Aris Sanjaya/CIFOR

Over the course of this past year, CIFOR’s Director-General Peter Holmgren shared his personal insights on forestry, climate change and development, as well as why he is such a champion of the ‘landscape approach.’

Below, we compile the top picks from his column.

1. Forestry in the new development era

“We want to redefine ‘forestry’ to mean ‘all contributions to sustainable development that are made possible through forests and trees’.”

2. Harnessing multi-purpose landscapes for integrated climate and development goals

“The land sector will be key in achieving the well-below 2 or 1.5 degree goal agreed in Paris and this is clearly reflected in the long-term goal of net zero emissions, Article 5, and the Preamble of the Agreement. This role, however, is not limited to that of forests or agriculture in isolation, but across the landscape.”

3. To find real solutions, focus beyond climate emissions

“Approaching solutions holistically is at the heart of what is known as the ‘landscapes approach’ and the global movement that is arising around it. The term is not known beyond development circles, but it should be, because every stretch of land or sea touched by mankind makes up the millions of landscapes on this planet.”

4. Forest, Trees & Agroforestry research into the next phase (2017-2022)

“The CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) is the world’s most ambitious international research program in its field. In 2015, over 200 FTA researchers produced more than 600 FTA publications, of which 80% are open access. More than 50,000 people were trained, and very large audiences have been reached through the program’s events, websites and social media.”