Farming for the future: designing agricultural landscapes for conservation and production

2003 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Lambeck
Keyword(s):  
Land Degradation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Environmental Costs ◽  
Farming Practices ◽  
Financial Return ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
The Future ◽  
European Farming

THE application of European farming practices to Australian landscapes has generated significant financial return to the nation for many decades. However, there have been substantial costs associated with these practices. These costs take the form of land degradation, loss of biological diversity and a corresponding decline in the attractiveness of rural landscapes as places in which to live. While the monetary benefits have been gradually declining over the years, the environmental costs have been mounting. In many landscapes, the point has been reached where costs threaten returns and we can no longer continue to harvest the benefits without also considering these costs.

scholarly journals Monitoring Traditional Rural Landscapes. The Case of Italy

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (21) ◽  
pp. 6107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Agnoletti ◽  
Francesca Emanueli ◽  
Federica Corrieri ◽  
Martina Venturi ◽  
Antonio Santoro
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Monitoring System ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
National Level ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
National Monitoring

The importance of rural landscapes is recognized at both the international and national level. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has established a program called Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and agricultural landscapes are also listed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The World Bank and the Convention on Biological Diversity also have departments working on this topic, while landscape has been included in the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union 2020–2027. One of the most important tools for landscape management, conservation and valorization is the development of a monitoring system, suited to control not only dynamics, but also the effectiveness of the policies affecting rural landscape. A research project of the Italian Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies has identified 123 areas scattered in the entire Italian territory, with an average size of 1300 ha, in order to establish a national monitoring system for traditional rural landscapes. As a result of this national survey, the Ministry decided to establish the National Register of Historical Rural Landscapes, that is also the Italian list for potential application to GIAHS. These landscapes are characterized by a long history, presence of traditional practices, typical foods, complex landscape mosaics and high biocultural diversity. Detailed land use maps have been produced for each area, and among other data, the average number of land use types (19.6 ha) and the average patch size (2.7 ha) detected, confirm the fine grain of these landscapes characterized by high complexity and diversity of the landscape structure. A second survey was carried out five years later, in order to create a national monitoring system based on fixed study areas. The paper shows that in the last five years no major changes occurred, and even in the 33 areas where transformations are considered significant (i.e., >5% of the surface of the area), the characteristic features of the historical landscape are still well preserved. This confirms the resilience of these systems despite climatic and socioeconomic pressures.

THE FUTURE OF CORPORATE REPORTING REFLECTIONS ON THE CRITICAL QUESTION OF THE NECESSITY OF FORWARD-THINKING PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE OF REPORTING WORLDWIDE

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1455-1466
Author(s):  
Hristina Oreshkova
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Green Economy ◽  
Critical Question ◽  
Corporate Reporting ◽  
Global Problems ◽  
The Future ◽  
Strategic Goals

Over the most recent decades corporate reporting has proved to be essential to achieving the strategic goals of humankinds and the ever-increasing necessity of truthful information and transparency. Corporate reporting is a socially significant process and practice. The quality of corporate reporting reflects the degree of relevance of the manner enterprises and businesses communicate with the surrounding world and environment (natural or industrial) and millions of people concerned – societies, present and future generations, employees, workers, and many other people, and other living beings. On most authoritative international scientific forums – symposia, conferences, congresses, assemblies, summit meetings and events, conducted in Europe and worldwide, it is pompously declared that corporate reporting should provide useful and reliable information both financial and non-financial one. The responsibilities of accountability and stewardship seem out to be of great importance to the fulfillment of the strategic goals of our centuries.The belief of the author is that the simultaneous analysis of the global problems challenging humankinds such as climate changes, destruction of biological diversity on the Planet, the matter of the necessity of actions of creating Green Ethics and Green Economy worldwide, the increasing need for combined and well-coordinated efforts in the combat supporting the eradication of poverty globally, and the relevance of corporate reporting to solving these unique problems the mankind is facing, would highlight and confirm their intricate interrelation (the key aim of the present research), consequently rendering the debate on the future of corporate reporting more meaningful and constructive. The debate would most probably promote the standpoint we personally maintain, which is also endorsed by an increasing number of supporters in Europe and around the world, implying in particular that apart from a process of unification and reduction of essential differences in the international financial reporting, what is also necessary is the radical change in the philosophy and culture of corporate reporting and presentation. Undeniably, it includes revealing of the financial state and the substantial effects and impacts of the businesses operating activities in a straightforward manner, as complete insights and understanding of the broader and far-reaching goals to which the corporate reporting must be subordinated – at present and in the long-lasting future.

scholarly journals Using Participatory Spatial Tools to Unravel Community Perceptions of Land-Use Dynamics in a Mine-Expanding Landscape in Ghana

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane J. Aggrey ◽  
Mirjam A. F. Ros-Tonen ◽  
Kwabena O. Asubonteng
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Eastern Region ◽  
Food Crop ◽  
Mosaic Landscape ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
The Future

AbstractArtisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) in sub-Saharan Africa creates considerable dynamics in rural landscapes. Many studies addressed the adverse effects of mining, but few studies use participatory spatial tools to assess the effects on land use. Hence, this paper takes an actor perspective to analyze how communities in a mixed farming-mining area in Ghana’s Eastern Region perceive the spatial dynamics of ASM and its effects on land for farming and food production from past (1986) to present (2018) and toward the future (2035). Participatory maps show how participants visualize the transformation of food-crop areas into small- and large-scale mining, tree crops, and settlement in all the communities between 1986 and 2018 and foresee these trends to continue in the future (2035). Participants also observe how a mosaic landscape shifts toward a segregated landscape, with simultaneous fragmentation of their farming land due to ASM. Further segregation is expected in the future, with attribution to the expansion of settlements being an unexpected outcome. Although participants expect adverse effects on the future availability of food-crop land, no firm conclusions can be drawn about the anticipated effect on food availability. The paper argues that, if responsibly applied and used to reveal community perspectives and concerns about landscape dynamics, participatory mapping can help raise awareness of the need for collective action and contribute to more inclusive landscape governance. These findings contribute to debates on the operationalization of integrated and inclusive landscape approaches and governance, particularly in areas with pervasive impacts of ASM.

scholarly journals Non-Standard Discrete RothC Models for Soil Carbon Dynamics

Axioms ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 56
Author(s):  
Fasma Diele ◽  
Carmela Marangi ◽  
Angela Martiradonna
Keyword(s):  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Land Use Patterns ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Soil Carbon Content ◽  
Rothc Model ◽  
Key Indicators

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC) is one of the key indicators of land degradation. SOC positively affects soil functions with regard to habitats, biological diversity and soil fertility; therefore, a reduction in the SOC stock of soil results in degradation, and it may also have potential negative effects on soil-derived ecosystem services. Dynamical models, such as the Rothamsted Carbon (RothC) model, may predict the long-term behaviour of soil carbon content and may suggest optimal land use patterns suitable for the achievement of land degradation neutrality as measured in terms of the SOC indicator. In this paper, we compared continuous and discrete versions of the RothC model, especially to achieve long-term solutions. The original discrete formulation of the RothC model was then compared with a novel non-standard integrator that represents an alternative to the exponential Rosenbrock–Euler approach in the literature.

scholarly journals Measuring Multifunctional Agricultural Landscapes

Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 260
Author(s):  
Bingjie Song ◽  
Guy Robinson ◽  
Douglas Bardsley
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Multifunctional Agriculture ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Rural Landscapes ◽  
Future Research Agenda

Multifunctional agriculture (MFA) has attracted increased attention from academics and policymakers in recent years. Academic researchers have utilised various approaches to assess and measure the multifunctionality of agriculture and rural landscapes. This paper outlines the nature of MFA and key supporting policies, before reviewing the applied research approaches, drawing primarily from the European Union and China where specific policies on MFA have been implemented to support rural development and promote sustainable rural communities. Four distinct types of valuation of modern MFA are recognised: economic, biophysical, socio-cultural, and holistic. Following a search of both the recent and older MFA literature, evaluations of the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods applications are provided using examples from a range of recent studies. The review illustrates the diversity of approaches to measure MFA. While noting that many studies operate at a landscape scale, the challenge remains that the lack of commonality in the research approaches applied means it is difficult to provide effective comparisons between studies or to compare findings. A future research agenda will need to emphasise the need for more consideration of the roles of MFA research to support decision-makers, especially policy makers, but also farmers who largely make decisions for individual farms but, if considered collectively, can transform production systems at a landscape scale.

Land Degradation

2019 ◽  
pp. 437-459
Author(s):  
Ben Boer ◽  
Ian Hannam
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Biological Diversity ◽  
Farming Systems ◽  
Convention On Biological Diversity ◽  
Legal Responses ◽  
The World ◽  
Development Goals ◽  
Land Farming ◽  
Laws And Policies

This chapter examines the international legal regime on land degradation. It first provides a brief overview of land degradation as a complex environmental issue around the world before discussing the causes and effects of land degradation. It then analyses a variety of legal responses to land degradation, from global initiatives such as the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the IUCN Covenant on Environment and Development; regional initiatives such as the World Soil Charter 2014 and the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2015; and national laws and policies. The chapter also explores some of the main elements that need to be taken into consideration when designing legislation to address land degradation, including land tenure, access to land, farming systems and land use, the role of protected areas, and physical planning.

scholarly journals The Future of Traditional Landscapes: Discussions and Visions

Land ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Renes ◽  
Csaba Centeri ◽  
Alexandra Kruse ◽  
Zdeněk Kučera
Keyword(s):  
Landscape Management ◽  
Regional Identity ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Rural Landscape ◽  
Cultural Economic ◽  
Regional Food ◽  
Historical Continuity ◽  
Local Environments ◽  
The Future ◽  
Increasing Demand

At the 2018 meeting of the Permanent European Conference for the Study of the Rural Landscape (PECSRL), that took place in Clermont-Ferrand and Mende in France, the Institute for Research on European Agricultural Landscapes e.V. (EUCALAND) Network organized a session on traditional landscapes. Presentations included in the session discussed the concept of traditional, mostly agricultural, landscapes, their ambiguous nature and connections to contemporary landscape research and practice. Particular attention was given to the connection between traditional landscapes and regional identity, landscape transformation, landscape management, and heritage. A prominent position in the discussions was occupied by the question about the future of traditional or historical landscapes and their potential to trigger regional development. Traditional landscapes are often believed to be rather stable and slowly developing, of premodern origin, and showing unique examples of historical continuity of local landscape forms as well as practices. Although every country has its own traditional landscapes, globally seen, they are considered as being rare; at least in Europe, also as a consequence of uniforming CAP (Common Agricultural Policy) policies over the last five decades. Although such a notion of traditional landscapes may be criticized from different perspectives, the growing number of bottom-up led awareness-raising campaigns and the renaissance of traditional festivities and activities underline that the idea of traditional landscapes still contributes to the formation of present identities. The strongest argument of the growing sector of self-marketing and the increasing demand for high value, regional food is the connection to the land itself: while particular regions and communities are promoting their products and heritages. In this sense, traditional landscapes may be viewed as constructed or invented, their present recognition being a result of particular perceptions and interpretations of local environments and their pasts. Nevertheless, traditional landscapes thus also serve as a facilitator of particular social, cultural, economic, and political intentions and debates. Reflecting on the session content, four aspects should be emphasized. The need for: dynamic landscape histories; participatory approach to landscape management; socioeconomically and ecologically self-sustaining landscapes; planners as intermediaries between development and preservation.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document