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Wetlands Knowledge Exchange

Knowledge exchange plays a vital role in establishing strong links between researchers and research users such as policymakers, governments, non-governmental organisations, media, and local communities to share ideas, experiences, and best practices.

CIFOR-ICRAF’s research on wetlands has had important impacts on policy and science in recent years. As part of our ongoing outreach and engagement efforts, we regularly provide insights and perspectives to the study of wetlands, including mangroves, peatlands, and seagrass meadows, in two-way exchanges with partners and stakeholders.

We therefore cordially invite you to participate in the Wetlands Knowledge Exchange, a digital event hosted by CIFOR-ICRAF to provide updates, perspectives, and recent scientific developments on wetlands research with leading CIFOR-ICRAF scientists. Our aim is to help promote the value of these critical ecosystems in efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Alongside initiatives like the UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration, CIFOR-ICRAF will present a range of innovative research and solutions to help ensure sustainable management and protection of these vital resources.

Learn more

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FOOD. NATURE. PEOPLE.

Our world is in crisis!

And the evidence is clear: humans are the cause. From climate change to biodiversity loss, to land degradation and inequalities, our actions are putting life on earth at risk.

GO TO EVENT

Yet the good news is this: since humans are the cause, then surely we can fix it. Just how we’ll do this is the focus of a digital event on 2 September 2021, as CIFOR-ICRAF and partners present solutions to tackle the food system crisis.

Join us and learn more about nature-positive solutions, based on science, that will diversify our food systems, improve their sustainability and increase equitable access to the nutrient-rich food that supports health and wellbeing. Only by ensuring the benefits are fairly shared with everyone can we also ensure that our landscapes are now, and remain, productive.

Hear from a range of speakers, from policymakers to smallholder farmers to researchers, who will highlight ways the world can advance towards a system that makes the wisest use of forests, trees and other healthy landscapes and forge a new alliance on nature-positive solutions.

Join efforts that underscore the crucial role of smallholder agriculture, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, youth and women play in the transition to nature-positive solutions for food production.

2 September

Food, nature and people are the three essential elements of our food system. When these elements are in balance, our food system provides nutritious food and livelihoods and supports natural systems like biodiversity, nutrient and water cycles and a stable climate. Unfortunately, our food system is out of balance, threatening people and communities around the world. To reverse this dangerous trend, we need to implement solutions at scale, quickly. This half-day digital event will show the way forward, by providing actionable scientific evidence to build sustainable landscapes and by connecting with people on the ground to share knowledge and experience and fundamentally transform agriculture and land management. By rebuilding resilient food systems, supporting sustainable use of forests, trees and other healthy landscapes, we can adapt to the crises we have created. Join this event on Sept. 2 to become part of the solution.

12:00-12:05 PM (UTC)

Master of Ceremony Vania Olmos Lau is a Mexican biologist employed as a technical advisor at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in Mexico City. Lau has a particular interest in how agricultural development can work in parallel with nature conservation at the landscape level, and holds a double master’s degree in agroecology and organic agriculture from Wageningen University (Netherlands) in partnership with ISARA-Lyon (France). She has been active with the Youth in Landscapes (YIL) Initiative and other youth organizations, and has field experience with rural communities and conservation organizations in Mexico, Uganda, the Netherlands, France and Paraguay. Lau is now working with public-private partnership promoting good agricultural practices to protect pollinators and native flora within natural protected areas.

MASTER OF CEREMONIES

Vania Olmos Lau

Biologist

12:05-12:15 PM (UTC)

Prime Minister Marape, who is also a former finance minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG), will deliver the first keynote address during the digital event Food. Nature. People. The Prime Minister will discuss how the world can move “Towards a greener economy that recognises stewardship of land as a nature positive transformation of development.” This is a cause he has championed and reflects this event’s theme of encouraging bold policy and institutional change to support food system transformation. Prime Minister Marape has earned a Bachelor of Arts degree, a post-graduate Honours degree in Environmental Science, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Papua New Guinea. He was first elected to Parliament in 2007 and previously worked as Acting Assistant Secretary of Policy with the Department of Personnel Management from 2001 to 2006.

SPEAKER

Right Hon. James Marape

Prime Minister of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, Minister for Bougainville Affairs and Minister of Defence

12:15-12:25 PM (UTC)

Bronaugh, who is passionate about the advancement of youth leadership in agriculture, will be discussing the key role of youth in agriculture amid work to transform agriculture, forests and land management in the face of multiple global challenges. She also has a deep interest in food security: in autumn 2020, Bronaugh helped to establish the Virginia Food Access Investment Fund and Program in the U.S. state of Virginia, the first statewide program of its kind to address food access within historically marginalized communities. Empowering communities with decision-making skills is an important theme of this digital conference, which will examine recent research on food systems in the context of working with nature and people. That approach is a key success factor to sustainably manage land and transform food systems. Transformation of agriculture is also vital, given that it is a major driver of climate change while at the same time farmers struggle to adapt to its impacts. Integrated ecological, economic and social principles can help smallholder farming systems move towards greater resilience through diversification, recycling, and improving connections between producers and consumers. But adaption must be driven locally, with solutions led by local conditions and not imposed from outside.

SPEAKER

Dr Jewel H. Bronaugh

Deputy Secretary of USDA, United States of America

12:25-12:35 PM (UTC)

Dr Rajiv Kumar is Vice Chairman of the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog. He holds the rank and status of a cabinet minister. Kumar is also Chancellor of India’s Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. In his keynote address, he will discuss how NITI Aayog has become a leader in Natural Farming and agroecology; how this agro-ecological approach has supported the transformation of agriculture in India; and what further steps and behavioral changes are necessary to avoid eventual social and environmental collapse in the agricultural sector.

SPEAKER

Dr Rajiv Kumar

Vice Chairman at NITI Aayog

12:40-01:20 PM (UTC)

Food production and consumption differs from region to region, depending on rainfall, geography, soil and a host of economic, social and cultural factors. If agriculture is to become more sustainable and equitable, it will be critical to establish the policy frameworks that are appropriate for the conditions and circumstances of different regions. This discussion will hear from some of the policymakers who are enabling this critical transition. The value of this approach is underscored by the premise that working with nature and people – including their networks, relationships, solidarity, knowledge of local people – is a key success factor to sustainably manage land and transform food systems.

PANELISTS

Gary Juffa

Governor of Oro province Papua New Guinea

Kathleen Merrigan

Professor & Executive Director, Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems, Arizona State University

Mr Vijay Kumar Thallam

Vice Chair Rythu Sadhikara Samstha (RySS), Special Chief Secretary, Govt of Andhra Pradesh

Christophe Kouame

Regional Coordinator, West & Central Africa, CIFOR-ICRAF
FACILITATOR

Bahar Dutt

Associate Professor, Shiv Nadar University and Independent journalist

01:20-01:25 PM (UTC)

Break

01:25-01:55 PM (UTC)

Empowering communities with decision-making skills, establishing farmer-centered learning systems and putting monitoring tools into the hands of people on the ground: these are among the many innovations to come out of recent research on food systems. This discussion will feature both scientists and practitioners as they look at the surprises and discoveries in research and science that have emerged and are leading to a food-systems transformation that produces food sustainably, equitably and affordably. Such farming, in accordance with nature, can bring together local and scientific knowledge, in order to focus on the interactions between plants, animals, humans and the environment. This, in turn, can provide nutritious food and sustainable livelihoods while helping to address the negative impacts of conventional agriculture on climate change and biodiversity loss. In addition, there are numerous ignored, under-valued and under-researched plants producing fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains that are often very nutritious and can help diversify the current agricultural system to one that provides more balanced, more nutritious and healthier diets and is less prone to environmental shocks.

PANELISTS

Melissa Pinfield

Executive Director, Just Rural Transition Secretariat, Meridian Institute

Cheikh Mbow

Director of Future Africa at the University of Pretoria

Gabriela Lucas Deecke

Director General, CIASPE Mexico

Robert Nasi

Managing Director, CIFOR-ICRAF Director General, CIFOR
Facilitator

Danielle Nierenberg

President and Co-Founder, Food Tank

01:55-02:05 PM (UTC)

Break

02:05-02:45 PM (UTC)

Smallholder farmer initiatives demonstrate some of the fastest changes that are taking place around the world. This panel will feature innovators who are pushing for large-scale transformation of land management for food production. They will present their nature-positive agricultural solutions to the food system crisis. These innovations will be presented alongside sustainable investors who will share insights into how innovative farmers can accelerate their businesses and ideas with financing.

PANELISTS

Mr Satya S. Tripathi

Secretary General, Global Alliance for a Sustainable Planet

Tabi Joda

Executive Director, GreenAid

Nafkote Dabi

Climate Change Policy Lead for Oxfam

Chantal Marijnissen

Head of Unit C2 Environment, Ecosystems, Biodiversity and Wildlife, European Commission DG for international Cooperation and Development
Facilitator

Tony Simons

Director General, World Agroforestry (ICRAF) Executive Director, CIFOR-ICRAF

02:45-02:55 PM (UTC)

Alexander Müller is Founder and Managing Director of the ThinkTank for Sustainability (TMG), a former FAO Assistant Director-General and State Secretary for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture in Germany. He has extensive experience in global sustainability governance, as Chair of the UN Standing Committee on Nutrition; member of the UN Environmental Management Group; and Lead, Voluntary Guidelines for Responsible Governance of Land.. As our digital event concludes, Müller will outline the next steps that have been identified by our keynote speakers and panellists during Food.Nature.People; and discuss how we can transform the insights and ideas outlined during this event, and the vision presented here, into action on the ground.

SPEAKERS

Alexander Müller

 
Founder & Managing Director, TMG Think Tank

Iliana Monterroso

 
Scientist, Co-Coordinator of Gender and Social Inclusion Research at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR)

03:05-03:15 PM (UTC)

Closing remarks

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Eden Festival of Action 2021

The Eden Festival of Action is an environmental action gathering combining practical ecosystem restoration work like tree-planting, with a full line-up of workshops, talks and activities from sustainability experts. The evenings are filled with campfire sessions, storytelling and music from some of South Africa’s finest musicians.

Be part of a growing, global, green movement. Visit www.festivalofaction.com for more information or APPLY NOW

Check out the Facebook event page here for announcements, pre-events and competitions.

Learn more

 

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Global Action – Local Interaction

Working from Bonn side-by-side with the United Nations (UN), the BINGOs, the Bonn International Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are adding content and increasing the impact of Bonn as an important hub for global issues. Sustainable urban development, sustainable forestry and agriculture, Paralympic sports or sustainable energy: the range of topics is diverse, while all are pursuing the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

In the light of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, our event in the context of #UNBonn25 will address sustainable landscapes, agriculture and fair consumption. By showcasing the goals and work of three exemplary organizations, the links between landscape, agriculture and fair consumption are highlighted. And, because the BINGOs are well connected locally, options to engage are manifold.

With interviews and contributions by:

  • Tina Birmpili, Deputy Executive Secretary, United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
  • Melissa Duncan, Executive Director, Fairtrade International
  • John Colmey, Managing Director, Global Landscapes Forum, CIFOR-ICRAF
  • Thomas Cierpka, Senior Manager, IFOAM – Organics International

Register now

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Seizing the Potential of Non-State Actors for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

As countries are preparing to agree upon a new post-2020 global biodiversity framework during the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) in October 2021, non-state and sub-national actors, such as cities, regions and companies, are increasingly drawing attention to their contribution to biodiversity governance. Non-state and sub-national actors set up standards and commitments, develop and share knowledge, provide funding and execute projects on the ground. Bringing non-state initiatives closer to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and involving these actors in global biodiversity governance has the potential to build positive political and societal momentum around global biodiversity conservation, foster innovative and experimental governance arrangements and break current gridlocks to enable countries to take more ambitious biodiversity goals. To provide more visibility to the contributions of non-state actors, COP14 in Sharm El Sheikh in 2018 saw the launch of the Action Agenda for Nature and People in the run up to COP15. A current consultation process led by the CBD Secretariat aims to explore how the Action Agenda should develop after the new global biodiversity framework is adopted. In light of the important contributions non-state actors can make to implementing the new framework, it will be key to identify what form such voluntary commitments for biodiversity should take and how the Action Agenda could become a meaningful pillar in the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

To address these questions, the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, supported by adelphi, is organizing a series of events to facilitate discussion among a selected group of experts. The three session will discuss the role of non-state and subnational actors in the run up to Open Ended Working Group 3 and COP15 with respect to non-state action at landscape level; climate and biodiversity action in the urban context; and monitoring and reporting of non-state action. The sessions will be held under Chatham House rules.

Session I: “Seizing the Landscape Opportunity to Catalyse Transformative Biodiversity Governance”

The first session focuses on how the GBF can more actively include a landscape perspective, particularly speaking to non-state and subnational actors involved in landscape level initiatives. The session shares insights from a recent policy brief by PBL on the topic, it invites reflections and comments by key experts in the field and allows for a broader discussion in plenary. The plenary discussion will focus on strengthening the links between the GBF and non-state and subnational action at landscape level as well as on how the Action Agenda could promote landscape initiatives and attain more strategic importance in the GBF.

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FTA-Kunming Science Conference

Forests, trees and agroforestry are key components of ecosystems. They exemplify the contributions of biodiversity to sustainable and resilient landscapes, green circular economy and to sustainable agriculture and food systems for healthy diets. The event will focus on these contributions, aiming to gather evidence that will ground the design of concrete options that can contribute to the implementation of the post 2020 agenda of the CBD COP 15 and towards the UN Food Systems Summit, and the overall implementation of the SDGs.

The conference will devote sessions to 6 themes:

  1. Trees for agroecology and circular agriculture
  2. Tree diversity: realizing economic and ecological value from tree genetic resources to bridge production gaps and promote resilience
  3. Trees in the framework of the CBD
  4. Mountain ecosystems and food security
  5. Assessing benefits of landscape restoration
  6. Trees for a circular green economy

Each of the 6 themes will be featured in technical sessions that will be running in parallel (2 per session). Theme leaders will identify main findings and critical recommendations to be brought to the attention of decision makers.

Register now

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Valuing Tropical Landscapes Finance

TLFF with the support of Global Affairs Canada will hold a webinar on the values and opportunities of impact financing in Indonesia.
Indonesia is home to the world’s third largest tropical forests and around 14 million hectares of peatlands, which is more than any other nation on earth. Protecting these landscapes is of great importance, not only because they store nearly 300 billion tons of carbon and therefore are vital for combatting climate change, but also because they are significant biodiversity hotspots and provide livelihoods for some of the most vulnerable people.

Indonesia has set ambitious economic and sustainability objectives as part of its national development planning process, both in terms of economic growth and climate targets as underlined in the country’s nationally determined contributions (NDC) to the Paris Agreement. Achieving these will involve identifying and investing in strategic intervention points that will allow growth to decouple from negative sustainability outcomes. A large body of research exists, highlighting promising areas of intervention. Given the characteristics of the nation’s emissions profile, there is significant potential from investments in the land use sector by both private and public actors.

TLFF with the support of Global Affairs Canada will on 28 May at 15:00 WIB (10:00 CEST) hold a webinar where you will hear about:

• Impact and blended financing in Indonesia and the lesson learnt to date
• Opportunities for public and private investments in sustainable land-use
• Support from the Global Affairs of Canada to the TLFF Grant Fund

 

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Webinar: Integration of Bamboo in Landscape Restoration

Bamboo possesses qualities that make it ideal for restoring degraded lands. Bamboo is able to thrive on degraded soils and steep slopes where many plants cannot grow. INBAR works in a number of countries whose ecosystems, watersheds and rural live­lihoods are affected by land degradation and desertification. Over the years, INBAR member states have restored several million hectares of degraded ecosystem with bamboo across Africa, Asia and Latin America and the results have been inspiring. Soil quality improves, biodiversity recovers and crucial ecosystem services are restored. With the right species in the right locations, bamboo plantations can provide global and local significant ecosystem service values. Particularly, bamboos are multiple purpose species, they provide wood, energy, food, feed and fodder and can penetrate into diverse markets, thereby raising off-farm income and resilience of smallholders.

This webinar will provide an overview of various ecosystem services values provided by bamboo forests and/or plantations, how to integrate bamboo in landscape restoration and the results and lessons learned from a case study in Chishui, China.

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Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit

The Pre-Summit of the UN Food Systems Summit will set the stage for the culminating global event in September by bringing together diverse actors from around the world to leverage the power of food systems to deliver progress on all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Hosted by the Government of Italy, the Pre-Summit will take place in Rome from 26–28 July 2021. The event, which is open to all who would like to participate, will take a hybrid format, with an in-person component complemented by a vast virtual program and platform. Through the Pre-Summit, the UN Food Systems Summit will reaffirm its commitment to promote human rights for all and ensure the most marginalized groups have an opportunity to participate in, contribute to and benefit from the Summit process.

Under the leadership of the UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the Pre-Summit is a “People’s Summit” that will bring together youth, farmers, indigenous peoples, civil society, researchers, private sector, policy leaders and ministers of agriculture, environment, health, nutrition and finance, among other participants. The event aims to deliver the latest evidence-based and scientific approaches to food systems transformation from around the world, launch a set of new commitments through coalitions of action and mobilize new financing and partnerships. All of this will be achieved by fostering diverse engagement from all quarters to uncover the broadest range of solutions and have maximum impact, together.

Since last year, the Summit has hosted regular online meetings, public forums and surveys organized around the Summit’s five action tracks to ensure the broadest possible range of perspectives and ideas to develop food systems that cater to all. The Summit will consolidate all that it has heard and Member States and actors around the world will begin to focus on how to operationalize the best ideas and commitments, to be announced in June, to close gaps and raise ambition towards achieving the SDGs by 2030. The Pre-Summit will take stock of the progress made through that process, laying the groundwork for an ambitious and productive UN Food Systems Summit, which will take place in September alongside the UN General Assembly in New York.

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Global Launch: Rangelands Atlas

Join us for the launch of the Rangelands Atlas!

The Rangelands Atlas has been developed to document and raise awareness on the enormous environmental, economic and social value of rangelands as well as their different ecosystems. It highlights many of the changes taking place in rangelands due to climate change, land use and conversion trends, investments and other changes.

Drawing on publicly available data, this Atlas provides a preliminary set of maps that illustrate the complex nature of rangelands found around the world. Furthermore, the Rangeland Atlas reflects a strengthening, global movement to protect, restore and appropriately invest in rangelands.

The atlas is a collaborative initiative of the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the global Rangelands Initiative of the International Land Coalition (ILC).

Zoom details will be shared upon registration.

Register

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GLF Africa 2024 7th Investment Case