A special video tribute to the indomitable Wangari Maathai, environmentalist, peacemaker and human rights campaigner, was screened at Forest Day 5 during the UN climate change meeting in Durban.
Kate Langford
Kate Langford is Communications Specialist at the World Agroforestry Centre, based in Nairobi, Kenya. She has spent the last 18 years promoting natural resource, environmental and land management issues for various government and non-government organizations in Australia (her home country) as well as Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos and now Kenya. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Graduate Diploma in Scientific Communication.
Harnessing the mitigation potential of soil carbon
December 8, 2011 By Leave a Comment
With attention turning to climate-smart agriculture, a new book analyses the mitigation potential of soil carbon and discusses lessons learned from pilot projects seeking to access carbon finance.
Asking the right questions about the future of agriculture
November 29, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Leading experts and representatives of major agricultural organizations worldwide – including Tony Simons, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre -were asked to identify the most important questions facing the future of global agriculture.
Achieving food security in the face of climate change – summary report out
November 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Multi-benefit farming systems – such as agroforestry – should be encouraged to enable more productive and resilient livelihoods and ecosystems. This is one of several recommendations in the Achieving Food Security in the Face of Climate Change summary report for policy makers released by the Commission on Sustainable Agriculture and Climate Change. The report contains [...]
Agroforestry and biodiversity conservation go hand-in-hand
November 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment
It’s official: agroforestry systems that are rich in species as well as multifunctional landscapes can support biodiversity conservation. This is the message highlighted in a new policy brief by the ASB Programme of the World Agroforestry Centre. Co-existence of people and orangutan in Sumatra. Stabilising gradients for landscape multifunctionality is based on research conducted in [...]
A brown revolution for Africa
October 31, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Is boosting soils sustainably – through legumes, intercropping, agroforestry, cover crops, mulching and other soil improving techniques – the solution to meeting Africa’s food production needs? Asia had the green revolution in the late 20th century. The development of improved seed varieties together with the expansion of irrigation infrastructure, the modernization of management techniques and [...]
Action must move ahead of knowledge to buffer agriculture from climate change
October 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment
The CGIAR’s Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security program has published a valuable summary of current knowledge on options to support farmers, particularly smallholder farmers, in achieving food security through agriculture under climate change. Published in the latest issue of the journal, Environmental Science and Policy, the paper says broad-based action – integrated research, policy [...]
Fuzzy definitions hamper efforts to stop deforestation
October 18, 2011 By Leave a Comment
What is a forest? It seems the answer to this question varies depending upon who you ask. An article by WWF in the English-language Malaysian tabloid, The Star, says a recent study found more than 800 different definitions of a forest. While it might make sense for different countries to have different forest definitions, it [...]
New UN Drylands Ambassador to champion agroforestry
October 14, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Recently retired Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre, Dr Dennis Garrity, has been appointed UN Drylands Ambassador. “It will be my duty to inform the wider community about the great successes in regenerating drylands around the world,” said Garrity in accepting the honour. Agroforestry is seen as having enormous potential to mitigate the effects [...]
Selling trees to conservation agriculture enthusiasts
October 7, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“If you choose the right species of trees and manage them in the right way, they can be compatible with agriculture and provide many benefits,” said Dennis Garrity in addressing the World Congress of Conservation Agriculture during his last week as Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre.
