Global Landscapes Forum
Hosts: Global Landscapes Forum, CIFOR, World Agroforestry
Smallholders are at the heart of blue–green landscape management. They play a crucial role in sustaining and restoring interconnected ecosystems, from upland forests to farmlands, rivers, wetlands, and coasts. Their practices, such as agroforestry and community-based forest management, not only enhance productivity but also sustain water flows, improve soil health, and strengthen climate resilience across entire watersheds.
Research must go beyond understanding how agroforestry systems are developed to explore how they function within wider blue–green landscapes that link forests, farms, rivers, and mangroves. This systems perspective reveals the essential contributions of smallholders to national and global climate goals, including Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).