Welcome to the fourth 2016 newsletter from the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA). This issue focuses on climate change adaptation and mitigation, and you can read about paying for REDD+, emissions from Indonesia’s forest fires, a land-use sector with growing tree cover and the large-scale drivers of deforestation. We also look back at a major event supported by FTA - the Global Landscapes Forum: The Investment Case. And keep an eye out for the FTA Annual Report 2015, which will launch shortly and be sent to all subscribers by email.

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The missing link in carbon accounting

As the area of tropical forests continues to decline, a remarkable change is happening: Tree cover on agricultural land is increasing across the globe. And that cover captures nearly 0.75 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide every year, a new study under FTA suggest.
The results provide insights into the patterns of this tremendous change at global, regional and national scales and suggests a large mitigation potential in this land sector that should be explored more systematically.

Why is it so difficult to tackle large-scale drivers of deforestation?

While countries are developing their own approaches to REDD+, the challenges they face remain largely the same. This is the conclusion from a REDD+ knowledge-sharing event in Addis Ababa. Scientists working under FTA heard that even countries who were ahead of the game in launching REDD+ are lagging when it comes to implementation. Will this give latecomers the chance to catch up? Read more here.

FTA scientists measure emissions from Indonesia’s 2015 fires

For the first time, researchers have quantified the greenhouse gas emissions from fires in Sumatra, Kalimantan and Papua. The team measured ground-level smoke from burning peat, and satellites provided data on the heat output being radiated by the fires as well as information on the amount of carbon monoxide present in the surrounding atmosphere. Read about their groundbreaking results here.

Profits, plates and plots

Smallholder farmers participating in a payments for ecosystem services (PES) scheme in Cidanau Watershed, Indonesia have more diverse diets than those who didn’t participate. A recent study by the World Agroforestry Centre under FTA explains what changed, and what other benefits were seen.

A reality check on who is footing the bill for REDD+

Assumptions about who is actually paying to reduce emissions from deforestation have been wrong, a new study under FTA suggests. Many REDD+ initiatives expected that the costs would be covered by incoming funds from the international community. They also thought that REDD+ would generate a surplus that could be equitably shared between different stakeholders. If only. Find out here who will pay and why that is not a good thing.

Funky name, useful tool: 5Capitals-G piloted in three countries

A new tool to assess poverty in a gender-responsive way is set to prove its value in a pilot phase starting mid-2016 in India, Peru and Guatemala. The name 5Capitals-G might raise eyebrows, but scientists working under the CGIAR FTA are convinced of its use. Read more here.

REDD+ and the SDGs: making the case for integrated monitoring

In a new book, FTA scientists make the case for integrated monitoring of the effects of REDD+. Although the approach has a strong focus on carbon sequestration, it might be just as important to understand the other outcomes – such as impact on livelihoods and biodiversity. If one wants to ensure that the program is viable in the long term, that is. Read more here.

FTA event coverage: Connecting funds to farms and forests

The Global Landscapes Forum has become the key event under the CGIAR FTA. Special attention is given to questions of how to leverage private finance for sustainable landscapes, forests and agroforestry. The Investment Case event in London in June again brought together important investors to connect funds to farms and forests, to harness finance for smallholders and to use financial technology for a more transparent world.

Seven countries overlook perfect solution to climate change

Asian countries are overlooking how the private sector can help them reach national climate goals, CIFOR’s Steve Lawry warned in an article on the occasion of the Bonn climate meeting in May. He based his perspective on a recent report on seven countries’ Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, a key element of climate change mitigation. Read his analysis here.

CIRAD and Bioversity International present their Annual Reports for 2015

Two key members of the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA), Bioversity International and the French CIRAD, have just released their Annual Reports for 2015. Read more here and here.

Building trust to smartly invest in trees in the Philippines: A visit to the Tala-andig tribe

Researchers and development workers aim to benefit local communities, but how should scientists and indigenous people work together? Four experts from the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) met with members of the Tala-andig tribe in Indonesia to discuss solutions. Read here what they discovered.