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19 May 2022 the Netherlands
In Venezuela, use of fire is a traditional practice by Indigenous peoples and firefighting agencies in savannas and cultivated areas. But due to the effects of climate change, fires are increasingly becoming out of control and more forests are being burned. Here, Bibiana Bilbao of Universidad Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela, and case study leader for indigenous fire management in the LANDMARC programme tells us what is being done, and the next steps needed to reduce the risk of wildfires in Venezuela.
17 May 2022 the Netherlands
Conventional agricultural support programmes are offering technologies to smallholders, but these technologies are destroying the ecological base of agriculture, according to Pablo Tittonell, Principal Research Scientist in Argentina’s National Council for Science and Technology. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about agroecological principles and the future of smallholders in forest frontier landscapes.
10 May 2022 the Netherlands
“We want to inspire young people to become restoration warriors,” says Sumarni Laman. She works with an NGO in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, to build awareness about the need for restoration among indigenous youth. Here she talks with Koen Kusters about the importance of her work, as well as the challenges she has encountered.
09 May 2022 the Netherlands
To prevent deforestation, restore degraded lands and build green value chains, local small-scale producers in the forestry and agroforestry sectors require better access to finance, so they can invest in sustainable practices, according to FAO’s most recent State of the World’s Forests.
04 May 2022 the Netherlands
“Economic development usually begins with agriculture, so we must take smallholders as a starting point,” says Rudy Rabbinge, emeritus university professor of sustainable development and food security at Wageningen University and Research (WUR). Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the role of smallholders, and the need to increase their productivity.
26 April 2022 the Netherlands
We need to get away from the fixation on smallholders and focus on a development model that actually improves livelihood opportunities, according to Stefan Dercon of the University of Oxford. Dercon has written critically about development programmes that support smallholder agriculture as a way out of poverty. Here he talks with Koen Kusters about the relation between smallholder farming, development aspirations and the environment.