Climate change mitigation: Low-emission food systems

The mission of Low-emission food systems is to develop and scale research-based solutions that contribute to transforming food and land systems into low emitters of greenhouse gases and delivering sustainable development co-benefits.

Marco conceptual para medir las contribuciones de las intervenciones en agricultura para mitigar el cambio climático y construir paz

Con esta investigación, el proyecto SLUS busca contribuir al cierre del vacío de conocimiento en la cuantificación de la contribución de las intervenciones a nivel de finca en la producción agrícola, construcción de paz y mitigación del cambio climático cuando los sistemas de uso sostenible de la tierra son adaptados al contexto local. En este reporte, desarrollamos un marco que integra las dimensiones de sostenibilidad agrícola, acción climática y construcción de paz. Para validar dicho marco, usamos datos del cultivo de cacao (teobroma cacao) en los departamentos de Caquetá y Cesar en Colombia. Ambos departamentos están emergiendo de un conflicto y han sido objetivo de diversas intervenciones agrícolas como un medio para lograr reducir la presión sobre los bosques y lograr la paz. Para validar el marco utilizamos alrededor de 922 encuestas de hogares. Clasificamos los sistemas productivos en función de sus características socioeconómicas y estrategias de gestión agrícola. Operacionalizamos el marco utilizando indicadores de la encuesta para analizar las variaciones entre tipologías de los sistemas de producción de cacao. Nuestros resultados sugieren que los sistemas de producción sostenible de cacao, es decir, sistemas agroforestales implementados con fertilización orgánica, junto con las prácticas prescritas de postcosecha y el riego, influyen positivamente en (1) la producción agrícola a través del aumento de los rendimientos y (2) la consolidación de la paz a través de la reducción de los conflictos por el uso de los recursos naturales y la creación de espacios de cooperación y diálogo. Sin embargo, no encontramos diferencias entre las contribuciones de los sistemas de producción sostenible de cacao a la mitigación del cambio climático, posiblemente porque la mayoría de las fincas de cacao están bajo sistemas agroforestales. Nuestros hallazgos indican que la producción de cacao contribuye a la paz, lo cual es coherente con las políticas públicas promovidas en Colombia

Assessment of potential climate change impacts on montane forests in the Peruvian Andes: Implications for conservation prioritization

This study examines climate change impacts in the Peruvian Andes, with a specific focus on tropical montane forest ecosystems, which are particularly susceptible to climate change. Using an ensemble of classification models coupled with different climate change scenarios, we estimate high and low potential impacts on montane forest, by projecting which areas will become climatically unsuitable to support montane forest ecosystems by 2070. These projections are subsequently used to examine potential impacts on protected areas containing montane forest

The effects of armed conflict on forest cover changes across temporal and spatial scales in the Colombian Amazon

This paper's results show that conflict variables have positive relationships with deforestation in Colombia; yet, they are not among the main variables explaining deforestation

Broadening the perspective of zero-deforestation interventions in Peru by incorporating concepts from the global value chain literature

Global narratives around the links between deforestation and agricultural commodity production have led to the application of voluntary zero-deforestation agreements between companies, governments, and civil society. The continued tropical deforestation warrants a re-examination of this approach in order to customize its application for a particular location. Our paper contributes to this by exploring the spatial associations between deforestation and the production of cacao, coffee, and oil palm in the Amazon region in Peru. The geographical overlaps between deforestation, and the distribution of these commodity crops, indicate four types of spatial associations: (1) a high degree of deforestation and a high degree of commodity production (high-high); (2) a high degree of deforestation and a low degree of commodity production (high-low); (3) a low degree of deforestation and a high degree of commodity production (low-high); and (4) a low degree of deforestation and a low degree of commodity production (low-low). On the basis of these associations, we present four scenarios in which zero-deforestation supply chain interventions may operate in Peru and argue that broadening the perspective of such interventions by adopting a global value chain lens can improve the use of previously deforested lands, prevent unintended or future deforestation and, in turn, ensure that no forest area is left behind

Toward zero-deforestation value chains: Environmental upgrading and downgrading among non-certified cocoa producers in Colombia

Global pressure to make value chains less damaging to the natural environment, a process known as environment upgrading, has been building in recent years. Most studies that assess environmental upgrading have focused on the compliance of suppliers, which would be farmers in the case of value chains involving agrifood commodities, to sustainability certification standards. Our case study focusing on cocoa producers in Colombia explores an under-investigated topic in environmental upgrading — that of whether sustainable practices of non-certified farmers facilitate zero-deforestation value chains. Using data from 930 randomly sampled households in the Colombian departments of Caqueta and Cesar, we examined the association of non-certified sustainable practices, i.e., processes that benefit the environment which farmers undertake on their own and not because of adherence to sustainability certification criteria, with reforestation and deforestation: A positive association of the practices with the former suggests environmental upgrading, while with the latter would be environmental downgrading, which denotes negative environmental outcomes from the process of environmental upgrading. We also assessed whether or not there are significant differences between mean deforestation and reforestation rates between certified and non-certified cocoa producers in both departments. Based on statistical tests, we found that (a) non-certified sustainable practices can facilitate environmental upgrading and discourage environmental downgrading but only in some cases, and (b) there is no significant difference in mean deforestation rates between certified and non-certified surveyed cocoa producers, but there is a significant difference in mean reforestation rates between the two groups of producers. These results suggest that implementing non-certified sustainable practices poses another way to enable value chain actors to meet the requirements in markets seeking sustainably produced commodities. One such market is that of the European Union, whose legislation on deforestation-free commodities makes certification an optional rather than compulsory process to support the prescribed procedure on diligence procedure

Gender dynamics and sustainable agriculture adoption for low emission food systems in Cameroon

Sustainable agrifood systems have the potential to significantly impact the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in Cameroon. However, there is a gender disparity in the adoption of these technologies due to various sociocultural norms and gender dynamics. In 2020, 351 southern and eastern Cameroonian farming households were surveyed. Gender roles, decision-making, and sustainable agrifood systems were studied using a multistage random sample. The principal component analysis identified thirteen sustainable agrifood systems used by farmers and grouped them into practices with mitigation potentials, adaptation potentials, and soil conservation. Descriptive statistics examined gender differences in farm and household decision-making. A multinomial logit regression model (MNL) was used to examine how gender-based household decision-making affects farmer enrollment in sustainable agrifood systems. MNL marginal effects coefficients were used to interpret the effects of independent variables on the sustainable agrifood systems enrollment, controlling for other factors and allowing comparisons across variables. The results of the study reveal that women play a significant role in the technical aspects of farming (64.4%) and take most decisions regarding onfarm activities (70%). However, decisions regarding farm earnings (81.4%) and farm technology (84%) are made by men. Household decision-making, particularly by women, significantly (P≤0.001) influences the adoption of different sustainable agrifood system packages. The use of practices with mitigation potential and soil conservation practices increased for households with decisions made by females, while the use of practices with adaptation potential decreased. The study emphasises the importance of extension services in encouraging farmers to use larger (more than 3 practices) sustainable agrifood system packages. Education and land ownership also positively (P≤0.05) influenced sustainable agrifood systems, particularly those with mitigation potential. Women have little decision-making power in agricultural production, according to decision-making results. Thus, gender-equitable agrifood systems adoption policies and programmes are needed to empower women. Such efforts can increase agricultural productivity, economic empowerment of women, gender equity, and social justice

Has global deforestation accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic?

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, questions arose as to whether the pandemic would amplify or pacify tropical deforestation. Early reports warned of increased deforestation rates; however, these studies were limited to a few months in 2020 or to selected regions. To better understand how the pandemic influenced tropical deforestation globally, this study used historical deforestation data (2004–2019) from the Terra-i pantropical land cover change monitoring system to project expected deforestation trends for 2020, which were used to determine whether observed deforestation deviated from expected trajectories after the first COVID-19 cases were reported. Time series analyses were conducted at the regional level for the Americas, Africa and Asia and at the country level for Brazil, Colombia, Peru, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Indonesia. Our results suggest that the pandemic did not alter the course of deforestation trends in some countries (e.g., Brazil, Indonesia), while it did in others (e.g., Peru). We posit the importance of monitoring the long-term effects of the pandemic on deforestation trends as countries prioritize economic recovery in the aftermath of the pandemic

Key factors for effective design and implementation of sustainable land use systems to reduce deforestation and enhance peacebuilding in Colombia

This Policy Brief provides scientifically sound guidance for decision makers to help integrate SLUS strategies into policy instruments, in order to promote synergies and address trade-offs between multiple objectives related to climate change mitigation, sustainable agriculture and peacebuilding

The risk of unintended deforestation from scaling sustainable livestock production systems

Silvopastoral systems (SPS)-production systems integrating trees, forages, and livestock within the same land area-are recognized as critical for reducing tropical deforestation and improving livelihoods, ecosystem services, and carbon sinks. Yet, research on how scaling SPS influences forest cover changes at large geographical scales is scant. Our study delves deeper into the interlinkages between scaling SPS and deforestation. In two surveys conducted among 144 Colombian Amazon livestock producers with traditional or SPS farms, we assessed changes in herd composition between 2016 and 2020. Results showed a change in herd composition, with fewer males and more cows/heifers, suggesting a shift toward specializing in milk production, which, with the appropriate environmental incentives and safeguards, would unlikely broaden deforestation. However, interlinkages between the dairy and beef value chains suggest that extra male cattle from SPS intensification would be moved for fattening as a source of beef to new pastures at the forest border. If SPS scaling interventions in the Colombian Amazon are to be truly deforestation-free, they need to be designed based on a clear understanding of the interlinkages between food and land systems. Therefore, policies advancing the livestock and land-use agenda must create mechanisms that support deforestation-free livestock intensification, based on biophysical and socioeconomic evaluations