DRIVERS OF CHANGE IN THE CONTEXT OF

FORESTS AND FOOD SECURITY AND MACRO-LEVEL RESPONSE OPTIONS

New findings on the dynamics between forests, land use and food security

Global Landscapes Forum 2Westin, Lima, 6-7 December 2014

Henry NeufeldtWorld Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

7 December 2014

Noreliance Fullreliance

Consumersinurbanareas

Small-scalesubsistencefarmers

Small-scalefarmersgrowingcoffeeinAFsystems

Isolatedhunter-gatherercommunities

Reliance on forests and tree-based agricultural systems for food security

Social Economic Policy Environment

Landuse ForestManagement

FoodSecurity

Indirectdrivers

Directdrivers

Chapter 4: Macro-scale drivers at the forest and food

security and nutrition nexus

Chapter 6: Macro scale response options to support

landscape approaches

Chapter 4 4.1 Introduction4.2 Social drivers of the forest and food security nexus

Conflicts in and around forestsPoverty and InequalityDemographic change: Migration, urbanization and agrarian transformation

4.3 Economic drivers affecting forests and food security system Income per capitaAbsolute and relative food pricesPoliciesProduction system changes

4.4 Political drivers affecting forests and food security systems Changing context of forest governanceTerritorial governanceNetworked governance

4.5 Environmental driversClimate changeDeforestation and forest transitionInvasive speciesWater supply

4.6 Conclusions

Chapter 66.1 Introduction6.2 Social and cultural response options

Gender responsive rolesDietary choices, education and behavior changeStrengthening technology for improved food securityMobilization for forests, food security and justiceUrban demand to improve food security and nutrition from forests

6.3 Market relate initiatives and innovations in the governance of food systemsThe challenges of inclusiveness and sustainability in food supplyGlobal initiatives to support responsible finance and investmentEmerging corporate sustainability initiatives“Hybrid” models for inclusiveness and sustainable supply

6.4 Governance responses to enhance forest-food security linkages Tenure and governance responsesDecentralization and accountability responsesMarket regulation responsesAccess to information, knowledge and technologyInclusive and equitable resource governanceCatalyzing governance reform

6.5 Conclusions

Key messages on drivers

A range of drivers (social, political, economic, environmental) interact with each other and influence the role of forests and tree-based systems for food and nutrition. These impacts are differentiated across different locations, actors and time. While interrelated drivers lead to complexity they also provide an opportunity for innovation in relation to responses.

Lack of secure tenure may lead to the loss of access of local people (e.g. from industrialisation and commercialisation of forest resources such as plantations) to forests and tree-based systems, undermining their entitlements to a key source of food and nutrition.

Inequalities at different levels (inter-generational, gender, developed/developing, and the intersection of these factors) are critical to the forest-food security nexus. Forests and tree-based diets matter most for vulnerable groups who are often at risk of hunger and malnutrition, especially women and children (who are also, often, responsible for the collection of forest- and tree-based foods).

Key messages on drivers

One of the conclusions of this chapter is that generalization of drivers of the forest and food security system remains difficult as they impact differently across locations, actors and time.

Drivers impact food security directly by interconnected changes in nutrition but mainly indirectly by changes in land use and management and changes of incomes and livelihoods.

Social, political, economic, environmental drivers interact with each other and influence the role of forests and tree-based systems for food and nutrition.

These drivers are differentiated across different locations, actors and time.

While interrelated drivers lead to complexity they also provide an opportunity for innovation in relation to responses (multifunctionality).

Key messages on drivers (continued)

Industrialization and commercialization of forest resources (eg plantations) can affect tenure and may lead to the loss of access of local people to forests and tree-based systems, undermining their entitlements to a key source of food and nutrition.

Demographic factors (population growth; feminization of agriculture; urbanization; migration) affect consumption and production patterns from forest and agricultural systems, with associated impacts for food and nutrition security.

Deforestation and forest degradation, combined with climate change, will impact directly and indirectly on the availability of food from forests and tree-based systems.

Inequalities at different levels (inter-generational, gender, developed/developing, and the intersection of these factors) are critical to the forest-food security nexus and affect food security and nutrition of vulnerable groups, especially women and children, most.

Key messages on response options

Co-regulatory approaches (private/public) provide opportunities to improve forest protection and food and nutrition security if they focus on the needs of smallholders, family farmers and vulnerable groups (especially women and children).

A combination of regulatory frameworks and effective local governance can create conditions which strengthen equitable rights of local communities over forests and tree-based systems for direct and indirect food and nutritional needs.

There are tangible and practical opportunities for improving the livelihoods of communities and food and nutrition security, using strategies that are sensitive to the dynamics of social and cultural factors (eg education; traditions; consumer pressure) that determine the conservation and management of forests and tree-based systems.

There is a systematic lack of knowledge at all levels of the interface between forests and tree-based systems and their roles in food and nutrition security.

Thanks for a future

Chapter 4: Conclusions

Armed conflicts in forest landscapes can lead to exploitation, undermine conservation issues and detach households from forest and food, but can lead as well to (illegal) opportunities for consumption

Formalization of tenure rights on the one hand can foster benefit sharing amongst those living in and with the forest; on the other hand it can contribute to increased vulnerability and reduce food security

Structural gender imbalances lead to the prioritization of commercial/timber products over food, fodder and fuel wood which can have consequences on food security and nutrition

Forest transitions resulting from carbon and market-based reforestation threatens local livelihoods through curtailed access and changes in forest composition and structure

Climate change will impact forest foods directly through its effect on plant and animal species distributions, dispersal and abundance, and through synergistic impacts on plant and forest health

Chapter 4: Conclusions

The forest and food security system is determined by developments in the environmental and human system and in particular by the interrelations of these systems. The challenge is to maintain the balance between these systems to secure food security and at the same time ensure the sustainability of forests.

This chapter identified a variety of partly interconnected, partly conflicting social, economic, policy and environmental drivers affecting the forest and food security system. These drivers have consequential impacts on forests and food/nutrition.

Drivers impact food security directly by interconnected changes in nutrition but mainly indirectly by changes in land use and management and changes of incomes and livelihoods.

One of the conclusions of this chapter is that generalization of drivers of the forest and food security system remains difficult as they impact differently across locations, actors and time.

Chapter 6: Conclusions

Co-regulatory approaches between public and private sector actors and voluntary sustainability standards can markedly improve forest protection and food and nutritional security if smallholders and family farmers are actively included in the articulation and development of inclusive value chains.

More needs to be done to strengthen equitable rights of local communities over forest and tree resources for direct and indirect food and nutritional benefits through crafting an effective local governance and enabling regulatory frameworks, while also creating conducive policy environments for the generation and application of transformative knowledge that catalyse food security orientated innovations in the management of forest and tree resources.

Social Economic Policy Environment

Landuse ForestManagement

FoodSecurity

Indirectdrivers

Directdrivers

Drivers of the forest – food security and nutrition nexus