Ecoagriculture Landscapes to Ecoagriculture Landscapes to Manage Risks to Land & Ecosystems Manage Risks to Land & Ecosystems

Sara J. Scherr, Ecoagriculture PartnersWorld Agroforestry Congress, Nairobi, Kenya, August 26, 2009

Carbon sequestration and storage

Soil formation and fertility

Plant pollination

Watershed protection and regulation

Air quality Pest & disease control

Wild species & habitat protection

Decomposition of wastes Landscape beauty

Challenges for conserving our “natural infrastructure” in the 21st century

Impacts of land degradation on agricultural Impacts of land degradation on agricultural productivityproductivity

Build ‘ecoagriculture’ landscapes that Build ‘ecoagriculture’ landscapes that restore degraded lands, build resilience, restore degraded lands, build resilience, sequester carbonsequester carbon

Agricultural landscapes managed to enhance rural livelihoods and sustainable agricultural

production (of crops, livestock, fish and forest), while conserving or restoring ecosystem

services and biodiversity.

Ecoagricultur StrategiesIn conservation areas• Create and manage conservation

reserves to benefit local farming communities

• Provide connectivity of native habitat , hydrology thru networks of non-farmed areas

• Reduce or reverse land conversion by increasing farm productivity

• Develop specific species and WS conservation plans

In production areas• Minimize agricultural pollution• Use ecologically-compatible

management of soil, water, and vegetation

• Modify farming systems to mimic natural ecosystems

• Maintain diversity of crop species & varieties

Ecoagriculture strategies to meet diverse goals in the landscape

Integrate climate adaptation with emissions Integrate climate adaptation with emissions reduction/sequestration at landscape scalereduction/sequestration at landscape scale

1)1) Restore degraded croplands: improveRestore degraded croplands: improve soil organic matter and structure, soil organic matter and structure,

vegetative cover, biological health vegetative cover, biological health

2) Integrate perennials (tree, shrubs, 2) Integrate perennials (tree, shrubs, palms, grasses) in production systems for palms, grasses) in production systems for diversity, vegetative barriers, diversity, vegetative barriers, sequestrationsequestration

3) Restore degraded pastures with 3) Restore degraded pastures with managed grazing, temporary fencing, managed grazing, temporary fencing, fodder banks, range mgmt, manure mgmtfodder banks, range mgmt, manure mgmt

4) Restore degraded watersheds, improve 4) Restore degraded watersheds, improve water mgmt, expand rainwater harvest water mgmt, expand rainwater harvest

5) Protect natural forests, grasslands and 5) Protect natural forests, grasslands and wetlands and sustainable use systems wetlands and sustainable use systems within working landscape mosaicwithin working landscape mosaic

Combatting land degradation: Combatting land degradation: Scaling up action Scaling up action

International: UN CCD, GEF Land Degradation Regional: TerrAfrica National: Australia, China, India, South Africa Landscape: Landcare movement, numerous local land & ecosystem restoration initiatives

Cross-sectoral regional, community & Cross-sectoral regional, community & farm planning for investments in landfarm planning for investments in land

GHG emissions by sector in 2004,

Source: IPCC

Capacities needed:

• Landscape literacy

• Multi-stakeholder planning & negotiation

• Landscape design

• Landscape tracking

• Communications

Framework for measuring landscape

performance

Landscape Measures Resource Center(www.landscapemeasures.org)

• Contents– Process – Practice– Case Studies– Glossary

• Process– Define approach– Engage stakeholders– Select goals/criteria– Choose indicators– Establish baseline– Track & report change

Landscape Measures Initiative: Phase 2 – Proof of concept

• June 2009 consultation • Leadership group forming• Applying approach in diverse

landscapes• Link to climate & land use initiatives

• Opportunities to collaborate in WWF-supported landscapes?

Major challenges for reducing and Major challenges for reducing and reversing risks of degradationreversing risks of degradation

-> Research on least-cost solutions

-> Systems for local adaptive research

-> Institutional innovation for farmer learning & knowledge-sharing

-> Financial innovation for collaborative landscape planning, monitoring

-> Link to agricultural investment

Thank you…Thank you…

www.ecoagriculture.org