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Event Category: Partner Event

Webinar – Integrating Forest and Landscape Restoration into National Forest Monitoring Systems

With the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration in June of this year, the global community is increasing efforts to restore ecosystems. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is among those international agencies leading this movement. As a UN Decade co-lead, FAO is coordinating efforts to monitor progress, identify best practices, and support forest and landscape restoration (FLR). This webinar will showcase recent experiences from Latin American and Caribbean countries working on integrating FLR monitoring into their National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS).

In recent years, many countries have developed NFMS. Established NFMS can be strengthened to accommodate data collection from FLR, rather than designing independent monitoring structures. The steps for integrating FLR monitoring into NFMS will be discussed during this webinar hosted by FAO and UN-REDD.

Further, the webinar will mark the launch of the publication “Integrating Forest and Landscape Restoration into National Forest Monitoring Systems.” Based on the Voluntary guidelines on national forest monitoring (VGNFM), this document explores experiences from Latin American and Caribbean countries whose forest monitoring systems require further development in order to integrate FLR monitoring. The new publication further proposes an approach to this process, taking into consideration information requirements and the needs of key stakeholders.

The webinar will not only launch the publication of the same name but provide an opportunity for knowledge exchange among experts in FLR and NFMS. It will also showcase recent experiences from Latin American and Caribbean countries working on integrating FLR monitoring into their NFMS.

*This event will be in Spanish with English translation; recordings will be available in both languages.

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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.

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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.

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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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Policies for Agroecology

Drawing the blueprints for a sustainable agroecological transition.

The Transformative Partnership Platform (TPP) on Agroecology and its partners are pleased to invite you to a virtual event on 15 July to discuss policies for transitions to agroecological food systems. 

After introducing the TPP and outlining the essential role that policy plays in accomplishing the TPP’s mission, the presenters will unveil the latest draft of “Agroecologically-conducive policies: a review of advances and remaining challenges” for discussion. The feedback collected during the discussion will be integrated into the document before final publication. Read the executive summary here.

By examining country case studies and current scientific evidence, the event will then highlight the opportunities and challenges involved in scaling-up agroecology over the next decade. Such knowledge will help set research, policy and investment priorities for actors at all levels.

A panel discussion and an interactive Q&A session with the audience will complement the event.

Join us in reimagining agricultural policies that benefit people and the planet!

Download the “Save the Date” flyer

 

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Kenya national landscape restoration scaling conference: Catalyzing action for landscape restoration

The Government of Kenya pledged to restore 5.1 million hectares of land in the country by 2030 under the African Forest and Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFR100) and Bonn Challenge. The government has set a target of 10% tree cover for the country.

Efforts are underway in different sectors including environment, forestry, conservation and agriculture to achieve this ambition.

Join the conversation on how we can collectively accelerate the momentum of landscape restoration in Kenya by bringing together and linking multiple dimensions of the efforts.

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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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UBC Forestry Virtual Summer Camp

Forests provide multiple ecosystem functions and services that are invaluable for human wellbeing. Yet, the world’s remaining forests are under increasing pressure due to human activities and climate change. In this virtual summer camp, students will learn theoretical and practical knowledge about the criteria and indicators that are being used worldwide to guide sustainable forest management practices and explain how these will vary in a changing climate. Students will watch online lecture videos, live interactive discussions with the world’s renowned professors and experts, and conduct group discussions with global peers during the four weeks. To translate knowledge into practice, students will have various hands-on experience ranges from analyzing case studies to evaluating sustainable forest management worldwide using globally used criteria and indicators.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

  • Explain the principles of sustainable forest management.
  • Apply the principles of sustainable forest management within the context of climate change.
  • Compare and assess the major components of sustainable forest management.
  • Develop critical thinking and communication skills

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Tropentag 2021: Towards Shifting Paradigms in Agriculture for a Healthy and Sustainable Future

The annual interdisciplinary conference on research in tropical and subtropical agriculture, natural resource management and rural development (TROPENTAG) is jointly organised by the universities of Berlin, Bonn, Göttingen, Hohenheim, Kassel-Witzenhausen, ZALF e.V. (all Germany), Ghent University (Belgium), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (Czech Republic), BOKU Vienna (Austria), and the Council for Tropical and Subtropical Research (ATSAF e.V) in co-operation with the GIZ Advisory Service on Agricultural Research for Development (BEAF).

Conference Theme:

Agriculture needs to be perceives in the minds of the people as in line with nature – we need to shift paradigms to a positive relationship between humans, environment, ecology and nature. Only products produced in line with the need and requirements of the planet should be positive in the minds of the people. If we achieve that, we may be able to still save the planet for a healthy and sustainable future. That is the discussion we would like to start (or indeed continue) during Tropentag 2021 in Hohenheim.

Tropentag 2021 will review recent research results addressing these challenges from various points of view with different approaches. Discussions in plenary and thematic sessions, poster sessions, and workshops will provide participants with new ideas to enhance our understanding and to keep the conversation on our TT21 topic going.

Audience:

All MSc and PhD students, scientists, extension workers, decision makers and politicians interested and engaged in agricultural research and rural development in transition and developing countries are cordially invited to participate and actively contribute. We particularly encourage young scientists (MSc and PhD students and Post Docs) to present their work.

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GLF Africa 2024 7th Investment Case