Landscape Collaboration for Regenerative Food Systems

Fall 2024 Harry ’51 and Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development Seminar Series

Abstract

Integrated landscape management (ILM) – an umbrella concept that encompasses over 100 analogous terms such as territorial development, landscape stewardship and ecoagriculture as well as seascape, bioregion and watershed management – is becoming a widely recognized framework for operationalizing landscape approaches (LAs) to balancing conservation and sustainable development goals.  Landscape partnerships (LPs) harness the power of place attachment, social capital and collective action to mobilize local community engagement in harmonizing the interests and coordinating the activities of diverse stakeholders in a landscape’s agriculture, natural resources and other assets. A global coalition of integrated landscape analysts – the Landscapes for People, Food and Nature (LPFN) initiative, concluded from a decade of study and dialogue that ILM, while a powerful governance strategy in many settings, is limited in practice relative to its potential for addressing the poly crises of our time.  The subsequent 1000 Landscapes for 1 Billion people (I000L) initiative set a generational (20 year) horizon for scaling ILM through a ’radical collaboration’ of landscape champions.  As 1000L’s design, testing and demonstration phase winds up it is met with the challenge, and invitation, to apply landscape collaboration to the urgent task of transforming our food system. A regenerative food system must target food and water security, net zero emissions, clear paths to climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, nutrition and a just transition that respects human rights.  The seminar highlights elements of the learning and innovation system needed to support the sustainable practice of scaling ILM for food system transformation and calls for an action research agenda to enrich it. 

About the speaker

A senior advisor with EcoAgriculture Partners and emeritus Senior Extension Associate in Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Louise Buck offers strategic guidance for integrated landscape partnerships and their supporters to strengthen and expand the practice of regenerative landscape management, worldwide. Her research aims to deepen understanding about the potential of landscape collaboration and build confidence to meet its challenges in complex socio-ecological settings where food production and nature conservation are common, often conflicting goals. As leader of EcoAgriculture’s Innovations in Collaborative Landscape Management program for 17 years, and coordinator of the Cornell Ecoagriculture Working Group through her home Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Dr Buck has developed linked class-room and field based learning systems to strengthen leadership capacities for multi-disciplinary, cross-sectoral planning and action. Her PhD is from Cornell, her MSc from Colorado State University and her B.S. and B.A. degrees from the University of Colorado.

About the seminar series

The Harry ’51 & Joshua ’49 Tsujimoto Perspectives in Global Development Seminar Series showcases innovative approaches to development with experts from around the globe. Each year, the series attracts online registrants from over 45 countries and more than 350 organizations. 

Seminars are held Wednesdays from 12:20-1:10 p.m. eastern time during the semester in 175 Warren Hall. Students, faculty and the general public are welcome to attend in-person or via Zoom.

The series is co-sponsored by the Department of Global Development, the Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, and the School of Integrative Plant Science as part of courses GDEV 4961, AEM 4961, NTRES 4961, GDEV 6960, AEM 6960, and NTRES 6960.