As UN climate talks stall, experts identify new approach to tackling climate change, food insecurity and poverty

Global experts made an impassioned plea to change the way the world is tackling food insecurity, climate change, poverty and water scarcity — and warned that UN climate negotiators in Warsaw risked “turning their backs on some of the most vulnerable and poorest people in this world.” With attendance of more than 1,000 on the first day and 1,200 on the second, representing 122 countries, experts at the Global Landscapes Forum called for a “landscapes approach” to rural development. “Landscapes are not just an important part of the solution; they are the solution,” said Peter Holmgren, CIFOR Director General.

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Video
A Landscape Approach: What, where and how?

ForestsClimateChange.org is CIFOR's new online portal for original news, views and research on forests and climate change

UNFCCC COP19 coverage
The “COP for forests”: Analyzing the Warsaw decisions

Huddles, emotional monologues and a mass exodus — this year's UN climate talks were dramatic but fruitful for forests, experts say, with a framework for REDD+, adaptation funding and a tentative plan for the successor to the Kyoto Protocol all pushed through in the final hours.

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Research
High-resolution forest cover maps now available

Released during COP19, a new paper by Hansen et al., (Science, DOI:10.1126/science.1244693) processed 650,000 freely available Landsat images to visualize changes in forest cover at a whopping 30-meter resolution (before this, the highest res available was 500 meters). While it has been publicized as the most accurate way to estimate global forest loss, experts say that the findings should be used very carefully. Explore the new data set here.

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News
Microsoft, Disney invest millions in forest carbon market

Multinational corporations are pouring millions of dollars into protecting forests, throwing their weight behind the evolving market for forest carbon offsets. They are voluntarily buying big to achieve their own low-carbon targets as governments totter in implementing cap-and-trade policies that will guarantee stronger demand for carbon offsets and a more robust market.

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Special Report
Searching for a sustainable future for forests and people

A special report with 14 feature stories, 8 videos and hundreds of photographs: http://www.blog.cifor.org/amazon

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Applications to host sessions now open

CIFOR is accepting applications from regional organizations to host Technical and Networking Sessions at the two-day Forests Asia conference in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the first quarter of 2014. Expected to attract more than 1,000 participants, the event will position forests and landscapes at the core of ongoing ASEAN processes and will inform a common regional stance for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

For more guidelines and information on applying, please visit www.forestsasia.org or contact Adinda Hasan: a.hasan@cgiar.org


Blog
Smallholder farmers in Cameroon nearly ready for REDD — with a bit of help

A recent study of two villages in Cameroon indicates that small farmers there are not far from having the capacity to make REDD+ projects work in their communities. Previous studies have shown that smallholder agriculture is a leading driver of deforestation in Cameroon.


Blog
Scientist: On the importance of climate adaptation finance for forests

In an interview, CIFOR scientist Bruno Locatelli speaks about the emerging understanding of the importance of climate change adaptation for forest ecosystems. The relationship between climate adaptation and forests is unusual, he says, as work is needed both to adapt forest ecosystems to climate change while at the same time recognizing that forests themselves provide climate resilience benefits to the communities that rely on them.


Upcoming events

European Forest Week
9-13 December 2013, Rovaniemi, Finland and across Europe. More information »

Evaluating Forest Conservation Initiatives: New Tools and Policy Needs
10-12 December 2013, Barcelona, Spain. More information »

21st Session of the Near East Forestry and Range Commission
26-30 January 2014, Amman, Jordan. More information »

World Congress on Agroforestry, Trees for life: Accelerating the impact of agroforestry
10-14 February 2014, Delhi, India. More information »

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About CIFOR

CIFOR advances human well-being, environmental conservation and equity by conducting research to help shape policies and practices that affect forests in developing countries. CIFOR is a member of the CGIAR Consortium. Our headquarters are in Bogor, Indonesia, with offices in Asia, Africa and South America.

CIFOR website
CIFOR blog
Landscapes website
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Publications

Agroforestry with N2-fixing trees: Sustainable development's friend or foe?

Is certification associated with better forest management and socioeconomic benefits?: A comparative analysis of three certification schemes applied to Brazil nuts in Western Amazonia

Making research work for small-scale furniture makers: Action research in the Jepara furniture industry, Indonesia

Assessing the extent of “conflict of use” in multipurpose tropical forest trees: A regional view

Verification vs. Finance?: Removing the negotiation roadblocks for results-based REDD+ activities

A case study for an estimation of carbon fixation capacity in the mangrove plantation of Rhizophora apiculata trees in Trat, Thailand

Teak agroforestry systems for livelihood enhancement, industrial timber production, and environmental rehabilitation

Sharing future conservation costs

Chinese trade and investment in the Mozambican timber industry: A case study from Cabo Delgado Province

Carbon emissions performance of commercial logging in East Kalimantan, Indonesia

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