Links between carbon, deforestation and conflict in Colombia

The project “Implementing sustainable agricultural and livestock systems for simultaneous targeting of forest conservation for climate change mitigation (REDD+) and peace-building in Colombia” aims to contribute towards the reduction of landbased GHG emissions, conserving forest, restoration of degraded landscapes and improving rural livelihoods, while stimulating peace-building in rural Colombia. This report adds to Activity l.2 of the project by providing a data driven analysis of geographical overlaps between priority areas for peace-building and land-based climate change mitigation

Joint adoption of sustainable practices in cocoa production systems

The objective of this document is to identify the determinants of the joint adoption of sustainable practices in the cocoa production systems To achieve the stated objective, this document uses information from 922 household surveys conducted in both departments and presents different types of analysis such as descriptive statistics multivariate and generalized ordered probit models

“Rambo root” to the rescue: How a simple, low‐cost solution can lead to multiple sustainable development gains

Rugged and resilient, cassava is a bulky root crop that can thrive on poor soils. Cultivating it offers the potential to restore degraded land, which in turn may reduce hunger, generate livelihoods, fight climate change and even promote peace. As such, farming cassava offers a nature‐based solution that can contribute to achieving numerous sustainable development targets. The authors acknowledge that scaling up production of any commodity may bring risks of deforestation and biodiversity loss through clearing forest areas. In the case of increasing cassava production, though, this may not be the case because cassava can be cultivated on land affected by degradation, and this resource is abundant; policies and initiatives exist to mitigate those risks; and the principal goal is to scale up a sustainable land use system

Land related grievances shape tropical forest-cover in areas affected by armed-conflict

Peer Revie

Integrating climate mitigation and environmental peacebuilding objectives through sustainable land use systems: Theory of change and indicators

Land is an essential natural resource for climate mitigation and peace. It is commonly connected with sources of GHG emissions and with drivers of (violent) conflict. Therefore, climate mitigation and peacebuilding strategies are co-designing sustainable land-use systems (SLUS) with affected communities to integrate land-based climate mitigation and peacebuilding objectives. SLUS is practiced within agricultural production systems that meet sustainability principles (environmental, social, and economic). Nevertheless, there needs to be more program evaluation frameworks, especially measurable indicators, that integrate these two objectives (achieving peace and climate mitigation). This study aims to develop a methodology and criteria to evaluate the precise mechanisms of SLUS influencing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and drivers of conflict. A mix-method approach was used in two case study regions, Cesar and Caquetá, Colombia, where SLUS strategies where implemented. First, we conducted three workshops, two in-person and one virtual (n = 103). Secondly, we held semi-structured interviews (n = 115) to make an analysis of the conflict. Our research focused on the drivers of land-based emissions and conflict drivers targeted by the SLUS implementation. Lastly, through a household survey (n = 929), we illustrated the impacts of SLUS in peacebuilding at the farm level. Results show that SLUS, such as cocoa agroforestry, can contribute to climate change mitigation and deliver co-benefits in four core factors: (i) socio-economic inclusion by creating jobs and diversifying livelihoods, (ii) dialogue and conflict transformation by allowing negotiations around the participatory design of farms, including conservation agreements, (iii) natural resource governance, and (iv) cooperation by creating knowledge exchange and a community of practice

Moving towards a deforestation-free cacao and chocolate value chain with low greenhouse gas emissions

The report "Towards a cocoa and chocolate chain free of deforestation and low in greenhouse gas emissions: Current status, opportunities with a value chain approach and plan of action" presents an input for the development of a cocoa chain free of deforestation and low in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the Ucayali region. The document has been produced under the framework of the Sustainable Amazon Businesses (SAB) project, led by CIAT as part of the Bioversity International and CIAT Alliance, in coordination with the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation (MINAGRI) of Peru, and in partnership with the international consulting firm Climate Focus (CF). This project is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI), supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU). The present plan aims to contribute to the effort of the Regional Government of Ucayali (GOREU) to reduce GHG emissions from the agricultural sector due to changes in land use in the Peruvian Amazon, in accordance with the Peruvian Government's international commitments to mitigate climate change. The document presents an innovative and novel plan to contribute to the environmental sustainability of the cacao and chocolate value chain, developed from the perspective of forest conservation and the recovery of degraded ecosystems and with solutions provided by value chain actors. The plan contributes to the Peruvian Government's efforts to comply with the National Determined Contributions (NDC) assumed at the Conference of the Parties - COP21 and the agreement between the Governments of Norway, Germany and Peru - Joint Declaration of Intent (JDI) - two commitments that seek to reduce GHGs. It also seeks to promote the development of national plans, policies and programs with a view to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDA) and Agenda 2030, which recognize that agriculture and climate change cannot be considered separately, and therefore call for a coherent and integrated approach to sustainability in the agriculture and environment sectors. This report provides information on the cocoa and chocolate chain that is as up-to-date as possible and very useful for the national and regional government, industry, producers, nongovernmental organizations and international cooperation agencies that are currently working on a chain that will contribute to the sustainable development of agriculture in the Peruvian Amazon. For the development of this document designed and agreed with key actors in the sector, the project has signed a framework cooperation agreement with GOREU. Through this cooperation, the articulation of this document with the most relevant development and territorial planning and production instruments in the region has been verified. Furthermore, it is expected that the specific elements of this document will contribute to the achievement of the objectives set out in the main management instruments of the Ucayali region and climate change in the country, among others: the Concerted Regional Development Plan (PDRC), the Regional Climate Change Strategy (ERCC) and the Low Emission Rural Development Strategy (ERBE). Based on this report, the SAB project intends to accompany the design and implementation of a pilot business model in the cocoa and chocolate chain, which will materialize several of the elements of this report, while taking advantage of emerging financial and market opportunities for products that are free of deforestation and low in GHG emissions. It is expected that this business model and its subsequent conversion into an investment model can serve for replication and scaling up in the region and in the country and, likewise, contribute with references of deforestation-free business models at the international level. Furthermore, it is expected that these models will serve as a basis for the generation of public policies that contribute to the sustainability of the sector