RECOFTC and AgriCord highlight the power of farmer-driven nature-based solutions

From 9–12 December, RECOFTC and AgriCord co-hosted a knowledge event, ‘Nature-based solutions in agriculture’ at the Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 hotel in Bangkok, Thailand. The event brought together practitioners, researchers, partners in the agricultural and forestry sectors from various countries, including Thailand, Viet Nam, Tanzania and Guatemala.

Over the course of the four days, participants shared insights on how farmer-driven nature-based solution (NbS) initiatives can revitalize agriculture and forestry landscapes and empower smallholders both socially and economically.

Warangkana Rattanarat, country director of RECOFTC Thailand highlighted how collaborative efforts in NbS implementation can achieve both environmental and socio-economic impacts through our Trees4All project. “Tree planting is only the beginning. Farmers’ adoption of regenerative agriculture requires a system-level transformation,” she said. “The diversification of trees and plants, and insect and livestock farming can help achieve this systemic change towards forest landscape restoration.”

Rattanarat also noted that the development of alternative income sources for sustainable livelihoods—from short rotation crops and livestock and insect farming to community-based business development—is an essential incentive for successful collaborations with farmers. “As we all benefit from natural resources, it is also our responsibility to care for nature and support the farmers as frontliners for natural resource stewardship,” she said. Trees4All is enabling this collective environmental stewardship through its online crowdfunding and project progress reporting on the website trees4allthailand.org.

Martin Greijmans, RECOFTC’s programme lead for increased economic benefits for communities, presented on the importance of ‘Ensuring that no smallholders are left behind’. He provided an overview of compliance mechanisms that can support smallholders in their efforts to comply with Forest Risk Commodities (FRC) regulations. 

“To ensure smallholders meet FRC regulations, including the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products, and facilitate their continued access to global markets, we need to strengthen their knowledge and capacities in five areas,” he said. He went on to elaborate on the five areas: regulatory compliance, traceability, data management, access to finance and market access, and partnerships.

When smallholders can collect, manage and communicate their farm data, they can demonstrate that their products are sustainable and legal, thus complying with deforestation-free standards, leading to equitable partnerships.

The participants’ discussion underscored how sustainable livelihoods and global food security can be strengthened. There was general agreement that farmer-led NbS can be a way forward to enhance resilience and inclusivity while strengthening livelihoods.

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Nitchanun Tantapong is communication officer at RECOFTC Thailand.