I am convinced that resource
management needs to be organized along a watershed by watershed basis in order
for all participants to properly contribute and be also held accountable. That also means organizing land tenure to
reflect just that methodology. It
certainly seems to be the process been adopted presently in India .
It may even force forest
departments to work with agricultural departments and when you realize we have
in fact separated those functions for purely historical reasons, this can only
be a strep forward.
This blog started as a plea to
have farmers take charge under a viable economic model of their adjacent
woodlots. I saw it as the one sure way in which CO2 can be successfully
sequestered and used to support farm economics.
Almost immediately I came across recent work on biochar and prior work
of mine allowed its importance and sequestering capability to be recognized. Yet the woodlot model also still stands and
needs to be promoted.
Integrating agriculture and forestry in the landscape is key to REDD
by Staff Writers
Evidence from benchmark sites across the tropics is proving that an
integrated, multifunctional approach that allows for land-use sharing in
agriculture, forests and other functions can achieve good results in reducing
greenhouse gas emissions and raising food production levels. It provides more
realistic solutions than the popular view on sparing land for forests through
agricultural intensification.
Agricultural intensification,
also known as the Borlaug hypothesis, means increasing yields per unit area of
land regardless of the emissions caused, expecting that higher yields at
constant demand will spare forest land for conservation.
"While this theory might work in certain local conditions, it may
not be sufficient because globally, only 22% of increased food production is
due to expansion of harvested areas," said Peter Minang, the Global
Coordinator of the Alternatives to Slash and Burn (ASB) programme.
"Relying on the sparing theory without active forest protection may
even cause further deforestation. In an open economy, demand is not constant
and farmers will clear more land to meet increased demand for food products and
to make a greater profit."
A recent policy brief published by ASB-ICRAF shows that commodities meant
for export contribute to land use change responsible for emissions from
deforestation, forest degradation and agriculture.
Speaking at a side event during the 34th session of the Subsidiary Body
for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) in Bonn, Germany on 8 June
2011, Minang said "We will be urging negotiators and decision makers to
look at a wider policy package, one that provides incentives for
multifunctional land use."
The Bonn meeting will further discussions on decisions made last
December at the climate change conference in Cancun, including policy
approaches and positive incentives on issues relating to reducing emissions
from deforestation and forest degradation; and the role of conservation,
sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in
developing countries (REDD+).
"A key challenge with REDD+ is the lack of clarity about what
exactly a forest is," said Meine van Noordwijk, Chief Scientist with
the World Agroforestry Centre.
"In countries such as Indonesia , deforestation rates vary
depending on how a forest is defined, and this creates inconsistencies that
could make it difficult to determine baseline levels against which to track
progress in emission reduction."
There is growing evidence that agroforestry, which is the use of trees
on farms, enriches the soil to provide the necessary conditions for high
quality food production and the trees act as carbon stocks, thus helping
towards mitigating climate change.
"Promoting trees in the landscape within REDD+ is important
because this will not only accrue environmental and livelihood benefits but
will also focus attention on the drivers of deforestation that are outside the
forest and account for higher carbon emissions," added van Noordwijk.
"Our research in Indonesia
shows that the highest risk for loss of woody vegetation and associated carbon
emissions is posed by areas that are actually outside of areas defined as
forests".
Sharing the use of land under forestry and agriculture will reduce
greenhouse gas emissions and increase food production
much more effectively than trying to spare from use by increasing agricultural
intensification.
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