Welcome to the third Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) newsletter of 2016, with a focus on global governance, trade and investment. This newsletter comes just after the Global Landscapes Forum: The Investment Case in London, where FTA flagship coordinator Pablo Pacheco promoted the theme of smallholder finance in the tropics. In this issue, we highlight topics such as sugarcane in Indonesia, agricultural investments in Mozambique and fair trade cocoa in Ghana. CIAT’s Director General Ruben Echeverria reflects on a successful FTA project: Terra-i. And, we will take a look at how agroforestry is making an impact on smallholders' lives.

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Making farms sustainable and climate-smart with agroforestry

For smart farmers, there is more than one way to benefit from agroforestry. This is the clear takeaway from the Smart Tree-Invest project, which forms part of the CGIAR Research Program on FTA. It shows the effects of very different interventions from co-investment to special forms of climate-smart agriculture. Find out more here.

Measure and manage: Terra-i taken to the next level

The rainforest-monitoring platform Terra-i is one of the key achievements of the CGIAR Research Program on FTA. Terra-i is now on the verge of being extended to the forests of Southeast Asia and Africa. CIAT’s Director General Ruben Echeverria explains what this means.

The Investment Case for smallholders’ access to finance

It is well-known that it is hard for small farmers to gain access to financing. What is less know is that scientists under the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry are working on solutions to include smallholders in sustainable agricultural production and commodity trade. Pablo Pacheco leads the research in that area and hosted a discussion at the Global Landscapes Forum: The Investment Case in London on 6 June. Read his blog and the White Paper on the event.

The sugar or the trees

Yet another commodity is poised to increase the pressure on Indonesia’s tropical forests, a new study suggests. While much of the attention globally is focused on oil palm as a driver of deforestation, Indonesia has plans to massively expand its sugarcane plantations. Read here what this means and how the consequences for local populations and the environment could be mitigated.

Researchers are leaving Sulawesi, agroforestry lingers on

After four years, the FTA project Agroforestry and Forestry in Sulawesi: Linking knowledge to action (AgFor) is coming to an end. So what has changed for farmers in the meantime? What will stay the same? And why are researchers optimistic? Find out here.

Ghana wants bigger slice of the fair chocolate cake

Ghana’s share of the fair trade cocoa market is growing, but will the business be sustainable? In a just-completed baseline study, scientists with the CGIAR Research Program on FTA looked at the potential for fair trade cocoa in Ghana. Their data shows that there are still hurdles along the way.

Agroforests changing landscapes in Vietnam

Five years ago, scientists under the CGIAR Research Program on FTA started an experiment. At that time, Vietnam’s Son La province was rife with land degradation and poverty. Now, the project has changed landscapes and lives.
 

Overcoming land grab prejudices

Large agricultural investments in many African countries are often equated with land grabbing from richer economies. A recent study under the CGIAR Research Program on FTA in Mozambique suggests that this is not automatically the case. Many of the large investments in agriculture are made by local and regional businesses, and the food produced lands in the domestic market. Read more about the findings here.

When will sustainable oil palm become the norm?

Oil palm is one of the biggest commodities traded worldwide and a key research theme of the CGIAR Research Program on FTA. And, concerns about unsustainable palm oil production have been growing. A recent study suggests that sustainability in the sector hinges to a large extent on smallholders.

Land rights and livelihoods: It’s complicated

It sounds logical: provide farmers with secure tenure and their lives will improve. But a study under the CGIAR Research Program on FTA suggests that this is not necessarily so.

Spreading the word on better land-use planning for Indonesia’s commodities

With better coordination and collaboration within the government, Indonesia could improve its commodity usage. This is one conclusion from a recent workshop under the CGIAR Research Program on FTA. Researchers and government representatives wanted to know how land-use planning and resource management in Indonesia could be improved at the landscape level. The outcomes from the discussion were interesting for both sides.

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