Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture blog posts

"What gets measured, gets managed." Proper management of ecosystem services could support 41 SDG targets spread across 12 SDG goals. Here's how. 

The world is currently facing a daunting double challenge: human populations and material demands are increasing while natural resources are declining at an alarming rate.

Will restoring or attempting to recreate the 'natural' flows of rivers downstream of large dams for the benefit of ecosystems actually help or hinder local communities? 

The Asia-Pacific Regional Assessment for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) has been drafted and is ready for external review. Get involved!

What changes need to take place in order to make agriculture socially, economically and environmentally sustainable while also being productive? What role does research play in bringing about this transformational change?

The WLE Focal Regions (2014-2016) were an ambitious attempt to apply the fundamental underpinnings of WLE at scale: sustainable intensification of agriculture and substantive investment in gender.

Many large programs have failed to effectively clean this sacred but highly polluted river. One overlooked opportunity is to tackle septage and focal sludge pollution from smaller cities. WLE offers sustainable and cost-effective solutions.

People in poor, rural communities in the Sahel often have to make difficult decisions about how they use their limited land, financial and natural resources. Perhaps there is a better way to sustainably source livestock fodder from resilient ecosystems.

Resettlement schemes are meant to improve the lives of those who are resettled, but sometimes this change brings about livelihood problems for relocated villagers. Considering the gender dynamics of the groups being relocated may help.

How west African small holder farmers could benefit more from improved irrigated agriculture relocation compensation schemes.

There is certainly evidence to suggest that wetlands can help reduce the negative impact of some natural disasters. However, wetlands cannot be treated as a disaster mitigation cure-all: they should be considered as one piece of a context-specific puzzle.

China's Agriculture Investment Bank plans to inject USD $450 billion into agriculture over the next four years. If this colossal investment is put towards projects that rely on the current agroecological research, it could spur an environmentally sustainable future for Chinese farmers.