Reconciling conservation and development requires enhanced integration and broader aims

A cross-continental assessment of landscape approaches

authored by

Natalia Estrada-Carmona, Rachel Carmenta, James Reed, Ermias Betemariam, Fabrice DeClerck, Thomas Falk, Abigail K. Hart, Sarah K. Jones, Fritz Kleinschroth, Matthew McCartney, Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Jeff Milder, Marcela Quintero, Roseline Remans, Diego Valbuena, Louise Willemen, Camilla Zanzanaini, Wei Zhang

Abstract

Expectations for agricultural landscapes in subtropical and tropical regions are high, aiming for conservation and development amid climate change, unfair trade, poverty, and environmental degradation. Landscape approaches (LAs) are gaining momentum as means to reconcile expectations, although they face multiple challenges, including unclear distinctions among LAs and stakeholder involvement. We studied 380 LAs from three continents via questionnaires with landscape managers (2012–2015 and 2021) and identified three LA types through cluster analysis: an “integrated” type with longer-term, multisectoral goals involving various stakeholders early in the design and two shorter-term types focused on sectoral priorities of preservation or production. Better-performing LAs are associated with longevity, inclusivity, and diversified investments across goals, notably those enabling social justice. International stakeholder analysis shows broad support for LAs but identifies gaps between support and LAs’ needs. The growing interest in LAs is promising. Yet, underpinning effective and lasting LAs that reconcile multiple expectations requires better support.

Organisation(s)

Institute of Environmental Planning

External Organisation(s)

Alliance Bioversity International
University of East Anglia
Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF)
International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics
The Nature Conservancy, Fort Collins
ETH Zurich
International Water Management Institute
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
Cornell University
International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)
Wageningen University and Research
University of Twente
LaSense Technology Limited, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR

Type

Article

Journal

One Earth

Volume

7

Pages

1858-1873

No. of pages

16

ISSN

2590-3322

Publication date

18.10.2024

Publication status

Published

Peer reviewed

Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Environmental Science(all), Earth and Planetary Sciences (miscellaneous)

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 13 - Climate Action

Electronic version(s)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2024.08.014 (Access: Open)