September 30, 2013
Sows and Soil: Building a Sustainable and Profitable Farm
By Harry Stoddart, Stoddart Family Farm, Ontario, Canada
The System of Rice Intensification drew last week to a close, but we continue discussing the challenges and means by which to increase productivity of land while balancing ecological and social needs. Today, Harry Stoddart articulates the approach and underlying mentality he has cultivated over the years, moving from industrial farming to a more holistic […] ...
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September 27, 2013
What Does ‘Intensification’ of Agricultural Production Look Like at Landscape Scale?
By Norman Uphoff, SRI-Rice, Cornell University Wednesday’s post from Professor Joern Fischer provided some background on agricultural intensification, benefits and pitfalls, and a movement toward “sustainability.” In particular, he noted how landscape scale adds complexity to intensifying practices, but also helps build resilience. Professor Norman Uphoff provides a concr ...
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September 25, 2013
From Farm to Landscape: Avoiding the Pitfalls of Intensification
Joern Fischer
Leuphana University Lueneburg
Editor’s Note: Today’s guest author kicks off this month’s Landscapes Roundtable series with a discussion of key considerations on the topic of sustainable intensification. Intensification, and especially “sustainable intensification,” is now frequently being hailed as a potential solution to simultaneously address concerns about environmental protection ...
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September 23, 2013
Intensifying Production: Reaping Multiple Benefits On and Beyond the Farm
Theoretical model of sustainable intensification With a growing population, and increasingly dwindling natural resources and degrading ecosystems, there is increasing attention devoted to producing adequate and nutritious food while simultaneously maintaining environmental integrity. Often referred to as sustainable intensification, this notion that both productivity and long-t ...
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September 20, 2013
The Namibian Coast: A Land of Fish, Fowl, and Following the Rules
Rod Braby, project coordinator for the Namibian Coast Conservation and Management Project (NACOMA), answers a few questions about how his organization safeguards biodiversity through integrated management. The work of NACOMA will be highlighted today at Supporting Drylands through Integrated Management: The Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Initiative in Windhoek, Namibia ...
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September 18, 2013
Enhancing Resilience in the Cattle Corridor of Uganda
Rachel Friedman
University of Queensland
As the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) meets this week, the Landscapes Blog continues to turn its attention to integrated landscape management and activities. Resilience is a particularly critical topic in the drylands, where more variable climate and the increased frequency and intensity of drought events makes planning for stresses and uncertainty necessary. I ...
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September 16, 2013
Reviewing Integrated Landscapes in Africa: Lessons for Drylands
Jeffrey C. Milder
Rainforest Alliance
Over the past months, this blog has featured many inspiring “success stories” of integrated landscape initiatives from around the world. But are these just a series of interesting anecdotes—each stemming from its own unique context—or can we begin to derive some generalized principles that might help inform practices and policies for future landscape initiatives in [&he ...
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September 13, 2013
Drawing, Role-Playing, and 3D Maps
The Landscapes Blog often explores research and technical experience on integrated landscapes, but sometimes accounting for different components and interactions within a landscapes really requires some visualization and participation by community stakeholders. A recent blog post shared a story of using role-playing games in conservation and development planning in Laos. This ...
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September 11, 2013
Please Tell Lorna …
By John Blewitt, co-director of MSc Social Responsibility and Sustainability, Aston University, Birmingham Blewitt argues that there is a growing recognition that more localized food production is crucially important for personal health, social well-being, and ultimately resilience to change. He provides insight into how small scale projects can have wide implications for sup ...
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September 9, 2013
AGree on Collaborative Watershed and Landscape Management
Last Friday the 13th World Water Week came to a close, having brought experts together to explore cooperation and partnership in issues related to water. A recent report on watershed management in the United States emphasized this same theme of collaborative management and partnerships, and drawing our focus on water to a close. Multi-stakeholder engagement […] ...
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