FAO and EU Forests

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has called for proposals for the EU-supported programme on Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT). Proposals must address at least one of seven thematic priorities:
- support for Voluntary Partnership Agreements;
- improved transparency;
- monitoring and national control systems;
- the enhancement of community forestry;
- support for legal and regulatory frameworks;
- support for relevant private sector efforts; and
- the improvement of timber markets.

Deadline for proposals is 12 December.

EU FAO FLEGT Programme Guidelines

Governance of Tenure

The Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security were endorsed by the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) and the FAO Council in June 2012. They are to:

- serve as a reference and set out principles and internationally accepted standards for practices for the responsible governance of tenure;

- provide a framework that States can use when developing their own strategies, policies, legislation, programmes and activities;

- allow governments, civil society, the private sector and citizens to judge whether their proposed actions and the actions of others constitute acceptable practices.

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Corruption and access to land

FAO and Transparency International have produced a working paper highlighting the link between weak governance and the likelihood of corruption in land occupancy and administration in more than 60 countries.  In particular, the paper notes that the rapid expansion of the biofuel industry has provided the opportunity for corruption in the land use sector in a number of countries.

Global Forest Loss

FAO and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation have published a report titled "Mountain Forests in a Changing World" bringing attention to the threats to mountain forests including increasing temperatures and wildfires, population growth and food and fuel insecurity. It also calls on national policymakers to take the protection of mountain forests into account and integrate these concerns into climate change mitigation and adaptation policies.

FAO: Renewed efforts for Plant Genetic Resources

The 2nd Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) has been adopted by the Council of the Food and Agriculture Organization, to accelerate the implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR); and strengthen conservation and sustainable use of plants and seed systems through:
-  better management of crop diversity in farmers’ fields;
-  developing strategies to protect, collect and conserve crop wild relatives and wild food plants that are under threat,
- support use of a wider range of traits for plant breeding, and
- strengthen seed systems especially of locally adapted varieties.

Publication: Second Global Plan of Action for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

FAO: Climate Change and Wildlife

Focusing on tropical terrestrial wildlife and habitats, this report notes that the biodiversity crisis is likely to be made worse by climate change and explores issues related to:
- ecosystem change;
- species interactions;
- human-wildlife conflicts;
- wildland fires; and
- health and diseases.

As potential mitigating factors, it highlights goals related to:
- maintaining current ecosystems;
- adaptive management;
- restoring ecosystems; and
- landscape approaches.

The paper also calls for developing and communicating information on the value of species and ecosystems to humanity, describes the role of protected areas, and discusses mainstreaming biodiversity needs.

Publication: Wildlife in a Changing Climate

FAO Report: Land and Water

"The State of the World’s Land and Water Resources for Food and Agriculture" calls for improved efficiency of water use, better knowledge development and training, the integration of climate-smart production models, increased investment in agricultural development and harmonization of national policies and actions. It also includes examples of successful actions that may be scaled, as well as a broad typology of land systems at risk, including to climate impacts.

FAO: REDD+ and Sustainable Agriculture

A new policy brief titled "Building bridges between REDD+ and sustainable agriculture:Addressing agriculture's role as a driver of deforestation" recommends, inter alia: promoting inter-sectoral policies; including integrated landscape approaches in the activities covered under different carbon finance funds; promoting evergreen agriculture, which combines agroforestry with conservation farming; reflecting on tenure rights, governance and other potential socioeconomic impacts during cross-sectoral REDD+ planning processes; and improving methods for landscape level carbon accounting.

Forest Sector and Climate Change

FAO and the National Forest Programme Facility have released a publication titled, "Climate Change for Policy-Makers: An approach for integrating climate change in forest programmes in support of sustainable forest management." The aim is to assist senior officials in government administrations and representatives of other stakeholders in preparing the forest sector for the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change. 

FAO: World Aquaculture Report

A new report from FAO titled "World Aquaculture 2010" finds that aquaculture continues to be the fastest-growing animal food producing sector; currently accounting for nearly half (45.6 percent) of the world’s food fish consumption, compared with 33.8 percent in 2000. Among the findings, it is recommended, that as the sector further expands, intensifies and diversifies, it should recognize relevant environmental and social concerns, and make conscious efforts to address them in a transparent manner, backed with scientific evidence.

FAO: EIA Guidelines

The new Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guidelines for FAO Field Projects includes climate change and biodiversity considerations, as well as a screening tool to identify projects that may require a fully-fledged EIA; guidance to FAO staff on EIAs; FAO standards for documenting and reporting; and roles and responsibilities in conducting an EIA.

SEAFO: 8th Annual Session

At its 8th annual session, the South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO) agreed to accept a footprint for bottom fisheries and the regulation of still un-fished areas by the adoption of technical measures to protect vulnerable marine ecoystems (VMEs). Concerning thresholds to trigger the "move-on rule" in case of possible encounters with VMEs, the SEAFO Commission approved the provisions of the existing Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, for fixed gear; and the thresholds recently adopted by Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO), for trawlers. With regard to compliance, SEAFO adopted a new Port State Measure in line with the FAO Port State Control Agreement. According to the EU, its application will be essential for the conservation of species under the SEAFO Convention and for international efforts to fight Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported (IUU) fisheries.
Press Release

Aral Sea: 3rd Programme Underway

It was announced during the joint session of the UNECE Timber Committee and the FAO European Forestry Commission that, in cooperation with the Governments of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, a regional project on the forestation of the dry bed of the Aral Sea will be undertaken. The project is part of the 3rd Aral Basin Sea Basin Programme undertaken by the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS) to improve environmental, social and economic conditions in the region.

In addition to this noteworthy project, 15 other project proposals fall under the specific focus "improving the instituional and legal instruments".

FAO: Urban Forestry

FAO has announced that it is helping to develop guidelines for decision-makers on urban and peri-urban forestry. To be published in July 2012, the guidelines are to promote sound policies and review good practices, highlighting lessons learned from initiatives around the world.

Press Release

Global Soil Partnership

The Global Soil Partnership (GSP) for Food Security and Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation seeks to build capacities and forums for exchanging knowledge and technologies of sustainable management of soil resources. It plans to propose national and international quality-soil health best practices, standards, guidelines and monitoring systems and will address the following five pillars of action:
- harmonizing guidelines and standards for measurement;
- strengthening soil data and information;
- promoting targeted soil research focusing on gaps and priorities;
- promoting sustainable management of soil research and improved global governance; and
- encouraging investment and technical cooperation in soils.

GSP Website
GSP Brochure

UN/S-G: Report on Sustainable Mountain Development

This report prepared in response to UN/GA Resolution 64/205 includes a number of policy recommendations, inter alia, encouraging:
- institutions to increase coordination;
- greater engagement by civil society and the private sector;
- the formulation of strategies, programmes and policies to address mountain issues;
- strategies of adaptation and mitigation of climate change that consider mountain issues; and
- integration of adaptation and mitigation into National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs).

The report notes that mountain regions face many challenges, including climate change, and calls for a prominent place for sustainable mountain development in UNCSD (Rio+20)

IPBES: Documents for First Plenary

Documents for the first session of the plenary of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) are being posted as they become available at: http://ipbes.net/plenary-sessions/first-session-of-plenary.html.

The document addressing "Legal issues relating to the establishment and operationalization of the platform" (UNEP/IPBES.MI/1/2) is yet to be released.

FAO: Extreme Weather and Forests

FAO has released a report titled "Abiotic Disturbances and their Influence on Forest Health," which highlights the increasing threat posed to the world's forests by extreme weather events. Recommendations include the use of adaptive forest management to protect forest resources against increasing abiotic disturbances, and calls for the use of strategies such as species diversification, windbreaks and mixed cropping patterns to enhance ecosystem resilience, as well as selective planting.

 

Role of Forests in a Green Economy

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) has prepared a briefing for UNCSD (Rio+20), which draws on reports from UNEP, UNECE, FAO and civil society organisations regarding the role of forests in transitioning to a more sustainable economic system.

FAO: Ecosystem Services in Agriculture

A new publication titled "Payments for Ecosystem Services and Food Security" has been released by FAO examining the role of Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) in agriculture; the relevance of the OECD agri-environmental measures for PES; opportunities and gaps in PES implementation and key areas for further investigation; cost-effective targeting of PES; social and cultural drivers behind the success of PES; landscape labelling approaches to PES through bundling services, products and stewards; enabling conditions and complementary legislative tools; and PES within the context of a green economy.