From Nigeria to UBC: How Kudirat Oyiza Abdulkareem is Bringing Women’s Voices into Shea Policy
Kudirat Oyiza Abdulkareem, a graduate researcher in the Sunderland Lab, is gaining international recognition for her work on gender equity in the shea value chain. Originally from Nigeria, Kudirat’s research focuses on how women – who make up the majority of shea harvesters and processors – can be better represented in policy decisions that shape […]
Prof. Terry Sunderland Featured in Climate Action Conversations Webinar
Prof. Terry Sunderland recently joined the Climate Action Conversations series to discuss one of today’s most urgent environmental challenges: restoring degraded ecosystems. In this episode, he highlighted how evidence‑based approaches, community engagement, and long‑term landscape thinking are essential for successful restoration efforts worldwide. Drawing on insights from the webinar, Prof. Sunderland emphasized that effective restoration […]
Global Forest Goals Report 2026: Call for Deeper Global Collaboration
UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship members Terry Sunderland and Peter Wood recently reflected in The Conversation on the findings of the Global Forest Goals Report 2026, which evaluates global progress toward the UN Strategic Plan for Forests. They note that while many countries have strengthened forest conservation efforts, improved monitoring and reporting systems, […]
Community conservation in Ghana has evolved, but policy and funding need to catch up
A recent article published in The Conversation Africa by PhD student Samuel Adeyanju and Postdoctoral Fellow Alida O’Connor—both members of the Sunderland Lab—takes a close look at how community resource management areas (CREMAs) in Ghana have evolved over time, and why policy frameworks and funding mechanisms need to catch up with these changes. 👉 Read […]
Sustainable Shea: Highlights from Our Workshop in Tamale, Ghana
Short film covering our recent workshop in Tamale, Ghana on the sustainable production of shea, a product widely used in the cosmetic and food industries. Women are the primary gatherers and producers of shea and rely on income generated by the trade for their livelihoods. The workshop is part of a wider project on sustainable […]
MIF Instructors Make Global Impact as Lead Authors of Landmark UN Forest Report
Professor Terry Sunderland and Lecturer Peter Wood, director and coordinator of UBC’s Master of International Forestry (MIF) program respectively, are making a significant global impact as lead authors of the United Nations’ Global Forest Goals Report 2026. Their leadership in shaping this landmark assessment—evaluating worldwide progress toward the UN Strategic Plan for Forests—demonstrates the program’s […]
🌿 New research sheds light on how landscape approaches can strengthen peacebuilding policy coherence in Colombia
Debbie Pierce, our PhD candidate at the Sunderland Lab, has released a new paper titled “Using landscape approaches to understand peacebuilding policy coherence: a case study of Caquetá, Colombia,” published in Ecology & Society. The study examines how landscape approaches can help identify gaps and opportunities in Colombia’s peacebuilding policies, particularly within the Integrated Rural […]
UDS, UBC and Partners Convene Stakeholders Workshop on Shea Value Chain and Sustainable Production in Northern Ghana
The University for Development Studies (UDS), in partnership with the University of British Columbia and supported by the Peter Gilgan Foundation, has launched a two‑day workshop focused on strengthening the shea value chain and promoting sustainable production in Northern Ghana. The event, organised by the Faculty of Natural Resources and Environment, brought together researchers, industry […]
C4G Launch in Can Tho City, Viet Nam
The Carbon for Good (C4G) project aims to enhance climate resilience and promote sustainable forest management. It is funded by the Government of Canada, with technical support from the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), the University of British Columbia (UBC), and Flinders University of Australia. On March 26, the Department of […]
Vietnam’s Carbon Market Readiness🌱🌏
Carbon for Good project‘s policy dialogue in Hanoi! 🌍 🇻🇳📌 Hosted by VNU–UEB in collaboration with The University of British Columbia, CIFOR-ICRAF, Flinders University, CARE Canada, and other global partners, the event held on Nov 25–26 brought together policymakers, researchers, and industry to shape next‑generation carbon markets in post‑COP30 Vietnam. Vietnam is taking a firm […]