The CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE) is promoting a new paradigm for agricultural development in which a healthy functioning ecosystem is supported as a prerequisite to agricultural development, resilience of food systems and human wellbeing. Creating such an environment will require new ways of thinking as to how large-scale investment (whether from government or private sector) can contribute to sustainability at the landscape level.
The session, “Re-thinking investment in sustainable landscapes and livelihoods” at the Global Landscape Forum, tomorrow, will highlight three presentations to explore new pathways for how research can support sustainable investments.
Case studies from Colombia, Nepal and Malawi
The presentation from the Llanos, Colombia, looks at what has been described as the last agricultural frontier in the country, and how the government can sustainably manage potentially 17 million square hectares of new agriculture land.
The portfolio of interventions moves into new pathways for CGIAR. Apart from a renewed focus on large and medium-sized agriculture rather than smallholders, it also includes new business models for producing and marketing the cashew nut, soil restoration, and the development of “indicators” of eco-efficiency to establish how the work is faring against environmental principles.
The second case study comes from Nepal, where watershed management projects have traditionally focused on community forestry management. However, there is substantial potential for using water to spur improved agricultural development. A focus on watershed conservation and management can improve people’s access to more reliable water supplies for domestic purposes and access to irrigation for communities in upland watersheds. The case also looks at farming systems that are in flux due to out-migration of people and inward flows of money through remittances.
The third case study, from Malawi, looks at ways of addressing severely degraded landscapes with diminishing ecosystem services that are leaving many rural communities with persistent food shortages and poverty. A range of ‘new and old’ practices can help turn around the situation. These practices include re-thinking conservation agriculture practices as well as leveraging better arrangements for irrigation and water management.
The Malawi case study suggests that greater empowerment of local communities in decision-making and organizing smallholders into associations can ensure that they can negotiate and support agribusiness initiatives. Public-private partnerships are also important; private investment in timber and water supplies through public partnerships can create compensation schemes to incentivize households to maintain ecosystems.
Beyond the technical aspects of new entry points, the session will look at the social and institutional opportunities for – and barriers to – science influencing large-scale investments. The session will feature an inclusive “Fish Bowl” exercise to gain insights from participants at the Global Landscape Forum.
The session will be held from 2-4pm on November 16th in the Old Library Building, University of Warsaw.
Blogpost by Michael Victor (WLE)
Photo: N. Palmer (CIAT)
