operationalizing landscape approaches

“Down to Earth” Side EventThe Hague, Netherlands, 5 November

2010

Sara J. Scherr, PresidentEcoAgriculture Partners

Operationalizing Landscape Approaches

Agenda

Video on Ecoagriculture landscapes Panel

o Sara J. Scherr, EcoAgriculture – Introductiono Tamara Benjamin, CATIE – Latin Americao Constance Neely, ICRAF – Rangelandso George Wamukoya, COMESA – Africao Peter Veen, Dutch Society for Nature

Conservation – Europe Discussion

Ecoagriculture landscapes

Agricultural landscapes managed to enhance rural livelihoods and sustainable agricultural production (of crops, livestock, fish and forest), while conserving or restoring ecosystem services and biodiversity.

Diverse landscape strategies

Kabale, Uganda Willamette Valley, USA

Eastern Region, Burkina Faso Tea Zone, Kenya

Align diverse objectives through multi-stakeholder planning & action

AgrobiodiversityDiverse crop varieties & breeds, improved germplasm, HYV’s

Increase agricultural productivity, resilience and sustainability in farm fields

Integrated pest management Uses biodiversity for pest control, lowering synthetic input costs

Integrated water management More efficient water use plus irrigation

Integrated soil conservation Improved organic content and natural nutrient cycling lower synthetic input costs, improve soil health, water-holding and infiltration

AgroforestryTree-growing for food, fuel, feed, medicine, building, soil nutrients, soil protection, windbreaks, and income

In conservation areas • Natural areas that

benefit local farming communities

• Provide watershed protection, habitat connectivity thru non-farmed areas

• Reduce or reverse land conversion by increasing farm productivity

• Develop species conservation plans

In production areas • Minimize agricultural

pollution (incl. GHG)• Manage water flow, use &

infiltration--plot,farm,landscape

• Increase carbon storage in soils and vegetation

• Modify farming systems to mimic natural ecosystems

• Maintain diversity of crop species & varieties

Maintain ecosystem services & biodiversity in agricultural landscape mosaics

Productivity-enhancing innovationswith positive impacts on ecosystems

1

2

3

44

Conservation innovations with positive impacts for farmers

5

6

7

8

Potential benefits for farmers of engaging in ecoagriculture landscape initiatives1) Increase profits (reduce production

costs, increase yields, improve quality)

2) Conserve ecosystem services important for their livelihoods

3) Link with buyers who want products that protect biodiversity

4) Sell ecosystem services

5) Comply with environmental regulations

6) Protect rights to crop, graze, collect products from protected areas

7) Enhance local quality of life

8) Reduce conflicts with other groups

9) Protect cultural, spiritual values

Positive impacts of integrated landscape initiatives have been documented Smallholder production & community

livelihoods Enhanced ecosystem services &

biodiversity

1) Banikoara District, Benin - livestock corridor

2) Kericho, Kenya – certified tea

3) Luangwa Valley, Zambia - wildlife-friendly farming

4) Loess Plateau, China – degraded land restoration

5) Rajasthan, India – landscape water harvesting

6) Cebu, Philippines – watershed restoration

7) Kalinga, Philippines – forest biodiversity & agro- biodiversity conservation with intensification

8) Talamanca, Costa Rica – farmer-led biodiversity conservation and eco-label marketing

9) Matiguas, Nicaragua – payment to farmers for ecosystem services on farmland

Process of multi-stakeholder ecoagriculture landscape management

Participatory process of rural landscape

management

Stakeholders negotiate landscape

goals

Understand the

landscape from diverse perspectives

*

Implement farm &

landscape plans

Design and plan farm & landscape actions, finance,

responsibilities

Track & review

results and modify

strategy/action

Collaborative landscape planning: spatialstrategy for land use & management

Landscape assessment and future scenarios

Upper watershed protection

policies:• PES for hillside

revegetation and on-farm agroforestry

• 30-meter riparian zone protection

Intensive agriculture zone policies:

• Farmer education on IPM• 15-meter riparian zone

protection• Community stream

monitoring

Collaborative landscape planning: programs, policies and investments

Sectors align, coordinate or

integrate

1) Landscape literacy (spatial, functional)

2) Multi-stakeholder deliberation and negotiation (across sectors)

3) Farm & landscape ‘design’ (who does what, where, how?)

4) Collaborative implementation5) Landscape tracking and

assessment (production, ecosystems, livelihoods, institutions)

Core capacities & tools needed to implement ecoagriculture landscape strategies

The Landscape Measures Resource Center: Tools for assessing landscape performance

www.landscapemeasures.org

Contents Process Practice Case Studies Glossary

A web-based hub for a virtual learning network

Testing in “learning landscapes”

• Venue and date:• Nairobi, Kenya - January 2012

• Objectives:• Share and take stock of

experience

• Showcase tools, methods, practices

• Define international action agenda to scale ecoagriculture (Rio + 20, et al)

• Participants:• Landscape leaders &

innovators

Landscapes for People, Food and Nature: Ecoagriculture Conference & Knowledge Exchange

www.ecoagriculture.org Thank you!

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