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Man cutting a cacao fruit from the tree
Promoting producer agency in food systems – might new global guidelines offer any hope?
… and agricultural workers are critical to delivering healthy and sustainable diets. But these important and diverse rural citizens – … food systems are vital to feeding humanity ) – are often squeezed in markets and sidelined policy spaces . Increasingly, there is recognition … in commercial agriculture  and food systems governance could be key to ensuring the markets these critical actors trade in work for …
Insight, 10 December 2020
Cutting down trees, especially for livestock grazing, can lead to soil erosion, as seen on this hillside outside Addis Ababa (Photo: Aaron Minnick/World Resources Institute, Creative Commons via Flickr)
Shaping the future of forest and farm landscapes in Africa
… expansion.  Forests provide vital ecosystem services that underpin sustainable food supply – from providing habitats for species that … countries aim to ensure domestic food security, supply international markets to boost economic growth, and create employment for the … targets or budgetary constraints), incentives and disincentives of key stakeholders, historical legacies (for example, where the …
Insight, 21 August 2017
Chinese and African delegates visit a nursery and learn about a reforestation project in Pemba, Mozambique (Photo: Duncan Macqueen/IIED)
Sustainable investment in African forest resources highlighted at China-Africa event
… tree nursery, and day three focused on the way forward for shaping sustainable forestry and China-Africa partnerships. The  detailed agenda … Department, gives an overview of timber and non-timber investment issues linked to China in Zambia and discusses some key lessons learned.    Zanzibar declaration on illegal trade in timber …
News, 20 November 2017
Woman selling vegetables
Agricultural contracts and farmer agency: a shift in perspective
… On the other hand, informal transactions in local to regional markets account for the bulk of staples trading. These transactions can … its suppliers. As a result, farmers are often 'contract takers', with key terms determined by contracts they are not party to. In our report, … decisions and private sector conduct for locally beneficial and more sustainable investments in commercial agriculture. …
Insight, 16 May 2021
A group of miners who are working the Kawa Ijen volcano in Java, Indonesia. The miners carry sulfur down the volcano and to the processing centre where the sulfur is weighed and the miner is paid (Photo: Adam Cohn, Creative Commons, via Flickr)
Time to tell a new story about artisanal and small-scale mining: time for a new "indaba"
… on community and artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) issues, key voices continue to be missing from the main discussion, including … in IIED's previous work on forests. For example, following the 'Sustainable Paper Cycle' global study , The Forests Dialogue (TFD) was … Steve Bass ( [email protected] ) is head of IIED's  Sustainable Markets Group . …
Insight, 11 February 2015
Miners pushing a cart out of a mine near the Bolivian town of Potosi. For centuries this area had the richest silver mines in South America. Today many of the mines are worked by local cooperatives, but conditions are still harsh (Photo Nyall & Maryanne, Creative Commons via Flickr)
Listen and learn: lessons from the small-scale mining sector
… had a bigger voice at the table in defining the language of sustainable development for the sector. It is only in this way that the … to be pushed further and where not enough progress had been made. Key among these were the areas of community relations and the artisanal … ( [email protected] ) is senior researcher in the Sustainable Markets Group . …
Insight, 05 February 2015
Group of people around a table eating a meal
Three pillars for food system change: inclusivity, joint vision and long-term commitment
… diverse views in a meaningful and productive way. The Hivos-IIED Sustainable Diets for All (SD4All) programme has championed multi-actor … and low-income consumers – especially women – must be involved. These key actors, whose voices are rarely heard in policymaking, are crucial … local realities. We must listen to how people translate big system issues into what matters to them. Government officials and private …
Insight, 16 July 2020
Women selling fish in Nyakrom, Central Ghana. The food economy is the largest informal sector in West Africa (Photo: aripeskoe2, Creative Commons via Flickr)
Green grows the informal economy
… From green economy plans to the Sustainable Development Goals, ambitions for growth have the word … informal economy in plans for inclusive green growth, identifying six key principles going forward.  The broad base of economies In most … support mechanisms for building skills and accessing information, markets and finance as part of any formalisation effort.  Sian Lewis ( …
Insight, 10 March 2016
Key words related to mining and sustainable development (Image: IIED)
Mining's search for sustainability: how far have we come?
… decade , is intended to kick-start reflections and conversations with key stakeholders. The paper raises many questions about how well the mining industry has put sustainable development theory into practice.  The research is based on … It is clear that much of MMSD's agenda is still relevant today. Issues such as the environment, community development and health and …
Insight, 07 June 2012
Employees work deep within a tunnel at the Nsangano Gold Mine, Mawemeru village in Geita District, Tanzania in March 2015 (Photo: Brian Sokol/Panos Pictures)
Laying the foundations for a dialogue series on artisanal and small-scale mining
… hosting of a ' visioning workshop ' in April 2015, we have engaged key stakeholders across the sector to identify the global priorities for … government, miners, and civil society) and identified four priority issues – vulnerability, minerals rights and governance, formalisation, and migration and security – and a number of …
Project, 24 June 2015