CIFOR joins policy dialogue on landscape approach

Liz Deakin, a post-doctoral fellow at CIFOR, spoke at an international seminar on the landscape approach, part of a global dialogue about the future of natural resource management.

The one-day event, held in Sweden, discussed the pros and cons of the landscape approach compared with traditional sectoral and project-based initiatives, with a focus on low-income countries.

“Previous meetings have focused on figuring out what the landscape approach is. This seminar moved the discussion forward to the nuts and bolts of how landscape approaches can be better applied in practice,” said Deakin.

Deakin gave an overview of CIFOR’s current research, including the systematic review of landscape approaches and its relevance to the post-2015 sustainable development agenda.

“We are working on a policy brief, drawing together some of the key messages that emerged from the seminar. This will help policy makers who are working to put the landscape approach into practice,” she said.

“Collaborative efforts are needed to help bridge the gap between scientific research and policy implementation on the ground.”

The seminar was a collaboration between think tank Secretariat for International Forestry Issues (SIFI), Swedish International Agricultural Network Initiative (SIANI) and Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).

To find out more about CIFOR’s systematic review into the landscape approach, visit: http://www.cifor.org/library/5422/what-are-integrated-landscape-approaches-and-how-effectively-have-they-been-implemented-in-the-tropics-a-systematic-map-protocol/