On the International Day of Biological Diversity, IIED hosted a multi-stakeholder webinar on how to work with nature to mitigate and adapt to climate change and halt biodiversity loss. IIED senior researcher Xiaoting Hou Jones chaired the event, and here she shares some highlights from the discussions.

By Xiaoting Hou Jones, Researcher, IIED's Natural Resources research group. From IIED Blog, posted on 29 May 2020. 

Togo’s expanding populations need both food and means of generating income. After a recent visit, Duncan Macqueen reflects on how multi-tiered self-organisation is supporting sustainable solutions among tapioca producers.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, IIED's Natural Resources research group. From IIED Blog, posted on 5 February 2020.

As in many African countries, Madagascar’s forests are under increasing pressure from agricultural expansion as growing populations seek to produce more food in an increasingly erratic climate. After a recent visit to the country, Duncan Macqueen reflects on how agroforestry could be a key part of a response.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, IIED's Natural Resources research group. From IIED Blog, posted on 27 September 2019.

Duncan Macqueen explains how community forest enterprises in Mexico are already supporting the integrated delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, IIED's Natural Resources research group. From IIED Blog, posted on 10 September 2018.

A recent meeting in Rwanda concluded that enabling investment in business capacity development is vital to get small-scale forest entrepreneurs ready for 'asset investment' – and promote forest landscape restoration at scale.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, IIED's Natural Resources research group. From IIED Blog, posted on 8 June 2018.

As part of a recent meeting in Bangkok, forest and farm producers heard about initiatives that add value to forest products and motivate farmers to plant trees – particularly significant in light of progressive ideas on sustainability championed by Thailand's late king.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 20 December 2016.

A workshop in Ecuador heard how a new toolkit is helping practitioners get to grips with risk in locally controlled forest and farm business.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 9 December 2016.

A new business opportunity could help protect Belize's Yellow-headed parrots and benefit local communities as well.

Ahead of the World Forestry Congress, which opens in Durban next week, Duncan Macqueen asks whether African forests can be saved.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 4 September 2015.

Business training for farmers in Vietnam is adding spice to their harvest – and encouraging them to form producer organisations to make more from their crop.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 30 June 2015.

In the run up to the World Forestry Congress in September 2015, Duncan Macqueen highlights how Forest Farm Facility support to help groups organise is helping forest and farm producers in Guatemala.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 30 June 2015.

In Bolivia, the state is providing support to encourage community organisations to trial innovative new business models that challenge free market norms. Could such new ways of doing business also deliver greater benefits for the planet?

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 25 November 2014.

Investors vie for forest land. This might risk the livelihoods of the local communities and cultural forested landscapes. A new ‘locally controlled forestry’ -approach is available, that maintains the integrity of both forests and peoples who depend on them.

Kenya means business when it comes to supporting forest farms – partly because it needs to fix a wood demand-supply gap of 12 million m³ per year. So the launch of the Forest Farm Facility (FFF) in Nariobi on 6 November was timely.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 11 November 2014

Improving the participation of rural people has been in vogue for years, often with limited success. Here's one scheme that lives up to the hype by involving forest and farm producers on their own terms.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 24 March 2014.

Organisations of forest farmers have much to offer society —if they get the support they need from governments, donors, the private sector and NGOs.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Blog, posted on November 28, 2013

Wrapping up another week looking at what resilience means in the context of a landscape, today’s guest author shares some insight on the management of public goods (e.g. ecosystem services) in multi-functional landscapes. This discussion highlights recent research on how forest-farm landscapes can provide greater public goods and alludes to another study conducted on investment in locally controlled forestry, both of which touch upon risk mitigation and building more resilience of both ecosystems and communities.
By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From Landscapes for People, Food and Nature Blog, posted on August 23, 2013

While many Nepali subsistence farmers happily combine forestry and agriculture on their land, there is little integration between the two sectors in the country’s policy and administration.

By Grazia Piras, Senior Researcher, Forest Team, Natural Resources Group, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 18 July, 2013.

An unlikely sounding tuber could help local farmers achieve a landscape of community forestry in all but name in Myanmar.

By Duncan Macqueen, Principal Researcher, Forest Team, IIED
From IIED Blog, posted on 17 May, 2013.