Forests, Trees and the Eradication of Poverty: Potential and Limitations

Launch of a Global Assessment Report

A new and most comprehensive scientific assessment presented by the Global Forest Experts Panel (GFEP) on Forests and Poverty reveals critical links between forests, trees and poverty alleviation. The report makes a valuable contribution to achieving the first and foremost of the United Nations‘ Sustainable Development Goals aimed at ending poverty. This is even more important in light of the current pandemic under which efforts to fight poverty have suffered a severe setback. The International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO), on behalf of the Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), established the Panel in the framework of the GFEP initiative.

Find more information here.

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Investments in Innovation: Research to reduce post-harvest loss and deliver healthy food

Content will examine “Finance & Investment” of global food systems. Discussion panelists will address vulnerabilities and the need for high-risk, long-term research efforts and innovative technology investments. Key research studies and resulting social, economic, and environmental impacts will be presented and discussed in the context of what has been done and what is needed to support future ventures that successfully meet development goals. Particular attention will be directed toward impacts of the COVID-19 experience and how finance and investment can strengthen food systems resilience.

The event will be organized by the Consortium for Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction. The Consortium is composed of leading institutions in the Americas (Iowa State University, University of Maryland, Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School, University of São Paulo), Europe (Wageningen University and Research), Middle East (Volcani Center), and Africa (University of Nairobi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Stellenbosch University). Academic partners are leveraging knowledge, expertise, motivation, and vision to conduct research that improves storage and distribution, develops tracking and monitoring, minimizes spoilage through pre-and post-harvest innovation, and changes behavior to reduce post-harvest loss and food waste reduction (PHL-FW). Together with funding partners, The Rockefeller Foundation and Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, the Consortium is focused on how finance and investment are leading to the sustainable reduction of PHL-FW.

Panelists

Dr. Sally Rockey – Executive Director at the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research

Dr. Dirk Maier – Director of the Consortium for Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction and Professor at Iowa State University

Dr. Jane Ambuko – Professor University of Nairobi – Horticulture Specialist

Dr. José Caixeta – Professor University of São Paulo and D

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Introducing CitiesWithNature to Daring Cities for Climate Resilience

Nature provides immense value and multiple benefits to urban communities. Daring cities are those who are leading the way on ambitious local action – not only for climate, but for nature too. The loss of nature is a global crisis in its own right, and cities are not only part of the problem, but are also key to the solution. No action is too small. Now is the time for cities and regions to act with unprecedented ambition to secure our increasingly urban future. Our solutions lie in nature.

CitiesWithNature is a global partnership initiative co-founded by ICLEI, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, and The Nature Conservancy. CitiesWithNature provides a space to celebrate and showcase best practice from around the world. The initiative is growing and nurturing a community of practice comprising cities, regions, partner organisations, projects, practitioners, researchers, and urban communities to conserve, restore, and mainstream nature in and around urban areas. With over 170 cities and regions who have joined to date, the ever-growing CitiesWithNature family invites you to be a part of this first-of-its-kind initiative.

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Webinar Indebted to nature

The financial sector is vulnerable to the loss of biodiversity. This is the conclusion of a collaborative Research of the Dutch Central Bank (DNB) and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) on risks for the Dutch financial sector as a consequence of biodiversity loss.

The webinar will be opened with a presentation of the report’s key findings by one of the authors. Then Hans Mommaas (director PBL) and Frank Elderson, (board member DNB and NGFS chairman) will tell you about the importance of biodiversity in international discussions and what supervisors can learn from the climate-related risk agenda, respectively. Finally, Elizabeth Mrema (Executive Secretary Convention on Biological Diversity) will pay special attention to the negotiations for the international biodiversity agreement in Kunming in 2021.

We invite you to join a live webinar on October 15 2020, 15:00 – 16:00 CEST

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Live Webinar – Landscape Valuation Publication

It is beyond question that the world’s landscapes and ecosystems are degrading at an unprecedented pace. A long-term and systemic approach to landscape restoration can generate monetary value for multiple stakeholders at the same time. Commonland introduces a new publication which introduces a comprehensive method to calculate the value of financial, natural, social and inspirational returns (4 Returns) of landscape restoration and sustainable landscape management.
Commonland is an international scale-up committed to transform 100 million hectares of degraded land into thriving ecosystems and communities by 2040 via our 4 Returns framework. Read the publication here.

We invite you to join a live webinar to discuss this report on October 20 from 4:30 – 5:30 PM CET (10:30 – 11:30 AM ET).

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SBSTTA 24 -Twenty-fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

Article 25 of the Convention on Biological Diversity establishes an open-ended intergovernmental scientific advisory body known as the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA) to provide the Conference of the Parties (COP) and, as appropriate, its other subsidiary bodies, with timely advice relating to the implementation of the Convention. SBSTTA has met 22 times to date and produced a total of 233 recommendations to the Conference of the Parties, some of which have been endorsed in full by the latter.

SBSTTA 24 -Twenty-fourth meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice will take place in
Montreal, Canada, 17 – 22 August 2020.

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FFX Pocono: Racing to Safeguard Agrobiodiversity

On the “Global Day of Action” for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, you are invited to virtually join chefs, media, farmers, seed savers, educators, policy makers and consumers in an immersive experience designed to raise awareness of the importance of crop diversity and its connection to healthy soils and resilient, sustainable agricultural systems. Throughout the event, we will showcase what the future of food could be like if we conserve and use the amazing diversity of our foods.

Hosted by the Food Forever Initiative in partnership with Pocono Organics, Rodale Institute, and the Crop Trust, the Experience will be the first of its kind, and stream digital content from around the world, including from the farm at Pocono Organics, to the fields of the Rodale Institute, to genebanks, to chefs’ kitchens and many places in between.

Participants will also be the first audience to learn of new research findings presented by Rodale Institute which will use this occasion to announce a global white paper that looks at the potential of Regenerative Organic Agriculture to reduce emissions and maximize carbon sequestration in soils – as one solution to the climate crisis.

The Food Forever Experience is for leaders and influencers who can make an impact. Together, we can plant the seed for a better future, and we would be delighted if you can participate.

Find out more here.

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9th World Conference on Ecological Restoration

The Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) will host the 9th World Conference on Ecological Restoration virtually from 21 – 24 June 2021.
As we enter the UN Decade for Ecosystem Restoration there has never been a more important time to bring together scientists, academics, researchers and experts from the fields of rehabilitation and environmental restoration, alongside practitioners and industry leaders to tackle the vast environmental challenges that we face today.

This four-day meeting will bring together restoration professionals and students from around the world and provide a lively forum for networking and knowledge exchange.

We invite participants from across the field of ecological restoration, including academics, researchers, practitioners, students, artists, economists, advocates, legislators, regulators, and others who support the field to join us virtually to connect, learn, and work towards catalyzing global change as we start the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

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4th International Conference on Global Food Security

The 4th International Conference on Global Food Security addresses the topic of food security at all spatial levels from local to global, and from an interdisciplinary and systemic food systems perspective. It aims to better understand environmental, nutritional, agricultural, demographic, socio-economic, political, technological and institutional drivers, costs and outcomes of current and future food security. Interactions with contextual factors including climate change, urbanisation, greening the economy and data-driven technologies will be central.

The conference addresses the triple burden of malnutrition: hunger, micronutrient deficiencies and obesity. It explores the state-of-the-art of interdisciplinary insight, addresses the trade-offs that occur – and synergies that can be sought –in transforming food systems. These are aimed at reconciling the competing environmental, economic or social objectives and outcomes towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals at different levels across spatial and temporal scales.

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Deep Dive into Rainforest Alliance’s Coffee Sector Strategy

During this webinar, the Rainforest Alliance will present its new strategy for coffee sector transformation and explain how this is linked to the overall ambition of our new certification system and other intervention areas.

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