International Forests Day: the importance of forests for livelihoods and a healthy environment
Today is International Day of Forests. An ever more important day, as the amount of forest and forested area's on this globe is shrinking at a fast pace. One the main causes is our ever increasing demand for products such as soy and palm oil from area's that have been deforested for their cultivation. The current proposed EU-deforestation law to prevent this, is not strict enough and does not include the protection of other crucial natural areas such as grasslands, savannas and swamps, as well as the human rights of the millions of people living in these area's. During these past few weeks we therefore participated in the campaign #Together4Forests, calling on citizens to send a letter to their own responsible ministers. The campaign paid off: almost 54,000 letters were sent to European ministers across the European Union, demanding a strict forest law that guarantees the import of only deforestation-free products in Europe.
To celebrate this International Day of Forests, we would like to emphasise the great value of forests and other natural areas, directly or indirectly, for the livelihoods of at least 2 billion people. Below, we selected some examples that show how, throughout the world, local communities use many different ways to collect and produce food and other natural products in a sustainable way, while protecting and restoring the forests and forested area's they are so dependent upon.
Analog Forestry
Analog Forestry promotes a sustainable and future-proof production system and supports, among other things, the transformation of degraded land into food forests. Forests are crucial to the livelihoods of many people in developing countries, to pick fruits, nuts and berries, harvest honey and resin, gather herbs used as medicine, find construction materials for their houses and collect firewood. The International Analog Forestry Network, of which Both ENDS is a member, has been successful in transforming degraded lands into productive food forests (Analog Forests)
See in this video for yourself.
Non-Timber Forest Products
About one in every six people, particularly women, directly rely on forests for their lives and livelihoods, especially for food. This shows how important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and forests are, especially for women, to ensure their own and their community's resilience. Forest products are not only derived from trees, but from all plants, fungi and animals for which the forest ecosystem provides habitat. Examples of NTFPs are wild honey, fruits, edible leaves and roots, medicinal plants, spices, gum, fuel wood and rattan. The NTFP-Exchange Programme, an international network supported among others by Both ENDS supports, promotes the cultivation and harvesting of non-timber forest products.
Agroecology and agroforestry: the example of Kenya
Agroecology is a collective term used for agricultural practices that aim to reconcile agriculture and local communities with natural processes for the common benefit of nature and livelihoods. Agroecological practices provide a sustainable solution for family farms. In Kenya, agroecology is also a way to fight against water pollution while securing food production. In addition agroforestry in Kenya has been helping in the recuperation and multiplication of indigenous seeds varieties (mainly of traditional food crops) in central and eastern Kenya.
Community-based restoration
As seen in the examples above, although they can be very different, community-based restoration and land use initiatives have important common features that might explain their success, be it on a large or a smaller scale. Firstly and most importantly – they are community-based. This means that they have to be grounded within the community itself and be adopted and implemented by its members – with or without support from others. When people feel ownership and see their needs met in both the short and the long run, they are more inclined to use a certain method as analternative way. Another important feature is inclusiveness: all people that might be positively or negatively affected by sustainable land use or restoration activities (herders, farmers, women, youth and water users, amongst others), should be involved in the decision making and implementation of these initiatives. A good example of how this can be achieved is the 'Communities regreen the Sahel' - programme, designed and executed together with over twenty partner orginisations in Sengal, Niger and Burkina Faso.
More information:
The above examples are just a few of the many, many initiatives, methods and approaches that people across the globe are starting, using and optimising in order to protect biodiversity and ecosystems while at the same time maintaining their families and communities. Below, you can find more related content.
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Themes
Read more about this subject
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Dossier /The merits of community-based restoration
Globally, the area that is suffering desertification and land degradation is ever expanding. Unsustainable and often large-scale agricultural practices, including the copious use of pesticides and fertilisers, are a major driver of land degradation, aprocess that is further exacerbated by climate change, causing more erratic rainfall patterns, longer periods of drought and unpredictable growing seasons. This is very problematic not only for the hundreds of millions of people who directly depend on land and water for their livelihoods, but also for life on earth as a whole. It is clear that this process must be stopped and reversed, better sooner than later. But how to go about it?
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Dossier /Inclusive ways to sustainable and healthy food for all
All around the world small-scale farmers are using sustainable and inclusive methods to produce food. Working together with nature and each other, they provide their families and communities with sufficient and healthy food. But their production methods are under pressure from large-scale agriculture and the globally dominant system of industrial food production. Together with our partners, Both ENDS is trying to turn the tide in favour of sustainable, local practices that are mostly known as 'agro-ecological' or 'nature-inclusive'. Why are we focusing on these methods? Agro-ecological practices are climate-proof and inclusive and increase the opportunities for communities around the world to produce their food sustainably.
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Publication / 11 juli 2019
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Dossier /Rich Forests
Rich Forests promotes a sustainable and future-proof production system and supports, among other things, the transformation of degraded land into food forests. With this, people provide for their livelihood, increase their income and at the same time restore soil and biodiversity.
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Transformative Practice /Analog Forestry
Analog forestry is a transformative approach to the ecological restoration of degraded lands. Natural forests are used as guides to create ecologically sustainable landscapes, which support the social and economical needs of local communities.
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News / 16 augustus 2019Opinion: "Sustainable land use needs radical policy change"
Today, an op-ed by Nathalie van Haren and Stefan Schüller was published in the Dutch national newspaper De Volkskrant about the IPCC's latest report "Climate Change and Land". Below you find the English translation.
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Transformative Practice /Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs)
About one in every six people, particularly women, directly rely on forests for their lives and livelihoods, especially for food. This shows how important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and forests are to ensure community resilience. Not only as a source of food, water and income, but also because of their cultural and spiritual meaning.
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Publication / 22 december 2015
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Event / 5 september 2019, 13:00 - 15:00UNCCD COP14: Communities regreen the Sahel
At the UNCCD COP14 in India, which is taking place from 2-13 September 2019, Both ENDS is co-organising a number of side events.
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Publication / 4 november 2022
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Transformative Practice /Inclusive Land Governance
Both ENDS works with partners around the world to ensure that land is governed fairly and inclusively and managed sustainably with priority for the rights and interests of local communities.
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Publication / 1 juli 2016
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News / 17 juni 2021Celebrating community led initiatives on World Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Day
Today is World Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Day. Such a day is more than needed to get attention for desertification, land degradation and drought that are threatening and hitting hundreds of millions of people in many regions throughout the world. While the causes - such as large-scale agriculture, use of pesticides, water extraction and climate change - are clear and need to be stopped, it is just as important to focus on solutions like restoration and sustainable land use.– in line with World Desertification, Land Degradation and Drought Day's theme for this year: 'Restoration. Land. Recovery. We build back better with healthy land', we will therefore especially focus on inspiring solutions during the next few weeks.
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Dossier /Communities Regreen the Sahel
In various countries in the Sahel, vast tracts of land have been restored by the local population by nurturing what spontaneously springs from the soil and protecting the sprouts from cattle and hazards.
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Transformative Practice /Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration
In various countries in the Sahel, vast tracts of degraded land have been restored by the local population by nurturing what spontaneously springs from the soil. They do this using a method called 'Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR)'.
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News / 17 september 2021Beyond trees: the importance of Non-Timber Forest Products for communities
About one in every six people, particularly women, directly rely on forests for their lives and livelihoods, especially for food. This shows how important non-timber forest products (NTFPs) and forests are to ensure community resilience. Not only as a source of food, water and income, but also because of their cultural and spiritual meaning.
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News / 15 oktober 2018Analog Forestry: empowering women and restoring forests
Last September, approximately 30 women and men from community based organizations of Honduras and El Salvador learned the tool of analog forestry which uses natural forests as guides to create ecologically stable and socio-economically productive landscapes.
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News / 27 september 2021Analog Forestry: sustainable food production with a feminist perspective
In times of ecosystem degradation, deforestation and climate change, rural communities often struggle to make a living in a healthy and autonomous way. One of the solutions to counter their problems is Analog Forestry, a sustainable practice promoted by many of Both ENDS's partners. We spoke to Carolina Sorzano Lopez*, Analog Forestry trainer from Colombia for the International Analog Forestry Network (IAFN), and Luz Marina Valle*, a local Analog Forestry promotora in her community of El Jocote in Northern Nicaragua, to explain to us the advantages of Analog Forestry.
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Video / 3 mei 2017Rich Forests: matchmaking for green ventures
This short video is an introduction to 'Rich Forests, a Dutch initiative aiming to promote food forests or 'analog forestry' all over the world, together with working together with local partner organisations.
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Transformative Practice /Agroecology
Agroecology is a diverse set of agricultural practices, a field of science and a social movement. It aims to transform food systems towards greater ecological sustainability, social justice, and resilience. Both ENDS and CSO-partners around the world support farmers and pastoralists practising agroecology, both on the ground and in gathering political and financial support.
