Blog for People, Food and Nature

October 31, 2012

New Tools to Cut Deforestation and Support Sustainable Palm Oil in Indonesia

As the second day of the tenth Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) comes to a close (Singapore is 8 hours ahead of GMT), Landscapes Initiative Co-Organizer World Resources Institute (WRI) has just released two new mapping tools to further sustainability efforts in Indonesian palm oil production. The tools help determine the best possible locations […] ...
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October 30, 2012

Beyond the Farm: What's Next for Certification?

As the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil convenes its tenth meeting this week in Singapore, this is a key time to consider questions about sustainability certifications and standards. Andre Brosser, founder of Beagle Sustainable Solutions, provides some thoughts on the future directions of RSPO and eco-certification in general. Once upon a time, a leading palm […] ...
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October 29, 2012

Advancing Agriculture Research for Development at GCARD2

On the heels of the Committee on World Food Security’s 39th meeting, food security experts (and many others) will head to the second Global Conference on Agricultural Research for Development (GCARD), held in Uruguay, this week. Building off of the first conference in 2010, this year’s meeting will focus on implementation, planning joint actions, and stakeholder [& ...
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October 26, 2012

A Tenth Anniversary for Sustainable Palm Oil

The annual meeting of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil begins next Monday. Hosted in Singapore, the meeting will celebrate RSPO’s tenth anniversary of working towards sustainable business models. It will provide a platform for the various stakeholders in the industry to reflect on advancements and lessons of the past decade, and to express views on […] ...
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October 25, 2012

Another Food Day: Talking About Systems

Yesterday marked the second annual Food Day in the United States.  Not to be confused with the international observance of World Food Day that celebrated agricultural cooperatives last Tuesday, the U.S. day specifically focuses on domestic food movements and policies. Created by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), and with a diverse array of advisory [&hel ...
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October 24, 2012

The Way Forward for Responsible Agricultural Investments

Considerable financial resources will be necessary to feed a growing global population, meet the needs of changing diets, and deal with natural resources and climatic challenges (see our post on climate-smart agriculture financing). According to FAO estimates, US$83 billion a year will be needed to achieve food security in developing countries. Furthermore, in Africa alone [&he ...
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October 23, 2012

Mainstreaming Biodiversity and Development

National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans, or NBSAPs, are national-level instruments for implementing the Convention on Biological Diversity. As part of the Convention, signatory countries are required develop a national strategy for biodiversity conservation applicable to all sectors that impact biodiversity. One of the topics discussed during the past two weeks of th ...
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October 19, 2012

Landscape of the Week: Biological Corridors of Mexico

An integrated landscape in the works, the World Bank’s Sustainable Production Systems and Biodiversity Project is trying to meld biodiversity conservation with agricultural production. Its goals are to conserve and protect nationally and globally significant biodiversity in Mexico by mainstreaming biodiversity-friendly management practices in productive landscapes in priority ...
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October 18, 2012

The Power of Local Action

Over the past two weeks in Hyderabad at the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Development Programme Equator Initiative has highlighted representatives from 20 case studies, culminating in a launch event on Tuesday for a database and lessons learned report. This years marks the 10th anniversary of the Equator Prize, a biannual award given to outstanding [& ...
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October 17, 2012

Why the world needs sustainable diets, and research about them

Diet plays a critical role not only in food and nutrition security, but also influencing the path of agricultural development. With the Convention on Biological Diversity well underway and the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) meeting progressing this week, the relevance of agrobiodiversity remains an important topic of discussion with regards to diet and […] ...
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