Meeting the food security challenge for nine billion people in 2050: What impact on forests?- New paper by Bahar et al., and Terry Sunderland
Agricultural activities on croplands and pastures occupy 11% and 26% of earth surfaces, respectively, while forests comprise 31% of the earth’s surface (FAOSTAT, 2016). Global cropland and pasture areas have increased by 110% and 59%, respectively, from 1850 to 2015, while the area of global forest decreased by 17% (Houghton and Nassikas, 2017). Native lands and non-forest ecosystems […]
Forests and food security: a review by Terry Sunderland and Alida O’Connor
Forests are the largest source of terrestrial biodiversity and contain over half of the world’s terrestrial plant and animal species. In addition to the multitude of species supported by forest systems, forests are also responsible for life-sustaining ecological processes such as nutrient cycling and water regulation. As a rich source of plants, animals, soil, and […]
Challenges and potential for landscape approaches in Northern Ghana:New article by COLANDS team
”From illegal logging to wildlife poaching, uncontrolled agricultural expansion, poor coordination among agencies and closed processes – the list of challenges facing people living and working in shared landscapes in Northern Ghana is long and complex. These challenges potentially undermine resource sustainability and efforts to conserve valuable biodiversity, stakeholders said during a scoping trip led […]
Congratulations to Winy Vasquez for receiving the SSHRC grant
Sunderland lab member Winy Vasquez has recently received The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) grant to support her Masters research on the right to food, nutrition, and food sovereignty in Peru’s protected areas. Huge congratulations Winy!
New article on COLANDS initiative in Zambia by Alida O’Connor and Joli Rumi Borah
‘It is early afternoon in Choma, the capital of the Southern Province of Zambia. The air is hot and humid and the clouds are heavy with rain. It is the wet season, and lush green Miombo woodland spans both sides of the main Lusaka to Livingstone road. Cattle herds weave through the woodland, grazing as […]
New paper by Winy Vasquez and Terry Sunderland: Forest Conservation, Rights, and Diets
Recent research has highlighted the contributions of forests and tree-based systems to both dietary diversity and nutrition as well as agricultural production in the form of tree-based ecosystem services. Wild foods provide a significant nutritional contribution to the diets of rural dwellers, the majority of whom would be classified as some of the world’s poorest. […]
No time to waste: Tropical forests become source of global warming – New article by Terry Sunderland
‘According to findings of research published last week in Nature, Tropical forests are losing the capacity to remove carbon from the atmosphere, which could have dramatic implications for their potential to mitigate the impact of global warming. Intact tropical forests are a vital global carbon sink, slowing climate change through carbon sequestration, a process through carbon is removed […]
Revolutionize food production system or face mass deforestation, scientists warn: Article featuring Terry Sunderland and Alida O’Connor’s work
”Unless land management strategies are overhauled to reduce the gap between forestry and agriculture, it will be impossible to feed and nourish the human population without further damaging the environment and forests, according to scientists. Worldwide, 80 percent of forest loss is caused by agricultural expansion, more than a quarter of it from commodity production, mostly related to cattle, […]
Congratulations to Terry Sunderland for winning the 2019 Scientific Achievement Award from IUFRO
‘He has made significant contributions to research across a broad spectrum of disciplines, including tropical forest botany, conservation planning and practice in the tropics. Through his work he has also made substantial efforts to improve the landscapes and livelihoods of tropical forest communities.’ An Article covering this recognition and his landmark research defining forest-food nexus.