Tree in the Amazon. Photo credit: CIFOR

Ever wondered what thoughts run inside the minds of CIFOR’s scientists?

You now have the opportunity to pick their brains, as they share their personal insights on their areas of research.

Below is a list of the Top 5 Analyses in 2016 from CIFOR’s scientists, based on the top page views from Forests News’ readers.

1. Zero deforestation in Indonesia: Pledges, politics and palm oil

“No Deforestation. No Peat. No Exploitation”: Though simple in their aim, zero deforestation commitments have divided the palm oil sector in terms of which rules to follow and whose rules to follow, says CIFOR’s Pablo Pacheco. In Indonesia, the world’s largest palm oil producer, companies are facing public opposition from the government.

2. Could timber plantations boost forest conservation?

Large-scale monoculture plantations have been criticized for land grabbing, forest destruction, unfair distribution of benefits, and so forth. So it might sound counter-intuitive to suggest timber plantations as a prime solution to promote forest conservation. Yet CIFOR’s Romain Pirard urges policymakers to take a closer look.

3. Paris Agreement signed. Now what?

Since the climate agreement was reached in Paris at COP21, the discourse has shifted towards implementation. We have moved into a practical discussion addressing responses to how, as opposed to simply what or why. CIFOR’s Stephen Leonard outlines the Top 10 considerations for ensuring the Agreement’s smooth implementation.

4. How deforestation is tangled up in the law

Reviewing hundreds of norms and regulations for five countries – Peru, Indonesia, Tanzania, Mexico and Vietnam – CIFOR’s Anne Larson and Ashwin Ravikumar examine a dizzying array of legal forces at work shaping land use today, from land titling to the authorization of concessions to the creation of protected areas, and so forth.

5. Why ‘zero deforestation’ is only one piece of the sustainability puzzle

In the midst of efforts to achieve ‘zero deforestation’, it is important to remember that commitments should involve finding models that work for all stakeholders –public and private – and support smallholders who depend on commodities for their living. CIFOR’s Pablo Pacheco and Sophia Gynch analyze key supply chains in Indonesia and Brazil.