All CIFOR research highlights

Woodfuel causes deforestation in Congo Basin yet is potential renewable energy source

Woodfuel overexploitation resulting from high dependency on the resource in Africa’s Congo Basin is causing degradation and deforestation near areas with high demand yet it remains a potential renewable energy supply, a study...

Are we ready for a ‘new agriculture’ that won’t cost us the Earth?

Our current food production model clears biodiverse forest ecosystems for agriculture, simplifying our diet so much that 98 percent of the world’s food is supplied from just 12 plant crops and 14 animal species. Experts are now...

Costa Rican farmers beat climate change by protecting their soil

Farmers toiling the slopes of Costa Rica’s Irazu volcano are using electric fences, improved pastures and practising ‘contour farming’ — planting crops across the slope — in their efforts to fight soil erosion and conserve water...

Domesticating indigenous fruit trees puts better food on the table in sub-Saharan Africa

Encouraging local farmers to domesticate indigenous fruit trees could help provide much-needed vitamins to millions of sub-Saharan Africans, says a new study.

Overhunting bush animals threatens food security of Central Africa’s rural communities

Wild animals such as bonobos and large antelopes are being unsustainably hunted to meet overwhelming domestic demand for bushmeat. This is having serious impacts on both species diversity and rural forest communities who depend...