‘Let them eat cake’: A dangerous approach to bushmeat and Ebola
“Qu’ils mangent de la brioche”—Let them eat cake—is the phrase supposedly uttered by a great princess (though often attributed to…
5 min read
Oil palm: A visual story
Palm oil can be produced without deforestation, according to a book newly translated to English published by the Center for…
1 min read
Development miracle or environmental disaster? A look behind the oil palm controversy
NAIROBI, Kenya — To the agro-food industry and smallholder farmers in the tropics, it’s a veritable miracle plant.To many NGOs…
5 min read
‘Don’t confuse the crop with the people who develop it’: Q&A with palm oil researcher
YAOUNDE, Cameroon — Boycotts of palm oil because of deforestation wrongly place blame on the crop itself, a leading researcher…
6 min read
Unequal power dynamics in landscape approaches must not be ignored, expert warns
NEW YORK—Social inequality is also part of the landscape—and so must be accounted for in landscape approaches to managing agriculture…
3 min read
Don’t be afraid of landscapes complexity, expert says
BOGOR, Indonesia—Balancing the many competing demands on rural lands is inherently complex—and researchers need to embrace this, according to a…
1 min read
Forest transition spurs policy shifts in Vietnam
Vietnam has witnessed a forest transition on a massive scale.Between 1943 and 1990, the country lost 5 million hectares (ha)…
5 min read
Carrots or sticks? Balancing cost-effectiveness, equity in Brazil’s deforestation policy
BOGOR, Indonesia — In the ongoing debate about how best to combat deforestation in Brazil, a new study shows that…
5 min read
Measuring impact a challenge as China reclaims farmlands for forests
China does not usually come to mind when one thinks about reforestation or afforestation.It should. China’s Conversion of Cropland to…
5 min read
Money alone not enough to sustain environmental payment schemes, study finds
BOGOR, Indonesia — On paper, it is a simple premise: Improve environmental management by financially rewarding the people responsible for…
5 min read
New York Declaration on Forests elicits praise, concerns
NEW YORK—For forests, it was a historic moment.The New York Declaration on Forests, signed last week at the UN Climate…
4 min read
Chinese timber companies in Zambia: few jobs, but more outlets for local loggers
BOGOR, Indonesia — Basic research methods such as employment surveys fail to explore the complex social impact of China’s deepening…
5 min read