Sustainability, Sustainable Livelihoods and EcoagricultureFraming the Elusive Concept of SustainabilitySustainability and policyDefining Sustainable LivelihoodsSustainable Livelihoods ApproachSlide 6What are these ‘assets’?Support Communities by Strengthening AssetsEco-agriculture and SLExpanding Biodiverse Production Possibilities CurveApplication of EcoagricultureEEP 153, spring 2005Sustainability, Sustainable Livelihoods and Ecoagriculture Sustainability: definition, hierarchy SL: definition, approach, frameworkEcoagricultureEEP 153, spring 2005Framing the Elusive Concept of Sustainability“By the mid-1990s, there were well over 100 definitions of sustainability. This definitional chaos has nearly rendered the term sustainability meaningless and is distracting from the need to address ongoing environmental degradation.”Suggested unit of analysis: perturbations to ecosystem functionEEP 153, spring 2005Sustainability and policyFive reasons why policies don’t address sustainability/ecosystem function:1. Scientific uncertainty;2. Associated with special interests/particular values (e.g. growth restrictions);3. Perceived to require significant short-term sacrifice/unpopular with voters (e.g. fuel taxes);4. May require opting for social or collective good over individual liberties (e.g. restricted access to nature reserves); 5. Sustainability issues are often at large spatial and temporal scales, requiring high levels of coordination.EEP 153, spring 2005Defining Sustainable LivelihoodsA livelihood is sustainable when:it can cope with and recover from stresses and shocks,maintain or enhance its capabilities and assets both now and in the future,while not undermining the natural resource base.EEP 153, spring 2005Sustainable Livelihoods Approachpeople-centredStarts with people’s livelihoods (not technology)holisticRecognizes multiple livelihood strategies (non-sectoral)dynamicLivelihoods and institutions are changing and adaptingbuild on strengthsWorks with strengths and potential (rather than needs)macro-micro linksUnderstands critical role of policies and institutions on livelihoodsmainstream sustainabilityEnvironmental, economic, social, institutional filtersEEP 153, spring 2005Livelihood Capital AssetsHumanSocialPhysicalFinancialNaturalVulnerability Context• Shocks• Trends• SeasonsLivelihood StrategiesPolicies & Institutions (Transforming Structures & Processes)• Structures- Government- Private Sector• Processes- Laws- Policies- Culture- InstitutionsLivelihood Outcomes• + Sustainable use of NR base • + Income• + Well-being• - Vulnerability• + Food securityThe SL FrameworkPresentation © IDL What are these ‘assets’?1. Human capital – education, skills, knowledge & info., health 2. Natural capital – abundance and quality of land, water, forests, wildlife, biodiversity3. Financial capital - savings, credit, remittances, pensions4. Physical capital – roads, ports, electrification, irrigation, communications5. Social capital – informal networks and institutions, mutual aid and trustEEP 153, spring 2005Support Communities by Strengthening Assets Human CapitalNatural CapitalPhysical CapitalSocial CapitalFinancial CapitalEEP 153, spring 2005Eco-agriculture and SLEco-agriculture: Land-use systems managed for production of both agricultural products and ecosystem services. Putting livelihood security of the poor at the center of biodiversity conservation effortsEEP 153, spring 2005Expanding Biodiverse Production Possibilities Curve Agricultural Goods and Services Wild Biodiversity and Habitat Quality Figure 4.2 Expanding the Biodiverse Production Possibilities FrontierEEP 153, spring 2005Application of EcoagricultureWhere biodiversity as eco-service is the priority: Prevent land conversion, protect hotspots, habitats, wild relatives of domestic species; critical watersheds; high-value landscape beauty.Where productivity is the priority: Transition to sustainable agricultural systems, restore environmental services critical to agriculture, enhance land values, develop new or higher-value products.Where poverty reduction is the priority: Improve natural assets, protect valued wild species, ensure valued environmental services, supplement incomes through transfer