CIFOR Forests News reports that the UN Convention on Biological Diversity is considering a set of ‘best practice guidelines’ that will assist policy makers in balancing competing pressures on land for food and fuel while protecting forests and biodiversity.

Landscape level approaches to sustainability comprises 10 guiding principles on how to better integrate research into the agricultural, forestry, energy, and fishery sectors in order to develop collaborative and innovative solutions and ensure natural resources are sustainably managed. The guidelines have been developed by the CGIAR Research Program on Forests, Trees and Agroforestry.

A landscape approach aims to get away from thinking of land in terms of the segregated management of natural resources and instead consider the social, economic and environmental services provided by a whole landscape. It is also places greater emphasis on poverty alleviation and livelihoods.

“Understanding the different functions of landscapes is vital to ensure that countries have more resilience and are able to better adapt to climatic changes, such as food insecurity,” said Terry Sunderland, principal scientist with the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR).

The guidelines could provide a standard for policymakers, NGOs, and practitioners working in conservation and development in over 100 countries across the world on how to develop and improve land-use planning policies.

Read the full story: U.N. recognises new guidelines to better manage competing demands for land