The Zambia for Agroforestry, Biodiversity and Climate (Z4ABC) project, co-funded by the European Union, offers financial matching grants to support private sector entities engaged in sustainable value chains. This FAQ document clarifies eligibility criteria, financial and organizational requirements, and the application process. Grants range from £5,000 to £60,000 and are available exclusively to Zambian-owned entities with at least two years of operational history. Applicants must demonstrate financial accountability through audited statements and meet compliance documentation standards. While core value chains include mushrooms and caterpillars, the initiative encourages innovation across non-timber forest products. Activities must align with pilot sites in Eastern, Lusaka, and Muchinga provinces. Only one proposal per applicant is permitted, and informal groups must formalize their status to qualify. The document emphasizes transparency, accountability, and strategic alignment with Z4ABC’s restoration and climate resilience goals.
Tag: capacity building
Securing tenure rights in Maluku, Indonesia: Searching for common action
Key messages
- Participatory prospective analysis is an effective tool for strengthening the capacity of stakeholders including government agencies, NGOs, academia, private sector and community representatives in joint analysis and problem solving. It allows intense interaction among stakeholders, and helps to develop a common understanding of the current situation, to plan for the future and to begin to construct collective agreements around forest resource management.
- Experts view tenure security in a multi-dimensional way. It transcends the actual bundle of rights granted to include the institutions and processes deemed necessary for local rights to be exercised and guaranteed. For them, tenure security comprises governance dimensions that are embodied in implementation processes, as well as interventions that are anticipated to generate value/income from the rights that are held by communities.
- Key driving forces of local tenure security were identified as: regional governance, local government budgets, tourism potential, customary rights and institutions, strengthening the rights and voice of indigenous women, land conversion and spatial planning, local regulation, community knowledge, awareness and community empowerment.
- Five contrasting scenarios were developed by the expert group members. Each scenario captured their expectation of local community tenure security in the future given different combinations of eight factors that drive tenure security. One scenario was selected as best for future implementation. Based on the best scenario, an action plan for assuring local tenure rights was crafted through public consultation. This will be integrated with regional government programs.
- The favored scenarios emphasized good governance, collaboration, respect and recognition of customary rights and institutions, while the rejected scenarios exemplified situations that were under the exclusive control of dominant government or private sector actors.
- Taken together, these five scenarios, regardless of their desirability, point to the key issues in the ability of tenure reforms to achieve tenure security for local communities in Maluku. Important constraints on reform implementation include budget allocation, coordination, changes of policy and regulation, lack of spatial planning data and lack of recognition of customary rights. These factors are important for implementing forest reform and could provide a threat to tenure security.
Gap analysis of social science resources for conservation practice
Conservation is a fundamentally social process, requiring collective efforts to implement effective strategies. However, within conservation social science, research methodologies, training, and competency development remain less prevalent than in the natural sciences. Globally, formal education and training in the social sciences are often inaccessible to conservation practitioners, creating a gap that nonformal education may help address. To explore potential solutions, this study conducted a global survey to identify knowledge gaps and training needs among conservation professionals while performing a gap analysis of existing training resources. A total of 449 resources—266 in English and 183 in other languages—were compiled into an open-access online database hosted by the Conservation Social Science Partnership. These resources cover key categories such as communication, data collection, ethics and human rights, intervention strategies, impact evaluation, and analysis. Most resources (90%) were open access, with half specifically tailored to conservation practice. Survey responses (n = 90) highlighted high demand for training in data analysis, research ethics, and human rights considerations. The study underscores the need for conservation organizations to prioritize social science education, expand training resources in diverse languages and mediums, develop tools tailored to conservation contexts, and strengthen support for ethical and human rights considerations in conservation research.
Global strategy: Transformative Partnership Platform for quality tree seed and seedling delivery systems (Quality Tree Seed TPP)
Achieving tree planting targets in support of restoration and other tree planting goals requires effective tree seed and seedling delivery systems that provide high-quality planting materials, but current systems are suboptimal. This issue has gained prominence on the restoration agenda, with substantial investments being made to address current delivery bottlenecks.
Building on decades of research and practical experience in tree-planting interventions, and on extensive partner networks, the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF) is leading the development of a Transformative Partnership Platform for quality tree seed and seedling delivery systems (Quality Tree Seed TPP).
This global strategy outlines the Quality Tree Seed TPP’s main objectives, scope, governance, and activities, plus related projects and a glossary of relevant terms. During the initial phase, the Quality Tree Seed TPP will be mainly supported by the Right Tree in the Right Place for the Right Purpose project (RTRP-Seed), funded by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German government. This project has at its heart the goal of addressing tree seed and seedling delivery bottlenecks for planting native tree species in African countries and is implemented CIFOR-ICRAF, Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and Unique Land Use.
Aligning to Target 2: KENYA National Dialogue
Kenya is revising its National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) 2019–2030 to align with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). The updated NBSAP (2023–2030) includes national targets, such as Target 2, and the launch of the National Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism (NBCM). Future steps involve developing an implementation plan, communication strategy, gender action plan, and resource mobilization strategy. The National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Strategy (2023–2032) aims to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded ecosystems, achieving 30% tree cover by 2032. However, challenges such as policy incoherence, capacity gaps, and fragmented data hinder effective restoration. Addressing these issues through harmonized data platforms, capacity building, and coordinated monitoring will enhance Kenya’s restoration efforts and biodiversity conservation.
Aligning to Target 2: BURKINA FASO National Dialogue
The National Observatory on Environment and Sustainable Development (ONEDD), in collaboration with key stakeholders, aims to enhance data management for restoration efforts through a collaborative information campaign and formalized data consultation frameworks. This includes strengthening the data value chain, ensuring regional validation, and promoting interoperability with platforms like FERM, GGW, and AFR100. Annual reviews of biodiversity indicators will align monitoring with evolving goals, while stakeholder synergy and capacity building will optimize restoration strategies and sustainable development initiatives.
Aligning to Target 2: VIET NAM National Dialogue
Viet Nam has integrated ecosystem restoration into its national policies, aligning with international commitments. The nation aims to restore 20% of degraded ecosystems by 2030. Despite these efforts, several challenges impede progress. Weak data linkages, fragmented data flows, and incomplete monitoring frameworks hinder effective implementation. While stakeholder engagement is growing, policy gaps and governance issues remain. To achieve restoration goals, Viet Nam must address capacity gaps and strengthen leadership, partnerships, and collective actions. A comprehensive national restoration program is essential for sustainable governance and achieving restoration targets by 2050.
Spectroscopic solutions for generating new global soil information
Soil spectroscopy offers a rapid, cost-effective method for analyzing soil properties critical to sustainable land management. This study, led by the FAO’s Global Soil Partnership through the Global Soil Laboratory Network’s spectroscopy initiative (GLOSOLAN-Spec), presents a global framework to advance soil spectroscopy adoption. It identifies seven key challenges and proposes collaborative solutions to harmonize methods, build spectral libraries, and integrate local knowledge. Using spectroscopy in the visible and mid-infrared ranges, the method enables accurate estimation of soil properties like organic carbon, pH, and texture. The study emphasizes the need for international cooperation and standardized protocols to unlock the full potential of digital soil information for evidence-based decision-making.
Synergizing Carbon Sequestration and Livelihood Improvement: Lessons from community-based crab silvofishery business model in South Sumatra, Indonesia
Action for climate change mitigation and livelihood improvement must be synergized to ensure its sustainability. A community-based mangrove restoration activity has been piloted in Marga Sungsang Village, Banyuasin regency, South Sumatra, Indonesia since late 2023 and adopted a crab silvofishery as a business model. In the last three decades, mangroves in the village have been degraded mainly due to agricultural expansion, and it often occurs in the frontier of the protected forest area. This paper aims to analyze the potential benefit of the mangrove crab silvofishery model for livelihood an ecosystem. The study was using the Business Model Canvas and Five Livelihood Capital as framework for business model development. According to cost-benefit analysis to the pilot action arena, the NPV for the model is USD 5,080/ha with investment support and USD 2,241/ha without investment, for 4 years period of business. The results shows that the model is profitable and has potential to provide additional income for the community compared to depend on carbon business model that provide negative NPV. Silvofishery contributes to ecosystem rehabilitation and climate change mitigation efforts through monitored and maintained mangrove planting, as well as to avoid disturbance to the protected areas through active roles and presence of community in the frontier. Institutional development and capacity building, including in business literacy, are identified as a key success factor for community-based intervention besides the technical assistance. This local evidence provides a global narrative for combating climate change and livelihood improvement.
Impact of home gardens promoted among urban residents in Dhaka, Bangladesh
Urban gardening has the potential to improve diets and well-being in low- and middle-income countries. This study evaluated the impact of a gardening intervention in Dhaka, Bangladesh, involving 425 treatment and 254 control households. One year after training and input support, participants showed significant improvements in fruit and vegetable diversity, harvest frequency, and dietary diversity—especially among women. The intervention also fostered social and psychological benefits, though it was associated with a modest increase in ultra-processed food consumption. These findings confirm that urban gardening can enhance nutrition and community resilience, especially when paired with targeted training and support.