This course is a pivotal contribution to FAO’s vision of fostering a Better Environment, particularly focusing on Biodiversity for food and agriculture. Aligned with FAO’s strategic initiatives, the course is fortified by the approval of the FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity Across Agricultural Sectors and the 2021-23 Action Plan, emphasizing the importance of targeted policies and practices for sustainable use, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems.
Tag: agriculture
From Tree Planting to Tree Growing: Rethinking Ecosystem Restoration Through Trees
Every year, millions of dollars are spent on tree-based landscape restoration activities. Over the last five decades, there are few success stories of such interventions and even those do not match the anticipated objectives for which the resources were spent. News articles that announce planting campaigns of millions of seedlings are common. Despite all this, in many countries, vegetation cover has not improved due to poor seedling survival rate. This makes the return on investment low. The objective of this paper is to highlight the main underlying challenges that need to be tackled to make restoration through tree-based interventions successful. Numerous challenges hamper the success of project-supported public tree growing schemes. 1) Often tree planting is stated as the ultimate objective of the intervention; when that objective should instead be tree growing. Performance indicators are often the number of trees planted or area planted, not the number of trees grown, or the area of land covered with grown trees. 2) Most projects operate on a short time frame (1-3 years) while many tree species (e.g. native trees in many African countries) need more time to sufficiently grow. 3) Emphasis on the right trees, for the right place and the right purposes, is very weak. 4) Even in projects of adequate duration emphasis on after-planting management is often limited. 5) There is lack of tree tenure to formally transfer the management of planted trees to local communities who reside in the landscapes over a long period of time. Tackling these challenges and changing mindsets is crucial if restoration through tree-based interventions is to yield the intended outcomes of reversing ecosystem degradation.
Overview of the IV International Conference on Agricultural Engineering and Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Development (AEGISD-IV 2024)
The overview describes the main directions and results of the IV International Conference on Agricultural Engineering and Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Development (AEGISD-IV 2024) held in Tashkent on 28-30 March 2024. It gives the details about the participants and the proceedings.
Agroforestry species of Peru: Reference list and contribution to prioritization for the conservation of agroforestry genetic resources.
Peru is a megadiverse country with three distinct ecological macroregions (Coast, Andes and Amazon). Agroforestry is widely practised and is promoted by governmental and non-governmental agencies working in agriculture, environmental management and rural development. Constraints to effective agroforestry in Peru include lack of awareness of the full range of agroforestry species (and, therefore, agroforestry options) and threats to agroforestry genetic resources. These constraints lead to ineffective prioritization, narrowing of the range of available species options, and genetic erosion. In response, this publication provides a listing of Peruvian agroforestry species, including 185 native species and 53 major introduced species. The native species include food, timber, agroecological service and multiple-use species used in the Coastal, Andean and Amazon regions. The introduced species are mostly food species, but also include eucalypts and pines. We also list 40 native Peruvian agroforestry species considered to be endangered in all or part of their ranges. Several priorities for future actions were identified, including the following: establishment of seed sources or genebanks of endangered Peruvian agroforestry tree species; establishment or consolidation of local seed sources of a wide range of agroforestry species relevant to different localities or agroecologies; clarification of the status of seed sources under Peruvian seed law and other legal instruments; investigation of intraspecific genetic diversity of Peruvian agroforestry species; synthesis and publication of information on the cultivation techniques and benefits, including ecological benefits, of Peruvian agroforestry species; actions to ensure that key elements of the national environmental and agricultural agenda recognize the full range of agroforestry species and their benefits; clarification and dissemination of information on genetic diversity and provenance of major introduced agroforestry species.
A scoping review on tools and methods for trait prioritization in crop breeding programmes
Trait prioritization studies have guided research, development and investment decisions for public-sector crop breeding programmes since the 1970s, but the research design, methods and tools underpinning these studies are not well understood. We used PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols) to evaluate research on trait ranking for major crops over the past 40 years (1980–2023). Data extraction and descriptive analysis on 657 papers show uneven attention to crops, lack of systematic sex disaggregation and regional bias. The lack of standardized trait data taxonomy across studies, and inconsistent research design and data collection practices make cross-comparison of findings impossible. In addition, network mapping of authors and donors shows patterns of concentration and the presence of silos within research areas. This study contributes to the next generation of innovation in trait preference studies to produce more inclusive, demand-driven varietal design that moves beyond trait prioritization focused on productivity and yield.
A guide for the application of the Blended Learning Programme on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors
The Global Landscapes Forum, in collaboration with Wageningen University and Research, addresses the critical need for informed policy decisions in the agriculture and environment sectors through a comprehensive six-module course. Specifically targeting government and technical experts capable of influencing policy, this initiative focuses on Mainstreaming Biodiversity across Agricultural Sectors, aligning with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) goals for a sustainable and diverse environment.
Learning pathway: Course flows & blueprint
This course is a pivotal contribution to FAO’s vision of fostering a Better Environment, particularly focusing on Biodiversity for food and agriculture. Aligned with FAO’s strategic initiatives, the course is fortified by the approval of the FAO Strategy on Mainstreaming Biodiversity Across Agricultural Sectors and the 2021-23 Action Plan, emphasizing the importance of targeted policies and practices for sustainable use, conservation, and restoration of ecosystems.
Module 1: Biodiverse Agriculture in Landscapes
This course targets a diverse group of participants, including environmentalists, agricultural professionals, students, and policymakers. Whether one is looking to deepen their understanding of sustainable practices, aiming to implement changes in their work, or simply passionate about biodiversity and agriculture, this course will offer valuable insights and practical skills.
Module 2: Integrating Biodiversity In Agriculture
This course is designed to target participants interested in the nexus of agriculture, biodiversity, and sustainable development. It is ideal for environmentalists, agricultural professionals, students, policymakers, and anyone keen on understanding and contributing to sustainable agricultural practices that promote biodiversity.
Shifting cultivation and deforestation
About half of tropical deforestation is commonly explained by the expansion of traditional agriculture (shifting cultivation). This article first questions the share of responsibility assigned to traditional agriculture — it may well be overestimated because of unclear definitions, uncertain estimates, and potential political biases. Second, a simple framework based on a theory of land rent capture is developed to explain agricultural expansion. The framework is applied in the study of recent changes in shifting cultivators’ adaptations in a lowland rainforest area in Sumatra, Indonesia. Increased rubber planting and expansion into primary forest are seen as a response to increased rubber profitability and (expected) land scarcity, and as a race for property rights. Government land claims have had significant multiplier effects on forest clearing through changes in farmers’ expectations and in initiating a self-reinforcing land race.