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19 October 2020 General
Land degradation in dryland areas is closely associated with high rates of rural poverty, which threatens rural livelihoods. Trees are well-known agents for ameliorating degradation; could they also integrate readily into existing farming systems and support smallholder livelihoods?
12 October 2020 Indonesia
When there is a will, there is a way. A group of Laman Satong village community members in Ketapang District, West Kalimantan have made their dream come true. This video shows how the community members of Laman Satong organized themselves and with help of Tropenbos Indonesia set up an ecotourism business “Laman Besolek” around the beautiful waterfall inside the deep forest of Gunung Palung National Park "Riam Berasap".
12 October 2020 DR Congo
For local communities, the forest is not only a source of life (reservoir of resources, climate, fresh air, livelihoods, clean water etc.) nor a simple place to live, it is life. But forests now a days are more than ever threatened. In DR Congo forests are increasingly the subject of monopolization/grabbing by “big men”, often educated and urban, to the detriment of local populations.
09 October 2020 General
Over the last couple of decades, many governments have formalized the forest rights of local communities and indigenous peoples, with the expectation that this would contribute to both conservation and sustainable development. With forest tenure reforms underway, this is a good time to reflect on the experiences so far: Have these reforms led to the desired outcomes? And, what are the conditions for success?
09 October 2020 Uganda
Before the advent of oil palm plantations in Kalangala islands on Lake Victoria, subsistence agriculture and fishing were the dominant economic activities. However, oil palm plantation monoculture is now the leading economic activity and has resulted in vegetation and land use changes. The oil palm plantations came with many wide ranging negative impacts from deforestation, land grabbing, shift in the agricultural systems, food insecurity to loss of livelihoods among others. This video highlights lessons from Kalangala to raise awareness of the negative impacts of oil palm plantations, so that investors and communities make better informed decisions in the future.
14 September 2020 the Netherlands
Cocoa agroforestry systems can bring a wide range of ecological benefits; biodiversity conservation of flora and fauna, carbon sequestration, preserving and strengthening soil moisture and fertility, contributing to pest control, and microclimatic control such as stimulating rainfall, and many other benefits. However, a large gap separates the current reality of agroforestry in the cocoa sector from its potential, and agroforestry should not replace forest areas, nor can simplified agroforestry be a substitute for more diverse agroforestry systems.