lies at the heart of the organization’s collaborative approach. By taking the time to build relationships, getting to know the community and its members, researchers build the trust needed to understand power dynamics, obstacles and opportunities for women, Indigenous Peoples and local communities.
Read more
Taking aim at overhunting
The Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme is a strategic and far-reaching programme that aims to improve the conservation and sustainable use of wildlife in forest, savannah and wetland ecosystems in 15 countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific. As a shared resource, wildlife should be managed by local communities in a way that preserves both traditional livelihoods and biodiversity. By diversifying their livelihood options, the SWM Programme aims to foster more sustainable levels of hunting.
Read more
Tropical wetland countries refine forest reference emission levels (FREL)
For developing countries that are part of the UN’s REDD+ scheme (to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, and foster conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks), establishing baseline forest reference emission levels (FREL) is essential obligation to track progress towards reducing GHG emissions. CIFOR-ICRAF has been conducting research on improving the transparency, accuracy, completeness, consistency, and comparability of FREL, both in Indonesia and elsewhere, as an effort to provide technical support
Read more
Sharing stories of community-based fire prevention in Riau, Indonesia
CIFOR-ICRAF and partners the Center for Disaster Studies at the University of Riau and Sedagho Siak have been working on a community-based fire prevention and peatland restoration project using Participatory Action Research (PAR), which embraces the co-creation process and is a platform to exercise collective action. A field visit and media workshop event provided an opportunity for partners, journalists and wider audiences to learn about community-based fire prevention and peatland restoration towards the achievement of the Indonesian government’s forests and land use (FOLU) Net Sink 2030 target.
Read more
Flowing together: Connecting forests, freshwater, and fish through watershed-based management
Political maps don’t usually align with natural landscapes, often dissecting bodies of water in ways that make it difficult to assess the impacts of activities in one area on people and species elsewhere. The multidisciplinary project ‘Resilient rivers: counting fish from forests for food security’ by CIFOR-ICRAF, WorldFish and the Food and FAO, focused on three foundational elements – forests, freshwater and fish – to raise the profile of integrated management and watershed-based approaches across the globe.
Read more
Bioenergy – can it work for the Global South?
Fossil fuel is the major source of global energy for transport and electricity, accounting for 64% of total emissions in 2019. This analysis piece by CIFOR-ICRAF scientists who wrote a guide on the potential and sustainability of bioenergy highlights a simplified sustainability framework for wood-based bioenergy, with recommendations for countries in the global South seeking to establish sustainable, wood-based bioenergy.
Read more
At home with the hunters: Intimate visions of the wild meat trade in Gabon and Madagascar
The idea for a 3D virtual exhibition arose to showcase photographs taken by international award-winning photographers for the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme Programme arose during the COVID pandemic. The immersive, gallery-like exhibition platform features new exhibition rooms with images by renowned photojournalists Brent Stirton and Rijasolo from Gabon and Madagascar and will soon be relaunched with a new theme and country.
Read more
Leading women in sustainable wildlife management: Meet Guyana’s ecotourism entrepreneurs
A new, more gender-inclusive wave of tourism is rising in Guyana, focused on placing women in roles that enable them to advance their education and economic status. Through its support for Visit Rupununi (VR), Guyana’s first regional destination management organization, the Sustainable Wildlife Management (SWM) Programme has over the past three years contributed to improving gender balance in the local tourism industry by tailoring its activities to be especially beneficial for women.
Read moreOpinion and analysis
To fix the climate, think of food, soils, and trees
On trees and robots: How AI can serve climate solutions
Agroecology can fix our food systems. Here’s how
Why the time for trees, forests, and agroforestry is now
Carbon credits from forest conservation exaggerate impact of ill-targeted REDD+ projects
New ‘blue carbon’ platform elevates neglected carbon-rich ecosystems
Ecological balance of Andes + Amazon critical for climate, humanity
Avoiding extinctions from international trade in tropical tree species
Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes finally on conservation agendas
-
To fix the climate, think of food, soils, and trees
Scientists’ final warning on climate change is as clear as it can be: act now or face an increasingly unlivable future. Fortunately, scientists also have solutions to prevent, or build our resilience to, the worst effects we could face. Healthy agricultural and forested landscapes can deliver one-third of the climate solution–while enhancing the biodiversity and soils that underpin sustainable food production.
Read more -
On trees and robots: How AI can serve climate solutions
AI could contribute USD 10-15 trillion to the global economy by 2030, while tough ethical questions are also being raised by the rapidly-expanding potential of the technology. But the possibilities that AI presents for the climate mitigation, adaptation, and ecosystem restoration space are as yet undersung. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres said in July this year, AI has the potential to “supercharge climate action”, but it also carries some climate – and social – risks itself, and this increases the urgency to develop it in reliable, safe, and equitable ways.
Read more -
Agroecology can fix our food systems. Here’s how
We all know there are no silver bullets that can address the confluence of crises that we currently encounter on our planet – hunger, widespread degradation of land and water resources, catastrophic biodiversity loss, and climate change. But agroecology is an approach that tackles these challenges systemically through developing a basket of locally relevant solutions by supporting local innovation at scale.
Read more -
Why the time for trees, forests, and agroforestry is now
CIFOR and ICRAF are both global forerunners in holistic understandings of the multiple values of trees, forests, and agroforestry. Today, forests are widely recognized as complex ecosystems at the heart of watersheds, local livelihoods, food and nutrition security, biodiversity, and climate balance, and the organizations’ merger (completed in late 2022) adds new weight to calls for their primacy in addressing global ecological and social challenges.
Read more -
Carbon credits from forest conservation exaggerate impact of ill-targeted REDD+ projects
Carbon credits from forest conservation have been seen as a promising tool to help mitigate climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the Global South. Yet a recent study led by CIFOR-ICRAF researchers looked at the effects of 26 REDD+ projects in six countries: Peru, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Zambia and Cambodia, and found that most projects in the sample have not significantly reduced deforestation.
Read more -
New ‘blue carbon’ platform elevates neglected carbon-rich ecosystems
At COP28, CIFOR-ICRAF launched the Blue Carbon Deck, a Transformative Partnership Platform (TPP) that brings together various initiatives focused on blue carbon, and aims to become the primary resource for researchers, civil society, and practitioners working in coastal communities. It seeks to ensure that programmes and projects are guided by the latest science, while maintaining a focus on the particular challenges faced by the people and biodiversity of foundation ecosystems.
Read more -
Ecological balance of Andes + Amazon critical for climate, humanity
Keeping Andean and Amazonian forest in equilibria is crucial to avoiding crossing ecological tipping points for the biomes in the region. The ‘megafund’ for the conservation of tropical forests proposed by President Lula of Brazil at COP28 is a huge opportunity to finally get things right, and leverage the myriad of ‘forest connections’ on which we all depend.
Read more -
Avoiding extinctions from international trade in tropical tree species
In 1973, a global Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted. A new book published by Cambridge University Press, CITES As a Tool for Sustainable Development, finds that more must be done to protect species from extinction through international trade.
Read more -
Biodiversity in agricultural landscapes finally on conservation agendas
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)’s goal of ‘living in harmony with nature’ can only be achieved if agriculture and environment ministries and their agencies work together in the monumental effort needed to avert the looming biodiversity crisis. The new Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) is a key political opportunity to bridge disconnects and assist in implementing a joint agenda on food production, human well-being, and biodiversity conservation.
Read more
Social media
Welcoming our new CEO, Éliane Ubalijoro
Invest in our soil
Including soil organic carbon into nationally determined contributions
Photo competition
Agroforestry for climate-resilient landscapes
Mangrove forest wins tourism award
Annual report
The LDSF field manual
International Forest Day
Initiatives
-
COP28 daily bulletin: Climate, Biodiversity & Rights
This first-of-its-kind daily briefing, which ran over the two weeks of climate negotiations at COP28 in Dubai, provided key takeaways from side events and political developments, as well as useful links and tips related to upcoming events, tracking negotiations related to land use and Article 6, markets and non-markets, agriculture, human rights, and the important emerging issue of the climate biodiversity nexus.
Read more -
GLF ThinkLandscape
After 10 years of publishing, Landscape News has transformed itself into ThinkLandscape, a brand-new media platform that combines our news and feature stories with the GLF’s social media content, videos, podcasts and much more. ThinkLandscape offers you a more streamlined way to navigate between all of our digital content. Explore, read, watch and listen to climate and landscape solutions from every corner of the globe – and get inspired to be the hero of your own story.
Read more -
Blue Carbon Deck TPP
This new Transformative Partnership Platform (TPP) aims to become the go-to source on blue carbon for researchers, civil society and practitioners working in coastal communities. By bringing together the multiple initiatives that exist around blue carbon – stored in mangroves, tidal marshes, seagrass, seaweed and other coastal and marine ecosystems – the Blue Carbon Deck aims to counter the rapidly escalating threats to these fragile and under-researched ecosystems
Read more -
FACT Dialogue
The Forest, Agriculture, and Commodity Trade (FACT) Dialogue is a government-to-government initiative that brings together 30 of the largest producer and consumer countries of internationally traded agricultural commodities (e.g., palm oil, soya, cocoa, beef, and timber) to protect forests and other ecosystems while promoting sustainable trade and development while addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis. The FACT Roadmap emphasizes 4 key thematic areas, namely: Support for Smallholders, Traceability and Transparency, Research, Development and Innovation, and Trade & Markets.
Read more -
Bioeconomy solutions TPP
This Transformative Partnership Platform brings together key stakeholders from public and private sectors and civil society to leverage multi-sector collaboration for creating bioeconomy solutions as a pathway to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve biodiversity, and create equitable jobs and prosperity at global scale. Its three-step approach to transformational change includes defining common goals for effective transitions towards integrated bioeconomies, harnessing technological progress for developing innovative and sustainable bioproducts from trees, and pooling human and financial resources, ideas and creativity together with science-based evidence.
Read more -
Landscape restoration TPP
To meet the objectives of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, policymakers and practitioners are asking for reliable evidence to inform activities, as well as tailored monitoring approaches to track results. The Landscape Restoration Transformative Partnership Platform aims to generate evidence and catalyse rapid learning for the transformative development of forest, agricultural and pastoral production systems.
Read more -
Nutri-scapes TPP
One quarter of the world’s population lacks regular access to nutritious, safe and sufficient food, and current agricultural practices are fueling the climate crisis and degrading land and soils. But trees and forests can help to heal our food systems and radically improve food and nutrition security. The Nutri-scapes Transformative Partnership Platform (TPP) explores how wild and cultivated tree-based landscapes can exist together to improve nutrition security.
Read more -
Yangambi Engagement Landscape
Home to more than 2 million people and covering an area of about 1.5 million hectares in the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Tshopo Province, the Yangambi Engagement Landscape is fast emerging as a global reference on how sustainably managed forests can support and drive local development and a prime example of CIFOR-ICRAF’s ‘engagement landscapes’ approach, in which which we work actively with national and local stakeholders over the long term to deliver outcomes that favour both people and the environment.
Read more -
Refugee-hosting Engagement Landscape
In sub-Saharan Africa, displaced populations have tripled over the past decade to over 6 million people – a third of the world’s refugees. Their need to build shelter, source woodfuel, and create new agricultural or pastoral land is rapidly depleting natural resources across the continent. But deforestation and land degradation can be reversed if long-term solutions are sought through dialogue with both refugee and host communities, as well as other stakeholders.
Read more
COP28 daily bulletin: Climate, Biodiversity & Rights
GLF ThinkLandscape
Blue Carbon Deck TPP
FACT Dialogue
Bioeconomy solutions TPP
Landscape restoration TPP
Nutri-scapes TPP
Yangambi Engagement Landscape
