English
Green economy, oil palm development, and the exclusion of Indigenous swidden cultivators in the PhilippinesBackgroundGreen economy programs involve agro-industrial development in land frontiers for activities that are considered low-carbon or as seen as supporting greenhouse gas reduction. In the Philippines, as in many parts of South-East Asia, oil palm plantations are promoted as a form of green growth, contributing to food security and biofuels while meeting reforestation goals on lands that are often classified as idle, or waste, but may not be in practice. The paper explores the implications of oil palm development on land tenure security of smallholder swidden cultivators from indigenous communities. Open access copy available |
Beyond tenure: Rights-based approaches to peoples and forests, some lessons from the Forest Peoples ProgrammeBackgroundLand tenure reforms have been implemented in several forested landscapes to support livelihood security among forest-depended communities. However, while these reforms have led to some improvements in tenure and livelihood security, they have also increased social exclusion and marginalization in some contexts. This paper argues that tenure reforms should be implemented within a rights-based framework, but one that integrates a range of human rights and is not solely focused on property rights. Open access copy available |
Our land, our life: A participatory assessment of the land tenure situation of the Indigenous peoples in Guyana. Report for Region 8BackgroundFrom 1995 onwards, the government of Guyana began to address undecided Amerindian claims by demarcating land in villages where titles had already been granted, granting title extensions, and grant new titles. This report outlines the findings and recommendations of a participatory assessment of land tenure security among indigenous people in present-day northwestern Guyana. Open access copy available |
Context in land matters: The effects of history on land formalizationsBackgroundLand formalization is the process by which governments grant legal rights to land, along with responsibilities and conditions of access through land titles and other official documents. This process typically establishes or re-establishes the authority of the state over the governance of land. This paper draws on examples from Africa and Asia to illustrate how land formalization has differing impacts on a diverse set of claimants, and largely increases inequity. Open access copy available |
The contributions of Indigenous Peoples and local communities to ecological restorationBackgroundIndigenous Peoples and local communities often rely on their local environment to meet their basic needs, and so are affected by global environmental change. They also contribute to ecological restoration through supporting species selection and providing information on the historical state of the ecosystem. However, the authors point out that involving IPLCs does not always lead to improve restoration outcomes. They outline strategies to integrate indigenous and local knowledge into programs to improve restoration outcomes. Open access copy available |
Balancing land sharing and sparing approaches to promote forest and landscape restoration in agricultural landscapes: Land approaches for forest landscape restorationBACKGROUNDOpen access copy available |
Could 2021–2030 be the decade to couple new human values with ecological restoration? Valuable insights and actions are emerging from the Colombian AmazonBACKGROUNDAvailable with subscription or purchase |
How feasible are global forest restoration commitments?BACKGROUNDMany countries pledged large pieces of land for Forest Landscape Restoration to the Bonn challenge and the UNFCCC Paris Accords. The highest pledges came from the global South. Two countries have met their Bonn challenge so far. Some countries are facing challenges including deficit of the land committed, and there are competing land uses between FLR agricultural land. Open access copy available |
Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration Enhances Rural Livelihoods in Dryland West AfricaBACKGROUNDFarmer Managed Natural Regeneration, (FMNR), has been adopted in the drylands of West Africa, i.e., the northernmost region of Ghana. This is an approach which encourages the regeneration of woody plant cover in farming and mixed land use areas for arable land restoration and reforestation. Farmers in this region practice smallholder pastoralism and seasonal rain fed crop farming for subsistence and market purposes. FMNR has been adopted as a solution to low agricultural productivity. Previous studies only focused on the economic contribution of FMNR. Open access copy available |
The ecology and management of the Miombo woodlands for sustainable livelihoods in southern Africa: the case for non-timber forest productsBACKGROUNDOpen access copy available |
