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By Peter Holmgren, Director General of CIFOR. My previous blog post provided some context to how forests may fit into the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework. The timing of this discussion is important, as the UN Open Working Group on SDGs will discuss forests in its final meeting on 3-7 February 2014. Following this meeting, […]

As climate variability increases, regions are becoming more vulnerable to its negative impacts. The agricultural sector will be hit hardest by climate change, not only suffering from direct influences but also from multiplier effects. In order to adapt, farmers need to know how weather will change in their area – requiring data that goes beyond […]

By Peter Holmgren, Director General, CIFOR. How should we define forestry for sustainable development? On 3-7 February 2014, this will be debated in the UN General Assembly’s Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals. We are proud that CIFOR scientist Dr. Daju Resosudarmo has been invited to make a presentation and be on the expert […]

A new land-use study focuses on the agricultural and environmental impacts of fertilizer use in Africa. For the first time, researchers look at the problem at a continental scale. Farmers in Africa increasingly turn towards the cheaper, nitrogen-based products – with negative consequences for yields and environmental costs felt beyond the agricultural sector. The study […]

Agriculture is the sector that is hit hardest by climate change – and developing countries will be most vulnerable to these shocks. Three new papers published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences this week look at climate consequences for major crops, the availability of fresh water and what climate change means for […]

Farmers require financing to meet the growing demand for food. A new working paper identifies opportunities for investing in sustainable agriculture in ways that benefit smallholders. Smallholder agriculture and forestry is constrained by the high risk embedded in current approaches to providing capital for longer-term investments in sustainable practices.  Authors of the working paper Financing sustainable […]