Against a global backdrop of climate change, widespread food insecurity, deforestation and forest degradation, this paper highlights the role of sustainable woodfuel in improving food security. It provides insights into how this role can be strengthened, including through forest management reforms. The widespread availability of woodfuel can present opportunities for employment and sustainable value chains

Currently in Tanzania, training institutions for professionals in cross-cutting sectors such as forestry and agriculture do not adequately capture the role of forest and tree resources for food security and nutrition, leading to dependency on one sector – agriculture – to cater for food and nutrition diversity. This undervalues the fundamental role of forest ecosystem services for sustainable agriculture by regulating water flows, stabilizing soils, maintaining soil fertility, regulating the climate, and providing habitat for wild pollinators and predators of agricultural pests. Provision of education on sustainable forests and trees for food security and nutrition at all levels seems to be the most conceivable entry point to ensure that adequate knowledge and skills are imparted to professionals. The goals of this training manual are to: enhance the recognition and significance of forestry to food security and nutrition through the sustainable management and use of forests and trees2; enhance the food security and nutrition benefits from the forests and trees; enhance and stimulate research and training capacity; strengthen institutional frameworks by incorporating food security and nutrition objectives in forest management policies, programmes and projects; and develop value chains based on forest and tree resources for sustainable development in the country. The overall objective is to create awareness and enable increased investment in the forestry sector for food security and nutrition in Tanzania. This training manual is also meant to serve as a useful tool for sharing and exchanging knowledge and experiences across different regions (within the country) and beyond.

Successful woodfuel value chain governance is dependent on the existence of known policies that are implemented, rules and regulations that are enforced and complied with by value chain actors and institutions with capacity to regulate and render support. Kenya has formulated policies nd enacted legislation for guiding, managing and supporting woodfuel value chains. These policies and legal frameworks have evolved over the years, integrating provisions for sustainable production, distribution and use of woodfuel. However, even with well-developed policies and legislative frameworks, charcoal value chains are inadequately governed, beset by illegality, weak institutional arrangements, overlapping mandates and limited coordination and cooperation. Nonetheless, charcoal value chains have remained resilient despite the bans and moratoria throughout the decades and likely to continue in the foreseeable future. Limited knowledge, lack of incentives for sustainable production and limited support for organized efforts to manage woodfuel resources are contributing to low compliance with rules and regulations. Therefore, the development and implementation of interventions coupled with appropriate investments to incentivize and catalyze sustainable woodfuel production and trade cannot be over emphasized.

Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes is a unique, five volume reference that provides a global synthesis of biomes, including the latest science. All of the book's chapters follow a common thematic order that spans biodiversity importance, principal anthropogenic stressors and trends, changing climatic conditions, and conservation strategies for maintaining biomes in an increasingly human-dominated world. This work is a one-stop shop that gives users access to up-to-date, informative articles that go deeper in content than any currently available publication. Offers students and researchers a one-stop shop for information currently only available in scattered or non-technical sources Authored and edited by top scientists in the field Concisely written to guide the reader though the topic Includes meaningful illustrations and suggests further reading for those needing more specific information

This two-volume set provides an authoritative overview of the major environmental issues of the 21st century, with a special focus on current challenges, trends, and policy choices. This set provides an up-to-date, comprehensive, and focused resource for understanding the nature and scope of environmental challenges facing the United States and the world in the 21st century, as well as options for meeting those challenges. Volume One covers environmental trends and challenges within the United States, while Volume Two illuminates environmental issues and choices around the world. Issues covered in both volumes include vital topics such as climate change, air and water pollution, natural resource and species protection, and agricultural/industrial impacts on the environment and public health. For all topics, the authors—scholars and experts hailing from a wide range of environmental and policy fields—detail a range of political, social, and economic options for the future and explain why the issue in question is important for society and people as well as the natural world.

Globally, the number of conflicts is increasing which is the main cause of much of the recent deterioration of the global food security situation. This situation is exacerbated by climate related shocks. Since 2009, a combination of man-made and natural disasters has disrupted livelihoods, threatened food security and forcibly displaced millions of people in northeast Nigeria. The conflict, in northeast Nigeria, takes on a central role in the ongoing food crisis by severely curtailing the ability of populations to access land and other natural resources such as woodfuel, the central object of this analysis. Access to energy is a precondition to food security, both are often highly constrained during crises. The ways in which energy is produced and used, can aggravate the vulnerability of populations to a number of risks and challenges by exposing them to malnutrition and other health conditions, reduced resilience to natural hazards and to environmental degradation, a disproportionate work burden for women, protection risks, conflicts and unsustainable livelihood activities. FAO, UNHCR and WFP have been promoting the multi-sectoral Safe Access to Fuel and Energy approach (SAFE) in the context of forced displacement to support an effective response and to contribute to building the resilience of vulnerable populations. The starting point of such a response in northeast Nigeria is this woodfuel supply and energy demand assessment, which provides a baseline for designing comprehensive interventions that take into account the energy needs of affected populations. The desired outcome of the SAFE approach is to “satisfy the fuel and energy needs for cooking, heating, lighting, and powering in a safe and sustainable manner, without fear or risk to health, well-being, and personal security of crisis affected populations”. The SAFE approach could make an effective and significant contribution to improve food security and nutrition, and ensure the sustainable management of natural resources. In addition, it will positively affect livelihoods, women and youth empowerment, protection and health risks. By taking adequate climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, the SAFE approach will also help to increase the resilience of vulnerable populations in the face of natural hazards and disasters, and contribute to peaceful coexistence between IDPs and local communities.

The interactions between climate change, agriculture, and technology are of increasing concern to academicians, educators, and planners. After the publication of the first report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), studies of the impact of climate change on productive systems such as agriculture have multiplied. The best solution can be found in new technologies and tools. Intelligent Solutions for Optimizing Agriculture and Tackling Climate Change: Current and Future Dimensions explores the importance of artificial intelligence and its effects on the future of agriculture. It further highlights the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in the agricultural field. Covering topics such as agroforestry, farming productivity, and population projections, this premier reference source is an indispensable resource for climate scientists, agricultural scientists, policymakers, computer scientists, engineers, students and educators of higher education, libraries, researchers, and academicians.

Forests provide, directly or indirectly, important health benefits for all people – not only those whose lives are closely intertwined with forest ecosystems, but also people far from forests, including urban populations. Recognition of the importance of forests for food security and nutrition has significantly increased in recent years, but their role in human health has received less attention. Nutrition and health are intrinsically connected: Good nutrition cannot be achieved without good health and vice versa. Therefore, when addressing linkages with forests, it is essential to address health and nutrition at the same time. Yet forests also provide a wide range of benefits to human health and well-being beyond those generally associated with food security and nutrition. This publication examines the many linkages of forests and human health and offers recommendations for creating an enabling environment in which people can benefit from them. Designed for practitioners and policy-makers in a range of fields – from forestry to food security, from nutrition and health to land-use and urban planning – it is hoped that the paper will stimulate interest in expanding cross-sectoral collaboration to a new set of stakeholders, to unlock the full potential of forests’ contributions to greater human well-being.

Key messages Woodfuel, particularly charcoal, is an important livelihood source in Kitui County, with consumption largely in urban areas within and beyond the county, where it is still a critical energy source. While charcoal movement out of the county has been banned since 2018, trade has continued in some form because of inadequate support, guidance and regulation. While briquette production has been promoted, it has not seen substantial demand. Because charcoal production has continued, a sustainable charcoal value chain in Kitui County has to be explored, including i) management of woodlands and sustainable harvesting of trees, e.g. through natural regeneration and enrichment planting of trees on degraded private and public lands; ii) promotion of efficient processing and carbonization; and iii) efficient and clean cooking. Current institutional arrangements for guiding, supporting and controlling the value chain activities and actors can be improved to enhance the sustainability, enforcement, compliance, capacity and competitiveness of local value chains. World Agroforestry (ICRAF), Adventist Development Relief Agency (ADRA) and partners undertook a number of activities in Kitui County and more widely in Kenya as a whole to generate evidence, knowledge and policy options, and to facilitate engagement for more sustainable woodfuel value chains under the project entitled Governing Multifunctional Landscapes (GML) in sub-Saharan Africa launched in 2018. This brief summarises the key interventions and learnings from the project with particular focus on Kitui County.