Full steam ahead for the COFO Working Group

30/11/2022

As the end of the year draws close, the COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems are certainly not slowing down! Plans for 2023 are proceeding full steam ahead, including the e-Learning course, set to be launched in January 2023, and the Summer School running next summer.

The COFO Working Group held its 3^rd Steering Committee on the 28^th November, with discussion on the upcoming e-Learning course and the Summer School at the top of the agenda.

So far, 17 partners including universities, NGOs, and international organizations covering all dryland regions, have approved the program for the e-Learning course, which will consist of five lessons in total. Four of these have already been finalized, and the fifth is currently under production. The Working Group are eagerly awaiting the launch, which is set for January 2023 for the English version, and are hoping for an official launching ceremony together with the FAO Learning Academy.

This e-Learning programme is part of Working Group’s partnership with the Forest Rangelands and Watershed Organization (FRWO) of the Ministry of Jihad Agriculture, Iran, through the Sustainable Forest Management Rehabilitation of Forest Landscapes and Degraded Land project. In fact, through this partnership, Iran has registered its interest in translating the Forestry Working Paper “Building climate- resilient dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral production systems” which is already available in English, Spanish, French and Arabic, into Persian. Great news, meaning that the publication will reach an even wider audience!

The Working Group has had a busy quarter in other areas too, taking a large role in two recent Global Landscape Forums. These events were used to launch a new technical paper “Grazing with Trees” during the FAO–GLF digital forum titled “Transforming agrifood systems with forests” ahead of COFO26, and the “Grazing with Trees” policy brief and white paper “A turning point for drought management: upscaling the silvopastoral approach” at GLF Climate ahead of COP 27.

COFO Working Group’s Summer School

There are updates too on another major part of the Group’s work plan – the highly-anticipated Summer School, set to be carried out during the upcoming 3^rd COFO WG session in September 2023.This meeting will be different to previous sessions, as it will be held in parallel with the Near East Forestry and Range Commission (NEFRC) during their 26^th session and hosted by the Government of Jordan.

The e-Learning programme will be the baseline for the the first in a series of Summer Schools, which will be an excellent opportunities for professionals to deepen their knowledge and expertise on silvopastoralism and drylands. The first School will include field visits, likely organised by the Government of Jordan and FAO's Jordan office.

It will be a great chance for like-minded individuals to interact, share and gain further knowledge on how to tackle issues related to drylands forests and agrosilvopastoral management in their landscapes and reflect on the importance of sharing knowledge about the best practices between different contexts, while validating these techniques during their fieldwork themselves.

At the first official Summer School first official coordination meeting with partners, including the University of Jordan, Jordan University of Science and Technology, the University of Richmond (USA), the Swedish University of Agricultural Science, Sokoine University of Agriculture (Tanzania), Agricultural Research Council of South Africa, and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) participants shared ideas on the way their different expertise could complement each other and brainstormed on how best to incorporate this expertise in the School’s course.

The Summer School initiative is also a great link to the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists in 2026, mobilizing and deploying cross-regional expertise and promoting innovative and inter-connected sustainable agrosilvopastoral systems. It is hoped that trainees will leave the course as Dryland Champions, ready to strengthen integrated forest and landscape approaches across dryland areas!

Twelve misconceptions about agrosilvopastoral systems – and how to overcome them

14/08/2026

Agrosilvopastoral systems can contribute to food security, resilient livelihoods, biodiversity, climate adaptation and sustainable land management. Yet they are often reduced to simplified practice, such as grazing under trees or adding trees to livestock and farming landscapes; this brochure examines 12 common misconceptions about agrosilvopastoral systems and explains how evidence, policy and practice can overcome them

Advancing women's leadership in dryland regions through the three Rs: rights, representation and resources

30/10/2024

This WeCaN Nurturing Community of Knowledge Practice for Women policy brief focuses on advancing women's leadership in dryland regions through the three Rs: rights, representation and resources. It includes useful case studies collected from WeCaN members across many dryland areas, showcasing the benefits of strong women leadership on environments and communities.

Applying MEV-CAM tools: participatory video

30/01/2024

The Making Every Voice Count for Adaptive Management (MEV-CAM) toolkit provides process documentation facilitators with instruments for documenting change through participatory video to generate knowledge, monitor impact, and share practices.

Compost as solid waste management in Jordan

30/11/2023

This document aims to show the impact of good practices on local communities, from their own perspective.

Live fencing in Uganda

30/05/2023

This good practice, focusing on live fencing, comes from local communities in Uganda and provides a guide to restoring local ecosystems and farms through natural fencing methods.

Gabion baskets: A simple solution to a big problem

30/05/2023

This best practice, focusing on gabion baskets, comes from local communities in Malawi and provides a guide to the use of gabion baskets to improve landscape resilience.

From charcoal to honey in Malawi

30/05/2023

This best practice, focusing on beekeeping, comes from local communities in Malawi and provides a guide to implementing beekeeping as an alternative livelihood.

Farmer managed natural regeneration in Uganda

30/05/2023

This good practice, focusing on farmer managed natural regeneration, comes from local communities in Uganda and provides a guide to restoring local ecosystems through natural planting methods.

Theatre for development to engage local communities

30/04/2023

This best practice focuses on the use of Theatre for Development with local communities in Malawi.

Regenerative grazing for climate, ecosystem, and human health

30/11/2022

With regenerative grazing management, that is, the right management of livestock and wildlife for the right context, land degradation can be reversed, leading not only to a rapid regain of ecoystem function but to greater revenue for the women, men and youth drawing their livelihoods from these landscapes. This paper explores agroforestry, regenerative grazing management and silvopastoral systems.

Grazing with trees - A silvopastoral approach to managing and restoring drylands with trees: Policy brief

30/11/2022

The Grazing with trees policy brief accompanies the Grazing with Trees publication, giving an overview of the positive role that optimized extensive grazing livestock farming can play in the management and restoration of drylands’ forests and lands. Trees in dryland forests and wooded areas provide key ecosystem services such as animal feed, timber, fruits and, regulation of soil and water cycles.

A turning point for drought management: upscaling the silvopastoral approach

15/11/2022

This white paper provides useful background for the GLF Climate Digital Conference: A turning point for drought management: Upscaling the silvopastoral approach in the Near East North Africa (NENA) region....

Grazing with trees - A silvopastoral approach to managing and restoring drylands

30/09/2022

The ‘Grazing with Trees’ report gives a thorough assessment of the positive role that optimized extensive grazing livestock farming can play in the management and restoration of drylands’ forests and lands with trees. It assesses and provides sound evidence on the benefits of applying an integrated landscape approach and utilizing farmers and pastoralists’ knowledge to halt desertification, increase resilience, and enhance food security under the actual changing scenario.

Doing no harm while doing good - Climate and conflict sensitivity in dryland humanitarian projects. Policy brief

30/08/2022

The Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus recognizes conflict as a threat multiplier to climate change and seeks to integrate conflict sensitivity into policies and actions around natural resources. Competition for natural resources in dryland areas often leads to conflict between host communities and displaced people.

Valuing, restoring and managing “presumed drylands”: Cerrado, Miombo–Mopane woodlands and the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

26/05/2022

The study "Valuing, restoring and managing presumed drylands: Cerrado, Miombo–Mopane woodlands and the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau" confirms the existence of 1 075 million hectares of presumed drylands that are under threat...

Deploying a humanitarian-development-peace nexus approach: Exploring, strengthening and reviving dryland ecosystems

18/10/2021

The FAO-CARE- CGIAR joint technical working paper will contribute to developing an FAO position and improved understanding of the links between, and risks of, climate change and various kinds of conflict as related to FAO’s mandate, with particular attention to crisis contexts in dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral areas. More broadly, this will feed into UN system-level discussion and processes related to the multidimensional nature of Climate Security.

Building climate-resilient dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral production systems: An approach for context-dependent economic, social and environmentally sustainable transformations

30/03/2021

With climate change impacts already felt in the world’s drylands, there is an urgent need for action, at various scales and initiated by different stakeholders, to ensure the sustainability of food production and livelihoods in these regions in the coming decades. There is also the need to rapidly establish baselines, assess and start monitoring progress on sustainability, emerging as result of the action taken.

Blooming drylands – a practical approach for context-dependent economic, social and environmentally sustainable transformations

19/03/2021

This policy brief is intended to inform decision-makers of nine transformational actions to sustain dryland production systems under the impact of climate change. It highlights the relevance of the local...

Trees, forests and land use in drylands - The first global assessment. Full reposrt

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Drylands cover 41 percent of the Earth's land surface. This publication presents the results of the first global assessment of trees, forests and land use in these lands. The assessment...

The Dyland Restoration Initiative Platform (DRIP)

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The Dryland Restoration Initiative Platform (DRIP) is an interactive web portal with an online tool to support practitioners, project managers, policy-makers and decision-makers in compiling and analysing data and capturing...

The third session of the COFO WG will be held in the the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan from 10–13 September 2023. It will take place in parallel with the 26th Session of the Near East Forestry and Rang...

14/12

2022

FTN Webinar: MEV-CAM - an innovative method of upscaling change

14/12/2022

The Forest Technical Network organized a zoom webinar to talk about the MEV-CAM method.

17/11

2021

18/11

2021

Second Session of the COFO WG on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems - Much more than meets the eye: exploring, strengthening and reviving Drylands

Tanzania (Tanzania), 17/11/2021 - 18/11/2021

The Second Session of the COFO WG on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems provided a platform for members and observers to draw a strategic workplan for the new biennium (2022-2024). Officially hosted by Tanzania, this Session was held in a virtual capacity due to the current global challe...

16/7

2019

17/7

2019

Inaugural Session of the COFO Working Group on Dryland Forests and Agrosilvopastoral Systems

Rome (Italy), 16/07/2019 - 17/07/2019

Dryland forests and agrosilvopastoral systems, when well managed, contribute to the food security, livelihoods and resilience of millions of people as well as to sustainable landscapes. To understand and tackle the problems behind the loss and degradation of agrosilvopastoral systems and dryland forests in drylands, and to better support these systems, FAO was asked to set up a