Graduate Student Lunch Series Center for International Development

Graduate Student Lunch Series, Center for International Development Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 24 October 2003 Transforming Rural Lives Capturing Opportunities for a Bigger Impact in the Forest Margins Dagmar Timmer, ASB (Kenya) – d. timmer@cgiar. org Harvard University – Seminar Presentation, October 24, 2003

Outline About ASB Crisis: Danger and Opportunity Opportunities for ASB in Transforming Rural Lives

Alternatives to Slash-and-Burn (ASB) is a system-wide, integrated natural resource management (i. NRM) program of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) ASB mission: forest conservation and poverty alleviation in the humid tropics ASB focus: tradeoffs between biodiversity and rural development at the forest margins in a landscape context • Benchmark sites in Peru (2), Brazil (2), Cameroon (1), Thailand (1), Indonesia (1), and the Philippines (1) • Scope: geographically focused on agriculture-forest interface at Tropical Broadleaf Forest Biome • Scaling up and out through South-South cooperation Transforming Rural Lives

The Nature of “Opportunity” Transforming Rural Lives

Taking on a Multi-Scale Approach Challenge: Most of ASB’s work conducted at a plot level, but the reality is that need multiple scales of analysis and action for effective results (missing middle) Opportunity: grapple with implications of different landscape mosaics for people’s livelihoods and environmental services Priorities for work have shifted from plotlevel analyses of specific land uses (forests, agroforests, pastures…) Build on deeper understanding of landscape processes • Combinations of land uses interacting in space Transforming Rural Lives

Getting Serious about Tradeoffs Challenge: ‘win-win’ is rare Opportunity: negotiation to balance tradeoffs ASB Matrix - negotiation support tool for “winning more and losing less” Process conducted at all benchmark sites Harness landscape restoration for poverty reduction Opportunity: make tradeoffs explicit Incentives for environmental services e. g. through environmental payments (RUPES) Transforming Rural Lives

Improving Information for Policy Challenge: Lack of solid scientific information on environmentdevelopment relationships of use to policy makers and practitioners Opportunity: Prepare and disseminate a broad range of policy-relevant information from across the humid tropics on key themes i. NRM approach ensures saliency of research because it is problem driven Ensure that local realities enrich policy processes Proactively and strategically deliver research to relevant decision makers Transforming Rural Lives

Encouraging Rural Prosperity Challenge: Subsistence farming will not reduce poverty in the full sense of increasing options for rural people Opportunity: Support marketing, improved products, partnerships with private sector, farmers’ associations, etc. Transforming Rural Lives

Strengthening National Capacity Challenge: Capacity of developing country target groups to participate is constrained by lack of access to 1) information and 2) funding Opportunity: ASB as partnership to bridge gaps between reality and potential of national consortia’s role Agenda for action developed jointly by partners and adapted over time National consortia have emerged as the foundation of ASB • Capacity-building of national partners to seize growing opportunities – INRM methods adopted and adapted by NARS and others – Research funding and access to information attaining ‘international standards’ • When capacity is built nationally, most of the regional and global activities will be subsumed within national entities Transforming Rural Lives

Active Learning Across Sites Challenge: Sites distributed around the world with limited cross-site information sharing and technology transfer currently Opportunity: Aim to accelerate learning through cross-site approach Building cross-regional networks Millennium Ecosystem Assessment Transforming Rural Lives

Engaging with Development and Conservation Challenge: Little experience and understanding of workable interventions, especially where they require integrated responses Opportunity: Work more closely with development and conservation partners, e. g. IUCN, WWF, CIFOR, ICRAF, others Rainforest Challenge Partnership • • • A global science-based approach to managing large forest landscapes Learning, adapting, empowering, building capacity Alleviating poverty and conserving the environment Building a long-term partnership • • • Regional and national networks Strong local partnerships Engage knowledge, skills and impact channels of partners Based on a learning network of sites • • • Multifunctional ‘mosaic’ landscapes Areas of endemic poverty and high biodiversity Opportunities for inter-institutional collaboration are the starting point for the RCP Transforming Rural Lives

Getting into Contact with New Stakeholders Challenge: Local stakeholders are at the heart of ASB’s work and yet interventions are needed from across different sectors Locally-appropriate environmental agenda and empowerment of local stakeholders still key Opportunity: Strategic stakeholder analysis to build partnerships that leverage ASB learning at new research sites New audiences to achieve additional goals, e. g. creation of non-farm jobs, rural entrepreneurship… Increase impact on international organizations, global fora, multinational corporations, and the CGIAR itself. • Outputs from global synthesis not always read and utilized by researchers at national and local levels • Impact on general public awareness is indirect and limited Transforming Rural Lives

Understanding and Increasing Impact i. NRM Approach Inputs Activities Outputs Challenge: Typical indicators of impact (e. g. tons of rice grown, etc. ) do not show the range of impacts that ASB has. Opportunity: Identify the impact channels more precisely, by looking at the scales at which ASB works and its leverage webs. Sissi Liu’s ASB impact typology Leverage webs and feedback loops form the foundation for long-term and broadbased impacts Integration and extrapolation activities produce the greatest impact leverage Institutional learning loop important in refining existing and defining new problems Support to partners increases national/regional impact Transforming Rural Lives Outcomes ASB Impacts

ASB Program Impact Typology: General Schematic i. NRM Approach Inputs Activities Outputs Global/International Cross-sector inputs Interdisciplinary consortia of ASB and partner researchers & staff Interdisciplinary teams Pantropic presence Problem definition Integrative problem definition methodology Techniques & methods from ASB research, infrastructure, external scientific knowledge & local indigenous practices Multiparty project funding Scientific publications: theories, principles & methods; Policy Briefs & local Voices; training materials (Publicly accessible via research database) Global Impacts on scientific knowledge, private sector incentives, public awareness, and partner agenda as well as training and education ASB Impacts Global capacity building & change in social values International Change in views & agendas of scientists & politicians of multiple nations Regulatory policy changes in non-ASB partner countries; conservation of tropical ecosystems New technology; prototype for institutional innovations; dialogues with policy makers NARS capacity building; change in focus and agenda of NARs & politicians in primary program nations and regions Policy changes & expansion of ASB program in partner countries Community networks; implementation of agroforestry practices; market access; secure land tenure; delivery pathways Change in production practices & social cohesion Increase in income, broadening of opportunities for multiple generations, conservation of local ecosystems Intern/external reviews & assessments ASB as a boundary organization prototype Innovations in organizational processes & structure CG/ASB missions Poverty alleviation National/Regional Local Research for enhanced • productivity • human well-being • ecosystem resilience; enabling integrative & tradeoff analysis, securing funding and providing negotiation support Local experimentation; community & capacity building Multi-scale communication and negotiation expertise Changes in external environment Global analysis, integration & extrapolation; support for partners; information dissemination Outcomes ASB Internal institutional innovations Systematic institutional learning Transforming Rural Lives Food security Environmental conservation

Improving Capacity as a Boundary Organization New concept for harnessing science and technology for sustainable development Boundary organization as a forum for actors cooperating across the boundary between sectors and social spheres Boundary management activities aid in: Communication Translation Mediation Impacts leveraged through global research and information dissemination Participatory research provides livelihood capital assets Transforming Rural Lives Scientists and Researchers Politicians and Policy Decision Makers Boundary Organization: ASB Civil Society Capacity Architects Private Sector Managers and Investors