Transnational agricultural land acquisitions threaten biodiversity in the Global South

Agricultural large-scale land acquisitions have been linked with enhanced deforestation and land use change. Yet the extent to which transnational agricultural large-scale land acquisitions (TALSLAs) contribute to—or merely correlate with—deforestation, and the expected biodiversity impacts of the intended land use changes across ecosystems, remains unclear. We examine 178 georeferenced TALSLA locations in 40 countries to address this gap. While forest cover within TALSLAs decreased by 17% between 2000 and 2018 and became more fragmented, the spatio-temporal patterns of deforestation varied substantially across regions. While deforestation rates within initially forested TALSLAs were 1.5 (Asia) to 2 times (Africa) higher than immediately surrounding areas, we detected no such difference in Europe and Latin America. Our findings suggest that, whereas TALSLAs may have accelerated forest loss in Asia, a different mechanism might emerge in Africa where TALSLAs target areas already experiencing elevated deforestation. Regarding biodiversity (here focused on vertebrate species), we find that nearly all (91%) studied deals will likely experience substantial losses in relative species richness (−14.1% on average within each deal)—with mixed outcomes for relative abundance—due to the intended land use transitions. We also find that 39% of TALSLAs fall at least partially within biodiversity hotspots, placing these areas at heightened risk of biodiversity loss. Taken together, these findings suggest distinct regional differences in the nature of the association between TALSLAs and forest loss and provide new evidence of TALSLAs as an emerging threat to biodiversity in the Globa

Dynamic Local Structure in Caesium Lead Iodide: Spatial Correlation and Transient Domains

Metal halide perovskites are multifunctional semiconductors with tunable structures and properties. They are highly dynamic crystals with complex octahedral tilting patterns and strongly anharmonic atomic behavior. In the higher temperature, higher symmetry phases of these materials, several complex structural features are observed. The local structure can differ greatly from the average structure and there is evidence that dynamic 2D structures of correlated octahedral motion form. An understanding of the underlying complex atomistic dynamics is, however, still lacking. In this work, the local structure of the inorganic perovskite CsPbI3 is investigated using a new machine learning force field based on the atomic cluster expansion framework. Through analysis of the temporal and spatial correlation observed during large-scale simulations, it is revealed that the low frequency motion of octahedral tilts implies a double-well effective potential landscape, even well into the cubic phase. Moreover, dynamic local regions of lower symmetry are present within both higher symmetry phases. These regions are planar and the length and timescales of the motion are reported. Finally, the spatial arrangement of these features and their interactions are investigated and visualized, providing a comprehensive picture of local structure in the higher symmetry phases

Archetype analysis in sustainability research : meanings, motivations, and evidence-based policy making

Archetypes are increasingly used as a methodological approach to understand recurrent patterns in variables and processes that shape the sustainability of social-ecological systems. The rapid growth and diversification of archetype analyses has generated variations, inconsistencies, and confusion about the meanings, potential, and limitations of archetypes. Based on a systematic review, a survey, and a workshop series, we provide a consolidated perspective on the core features and diverse meanings of archetype analysis in sustainability research, the motivations behind it, and its policy relevance. We identify three core features of archetype analysis: recurrent patterns, multiple models, and intermediate abstraction. Two gradients help to apprehend the variety of meanings of archetype analysis that sustainability researchers have developed: (1) understanding archetypes as building blocks or as case typologies and (2) using archetypes for pattern recognition, diagnosis, or scenario development. We demonstrate how archetype analysis has been used to synthesize results from case studies, bridge the gap between global narratives and local realities, foster methodological interplay, and transfer knowledge about sustainability strategies across cases. We also critically examine the potential and limitations of archetype analysis in supporting evidence-based policy making through context-sensitive generalizations with case-level empirical validity. Finally, we identify future priorities, with a view to leveraging the full potential of archetype analysis for supporting sustainable development

Techno-economic feasibility study of acid gas to syngas (AG2STM) technology applied to oil refinery

The novelty of AG2STM (Acid Gas to Syngas) technology lies in the capability of producing syngas, a valuable product, from acid gases (H2S and CO2), which are refinery by-products. This work aims to propose and indicate the implementation of such technology as a revamping option of the already-running Claus plant. An applicability range based on industrial data by coupling two different software applications, i.e., Aspen HYSYS and MATLAB®. A comparison study between the two processes were developed, choosing some critical parameters (i.e., furnace inlet temperature, flame temperature, sulfur recovery efficiency, ratio of H2S and CO2 in the feed). The significance of introduced innovations is highlighted, at a technical, economic and environmental level. Due to complete recycle of H2S, relevant reduction of CO2, and syngas production the new technology appears to lean toward environmental and energy improvements and it could be integrated, without major investments, into existing systems, significantly increasing their performance

Threats to sustainable development posed by land and water grabbing

Since small-scale farmers manage most of the cultivated land worldwide, the ongoing shift in systems of production associated with large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) may dramatically reshape the world's agrarian landscape, significantly impacting rural populations and their livelihoods. The societal, hydrological and environmental implications resulting from the expansion of large-scale agricultural production, through LSLAs, make their ultimate sustainability questionable. This study, through a literature review, analyses the negative impacts of LSLAs, their hydrological dimension and how they may affect the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The core literature on land and water grabbing is reviewed and systematized using the 17 SDGs as a framework, in order to highlight the relationship between LSLAs and the sustainable development agenda. The magnitude of the global land rush phenomenon and the criticism raised in scholarly research highlight the controversial role that transnational land acquisitions may be playing in the global development agenda

The Global Water Grabbing Syndrome

Large-scale acquisitions of agricultural land in developing countries have been rapidly increasing in the last 10 years, contributing to a major agrarian transition from subsistence or small scale farming to large-scale com- mercial agriculture by agribusiness transnational corporations. Likely driven by recent food crises, new bioenergy policies, and financial speculations, this phenomenon has been often investigated from the economic develop- ment, human right, land tenure and food security perspectives, while its hydrologic implications have remained understudied. It has been suggested that a major driver of large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) is the quest for water resources that can be used (locally) to sustain agricultural production in the acquired land. The appropri- ation of water resources associated with LSLAs has often been termed ‘water grabbing’, though to date a formal definition of such a normative and inherently pejorative term is missing. The intrinsic assumption is that the ac- quisition of water undergoes the same dynamics of unbalanced power relationships that underlie many LSLAs. Here we invoke hydrological theories of “green” and “blue” water flows to stress the extent to which water ap- propriations are inherently coupled to land acquisitions and specifically focus on blue water. We then propose a formal definition of blue water grabbing based both on biophysical conditions (water scarcity) and ethical impli- cations (human right to food). Blue water grabs are appropriations of irrigation (i.e., blue) water in regions affect- ed by undernourishment and where agricultural production is constrained by blue water availability. We use this framework to provide a global assessment of the likelihood that LSLAs entail blue water grabbing