The Mascot for the Brazilian World Cup is a three banded armadillo. It’s a smiling, football playing Brazilian emblem. I don’t normally pay much attention to football mascots, seeing them as nothing more than a merchandising opportunity. Yet with England failing to light up the tournament I kind of lost focus on the game. I took a step back and looked at the other elements of the competition. The mascot piqued my interest.

A planet on a plate © LiveWell

I have discovered that the armadillo lives primarily in the Eastern part of Brazil, in the Cerrado and the Caatinga. Sadly it is vulnerable to extinction; its greatest threat used to be pumas and jaguars now the main threat comes from habitat destruction. Over half the shrub land habitat has been lost to agricultural expansion, mainly beef and soya.

I would hope by being chosen as the Mascot its fortunes would change. The money raised would be directed to save the three ringed armadillo. I am afraid I don’t think this will be case. It is a symbol aimed at selling merchandise, very much like the loss of shrub land is a result of a desire to provide food, at low cost and high profit. Neither connected to the wider impacts and opportunities.

This has occurred primarily as a result of the green revolution. The goal of which was to industrialise agriculture and provide more food for all. In doing this it has been hugely successful. Sadly it has not been green, as the Armadillo can attest to. Brazil has prospered from the revolution, and rightly so. It is a leading exporter of soya, beef, orange, sugar and chickens. There has been economic expansion, hunger has been reduced, education standards raised and on the world stage Brazil is a leading player.

However this transformation has occurred at a huge cost. From Amazon incursion to the destruction of the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest. Biodiversity has been decimated, freshwater is being used at unsustainable rates, there is soil erosion and the overuse of fertilizers is impacting on rivers and the Atlantic ocean. The human impacts are also being felt, obesity is on the rise, there is growing inequality, indigenous rights are not being respected. This wealth has brought a thirst for energy with the Amazon and other areas being ear marked for many large and small dam projects. The opening up of the forest for agriculture has led to increased mining and hunting for rare minerals, with the associated increase in  deforestation and pollution from the chemicals used.

There are clear unaffordable costs alongside the benefits. Though the picture is bleak it is not irreversible. These problems are recent, they have happened in my life time and it is surely not too late to reverse the excesses. There is hope. The Brazilian government is looking at what to do after the Amazon moratorium expires. It might be replaced with something that goes beyond the Amazon, into other valuable ecosystems like the Cerrado. There is a growing understanding of the role of the environment and the need to protect it. The Brazilian health department has become the first government in the world to add sustainability to its healthy eating guidelines. Something we have been calling Western governments to do for many years.

Armadillo © db rolenrock

As this understanding grows about the impacts agriculture and people have on the planet, Brazil is a key player in the need for change. It can choose to ensure the future takes into account social and environmental benefits, alongside economic opportunities. We need food, we need agriculture but not at the expense of biodiversity. As Brazil moves ahead, it is looking to grow more food and export is model to Africa. The government and industry looks hungrily towards to great plains and savannahs of Mozambique. It could take stock and instead of repeating the mantra and costs of the first green revolution, It could start a new one, which can be truly green and respect people and the planet. Respect smallholders rights and those of the natural world.

In 2016 Brazil hosts the Olympics, perhaps by then it will have started the charge to a sustainable food system. When picking a Mascot it could do worse than the Brazilian Gold Frog. It’s not endangered and could be a symbol of a hoped for future of the three ringed armadillo.

What did you think of my blog? Leave us a comment

People living around the Boni forest in Kenya have been adapting to a changing environment for years.

But this is different.

The magnitude and rate of change in the local climate is now so great, that many of the traditional coping strategies are ineffective or unsustainable. It’s leading to damage to the environment and food insecurity, forcing communities to look for new ways of maintaining their livelihoods.

Dwindling water sources for animals. Photo: John Bett / WWF

The Boni-Dodori forest is important in so many ways – it’s rich in a wide variety of wildlife, much of which is found nowhere else on earth; it provides local people with medicinal plants, wood fuel, building materials, water, food, and pasture for livestock; plays a huge role in the maintaining the health of other nearby ecosystems such the marine environments of Lamu; and it provides numerous ecosystem services like carbon fixing (forests have an important role in tackling climate change).

Our changing climate poses challenges not only for local people but also for wildlife and livestock. The most affected area is north of the Boni forest where the pastoralist (livestock farming) community resides.

Local and scientific observations show that the area’s climate is changing fast. We’re seeing droughts, increasing temperatures and more unpredictable rainfall – with shorter periods of rain that are more intense.

Shortages of water mean people travelling far distances to fetch water. Photo: John Bett / WWF

Despite their determination, pastoralists are limited in their ability to adapt to these changing conditions. Conflicts over scarce resources such as water and pasture, limited access to information (such as on weather or disease outbreaks) and a lack of skills and access to financial services all make it harder to cope. It’s common in this region for people to migrate in search of water and better pastures, but now people are having to travel farther and for longer periods of time.

They’re also doing other things, for example using more drought-tolerant species of livestock, conserving water for dry periods, receiving food aid and finding alternative sources of income selling charcoal.

WWF is working to help these communities prepare for the future impacts of climate change, helping people move out of poverty and take their future into their own hands. We’ve explored a number of strategies including producing hay, improving water infrastructure, introducing savings and credit facilities and raising awareness of climate change issues.

Communities are now working to better protect and manage freshwater – a lifeline for their livestock and, by extension, themselves. Their efforts include deploying guards during the night to guard against over-extraction of water in these resources.

We’re also reducing threats to the forests by discouraging shifting cultivation which is causing massive deforestation and advocating conservation agriculture and alternative conservation-based livelihoods, for example the sustainable harvesting and sale of wild goods.

We wish to acknowledge and thank the financial support offered by Size of Wales and the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) through the Darwin Initiative and PPA.

What do you think about the impact of climate change? Is enough being done to tackleAre we doing enough to tackle it? Let us know in the comments below.

At almost every session of World Water Week, we hear about the need for new partnerships dedicated to creating a more water-secure world. This call to action is almost always followed by the same question: How do we build better partnerships?

Young boys fishing, Ganges, India

The answer lies not in the business world, but in a much more personal domain. A healthy partnership is like a healthy marriage. It starts with the courtship.

When we meet prospective partners, we spend time really getting to know each other. We feel the butterflies of excitement, we talk openly about our hopes and concerns, and we look closely to uncover conflicts that would undermine our success together (especially deal-breakers around corporate ethics).

Of course, we dream about a beautiful future together. Almost every partnership I’ve started has been based on plans that were, with hindsight, too ambitious. On reflection, this isn’t surprising. WWF is one of the world’s leading conservation organizations and we partner with some of the largest multi-national brands. We both want to achieve great things together, and while we may agree on merging business sustainability with natural resource management, it’s complicated.

Sometimes we agree to disagree. Just because we have a strong common interest in one issue – improving water management, say – this doesn’t mean that we must agree about everything else. Difficulties also come about because progress in delivering partnership outcomes and impacts can be slow.

Through thick and thin, our mutual understanding keeps us going. Our corporate partners see improving their water management as a business imperative; we see it as essential to securing water for people and nature. Despite our different motivators, we have committed to each other to make it happen, and we are happy to work together to achieve the common goal.

Here during Water Week, I’m proud to stand beside our partners and share best practices and lessons learned. We have a breadth of experience represented. For more than a decade, we’ve collaborated with HSBC to address the twin challenges of climate change and water management in countries such as China, India and Brazil.

Mekong river, Thailand

Together, we successfully reduced flood risk and pollution that affected millions of people while restoring river health and biodiversity. We’ve worked with SABMiller and Marks & Spencer for several years to address water risks in their supply chain for the mutual benefit of the businesses, local communities, farmers and fresh water.

Our partnership with The Coca-Cola Company, renewed last year through to 2020, has expanded beyond just freshwater conservation to measurably improving environmental performance across the company’s value chain, integrating the value of nature into public and private decision-making processes, and convening influential partners to solve global environmental challenges. All of these friends—and more—are here.

While we celebrate the successes of existing partnerships, we also look forward to the future. We hope to seed new relationships and inspire other organizations to work together to conserve one our most precious, shared, natural resources: fresh water.

What do think of Dave’s blog? Leave us a comment.

Some of the most precious forests in coastal east Africa are under threat – and with the support of Size of Wales, we’ve been stepping up efforts to save them.

The Kaya forests are rich in wildlife (Photo: Cath Lawson / WWF)

The Mijikenda sacred forests or ‘Kayas’ of Kenya’s coast have immense cultural, religious and traditional value. People go to these forests to pray, appease ancestral spirits and bury the dead. Along Kenya’s coast there are over 50 such forest sites.

This in turn has helped conserve a vast range of plants and animals. The result is that these forests are biologically hugely important too.

Over 550 plants and over 50 animals in Kenya’s coastal forests occur nowhere else on Earth.

The international community has recognised the Kayas as having global significance and of being of outstanding universal value. 43 sites are formally recognised as National Monuments. And in 2008, 10 sites were placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List under the World Heritage Convention.

They’re celebrated for showing how cultural values can help to conserve natural heritage.

Today, these forests represent true living Museums of people’s culture, history and traditions.

So it’s sad these forests still face major threats.

One of the major challenges is land ownership. Previous governments gave some of the Kaya forest land to private individuals. In addition, some boundaries of Kaya forests have no boundary markers, making it harder to protect them.

Although the forest within individual Kayas is still intact, the situation is dire. 

National Museums of Kenya official. He’s holding a map of one of the Kaya forests which have been subdivided into small potions of land. (Photo: Elias Kimaur / WWF)

They only stand today as forests due to community protection and national laws which outlaw defacing of a national monument.

The forests face huge pressure. There are growing interests in mining and tourism development, an increasing population, and demands for land for farming and urban development.

Without title deeds for the land and with unclear boundaries, it’s hard to guarantee that the forests will be safe from development.

With WWF’s support, Kaya communities are now taking advantage of the provisions of Kenya’s new constitution and land reforms, to demand for a return of their ancestral land.

We’ve facilitated public debate on the issue and helped to generate high profile national media attention. The communities have also developed a petition, targeting government agencies that deal with land issues and the conservation of these forests.

By ensuring better protection for these areas, we will ensure that close to 300 Ha of sacred Mijikedna Kaya forests are conserved future generations.

What do you think about the future of these forests? Are you optimistic we can protect them? Let us know in the comments below.

Snuggling up with my children to read their bedtime story is a precious moment for me.

It’s a magical time watching them drift off to sleep. But imagine if that bedtime story took them to a future where people and wildlife thrive.

We want a brighter future for our children and grandchildren, with people living in harmony with nature. (Photo: Ruth Bates)

That future is one where a small country like Wales made a very big decision – to develop sustainably. So it’s making decisions that minimise loss of nature, help reduce climate change, and support fairer conditions and wages for people in Wales and all over the world. This story, this future, is the inspiration behind our latest project.

We asked Cardiff illustrator Laura Sorvala to bring that story to life in pictures. It’s based on the idea of a story being passed down to future generations.

Just imagine what story we could tell our children and grandchildren if we choose a sustainable future!

• Dwindling species thrive again. Wildlife and plants flourish. Our seas are full of healthy fish and the air is clean and clear of pollution. We live in harmony with nature.
• It’s a future where people live well, feel well and have their needs met. Other countries admire such ambition and want to follow Wales’ path to a brighter future.
• Schools and hospitals buy goods and services that are ethically and sustainably sourced. They minimise damage to nature and provide assurance that the people producing and distributing them are treated fairly.
• We take only our fair share of the food, energy and materials nature provides, and wasting little.
• We’re using more natural energy from renewable sources–like wind and solar—to heat our homes and run our businesses, and that’s created more green jobs.
• We’ve minimised our contribution to global climate change and secured a safer, more stable climate for our children to inherit. Wildlife thrives in this climate and we’re able to grow more of our own food.

Wasn’t that a lovely story? Wouldn’t it be even better if we made it come true?

I really hope and believe that it could.

Decisions made in Wales affect wildlife and people around the world.
© naturepl.com / Anup Shah / WWF-Canon

You might have heard of the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill. It’s a law that politicians are debating right now in the Welsh Assembly.

If they get this law right, it could make a massive difference and help deliver the things I’ve just talked about.

But we can’t take that for granted. The law needs changing first, to make it much stronger, so it actually makes a difference.

That’s why it’s so important that we spread the word and inspire people about what is possible.

Please let me know your hopes for the future in the comments below.

Share this blog with friends. Post a photo for #welshwish and sign up for our campaign newsletter.

Add your voice – the future of Wales is in our hands!

Food security is a much discussed and misunderstood subject. It is complex. It is local, national, regional and global. It will be different depending on who or what you are, be it a smallholder in the sub-Saharan Africa or one in the UK, now labelled as  a “hobby farmer”. A multinational chain has a different understanding compared to local green grocer.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation defines it as

‘all people, at all times, having physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life’.

It’s complex

Food security has four equally important, if not equally valued, components. They are the 4 pillars: Availability, Access, Utilisation and Stability.

To this the World Resources Institute and others, including WWF have added sustainability. Indeed in the report WWF and the Food Ethics Council (FEC) have just publish one senior executive said

“The terminology ‘secure and sustainable future’ is used within …. the organisation, but both concepts are understood to be interrelated as you cannot have security without sustainability or vice versa.”

Production alone isn’t the answer

Traditionally food companies have understood food security through the narrow lens of security of supply. Often you will hear them say that we need to increase food production to ensure global food security. Implying that increasing food production alone will solve the problem. This increase is estimated to be anything between 60% and 100%. This might not be possible, needed or desirable. This short term mantra does not take into account all the other elements, and in the long term it might be detrimental to their business model.

They may not be able to fly, but these pigs are kept in natural – and sustainable – conditions © Hartmut Jungius / WWF-Canon

I have even heard one of the farming lobby groups saying it is the moral duty of UK farmers to increase production to address global food security. This fails to recognise the impacts of an increase in production. It doesn’t dig into what we are growing or how it will be used or even is the land being used appropriately.

The role of business

This report by the FEC explores the business case for sustainable food security. Through research, interviews and discussions with food companies and other business stakeholders it not only identifies where we are now, it also identifies the solutions. These solutions will enable long-term business security and benefit biodiversity. The solutions range from business collaborating more, considering commercial benefits alongside social ones, engaging customers and building capacity in producer areas.

The participants came up with a clear role for government. It needs to create the operating environment that rewards progressive action to deliver long-term food security and to regulate against actions that hinder it. As different leaders said:

“Where there is not a strong business case, legislate us, so that we are forced to perform, because voluntary standards can only get us so far.”

Change is coming

It is only by recognising the equal importance of all the aspects of food security that food companies will collectively be able to make the changes necessary in their business practices to secure sustainable food security in the medium and long term. The social and environmental impacts of the current model are clear. Attempting to increase food production to secure your own supply by using more water, more land and more energy is unsustainable socially and environmentally. An alternative model will move to a more equitable system, using less and a greater variety of resources, whilst working within healthy, resilient ecosystems. It will be a system when we pay more attention to what is grown, how we use it. This will result in an increase in choice of a greater diversity of foods not just more foods based on a few commodities.

Coastal communities rely coastal on fishing for their food and livelihoods © WWF-UK

In the coming years the food we eat will change. What we are able to feed our children and grandchildren will depend on what we do about climate change, hunger and equality now. We know what needs to be done. The narrative must be inclusive and move away from simply producing more or gaining security of supply. Businesses need to work together, to be collaborative. Government must step up and use its position to enable the change. We need to look at what we grow, and how we grow it. We need to promote sustainable diets, less wastage and a more equitable system.

Businesses, government and civil society need a fuller understanding of the breadth of the food security challenge, and their individual positive long-term contributions to addressing it in order to deliver the robust and sustainable food system that is so desperately needed.

As the report summarizes so well:

Companies that focus on making money from short-term actions or on making their contribution to food insecurity ‘a little less bad’ just won’t cut it in the long term. Sustainable food security equates to sustainable business security.

When the world’s heads of state come together in New York later this month, they will sign off a set of 17 ground-breaking Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving the Goals would alter the way we do things across the world, and could mean the sort of change that we in WWF really want to see. Millions of people could be lifted out of poverty, we could address the climate change crisis, decarbonise our economies, and safeguard precious habitats. They could mean a world where people genuinely can live in harmony with nature.

Chamber of the National Assembly for Wales © iStock

In Wales, promoting sustainable development has always been one of the duties of our National Assembly since it came into being in 1999. Earlier this year, the Assembly strengthened this duty when a radical piece of legislation came into law called the Well-being of Future Generations Act. The Act places a duty on public bodies to ‘carry out’ sustainable development. It sets out seven long-term goals, among them ‘a prosperous Wales’, ‘a resilient Wales’, and ‘a globally responsible Wales’. It also sets out the things that public bodies must do and the principles they must adhere to in order to meet this duty. It should ensure that public bodies, including Government, change their strategic plans and how they spend their money to ensure they maximise their efforts to achieve the goals.

This law sees us working to develop a low-carbon economy; ensuring that healthy ecosystems are resilient in the long term; and thinking about how we can not only make decisions that benefit Wales now and in the future, but how we can make positive impacts worldwide.

By placing a commitment to sustainable development at the heart of decision-making in Wales, we   will be seeking to meet our needs today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. That constitutes a radical shake-up in the way we do things, and the way we use our resources.

So what’s the link with the UN Sustainable Development Goals that heads of state will sign later this month?

Basically, this law is an example of how governments could implement the Sustainable Development Goals. The Welsh Government has been clear that this law is how it intends to implement the Sustainable Development Goals. Every five years, the Future Generations Commissioner, whose job is created by this law, will publish a report on behalf of future generations outlining the improvements that public bodies need to make in order to better safeguard the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Wind farm © iStock

It is also significant that the Welsh Government decided that it needed to introduce a law in order to ensure delivery. After all, the National Assembly has had a duty to promote sustainable development for the past 15 years.   We believe that with its legally-binding goals, its universal approach to sustainable development, and its review processes, this really is a radical and innovative piece of legislation. We intend to promote this approach to other governments as one of the ways they might best ensure delivery of the SDGs.

We believe that pushing for the real change that is necessary to deliver the goals is crucial to achieving our ultimate goal: we want a world where people can live in harmony with nature. We have the chance to realise our vision and we must not miss it.

As we launch our new recipe competition for primary schools, I explore the issues between food and our health and that of the planet plus, what we can do as parent, child or teacher. 

Food, it means so much to us. A smell invokes memories. All the important events in our lives, birthdays, Christmas or weddings are celebrated by a feast. We are passionate about our favourite foods. They could be black jacks, avocados, haggis, chocolate or chard. A good plate of food is colourful, has wonderful aromas. It is a real feast for all our senses.

Our Green Ambassador Champion School, Wicor Primary, Hampshire, are a great example of a school growing and cooking with fruit and veg grown in their school grounds © Tristan Fewings /WWF-UK

So how come we have become disconnected from where our food comes from? We don’t tend to question how our food is produced and what we are eating. We think we are in an age of plentiful choice when in fact we are eating from a smaller pool of species than ever before.

We have abdicated responsibly for what we eat to food companies, diet gurus and celebrities. We cook less than ever before, claiming to be time poor. However we spend four to five hours a night on line or watching TV – often watching programs about food and cooking like Bake Off. It seems we no longer value food. As a nation we are getting fatter, eating more ultra-processed food and spending more money on cook books and diets.

Food is confusing

Recently food was identified as the number one cause of death. More people die from bad diet than smoking or alcohol or air pollution. If this was any other sector it would be a national disgrace, yet the government does nothing.

It is not all our fault; it can be hard to navigate our way round the food system. Looking at ingredients a parent can be confused. There are 50 different types of sugar. It is possible to buy a ‘low – fat’ food which has 4 or 5 different added sugars in and the word sugar is not used on the ingredient list. Breakfast cereals have added vitamins, iron and now protein. We can be forgiven for thinking this is the healthy option. However often they are loaded with sugar, marketed by a cartoon animal.

Protein is the new fad. However no one in the UK is protein deficient. We already eat protein more than the body can absorb. Yet to create added value it is now being added to cereal, bread and more. It is confusing.

So why is this important to WWF?

The food system has a huge environmental footprint. Climate change is one of the biggest issues of our age and it will be our children and grandchildren who are most affected. The production and consumption of food contributes to climate change in a variety of ways:

30% of global greenhouse gas emissions are from food production

30% of energy use is for agriculture and food production

Moreover, 60% of the world’s available land surface (not including deserts, mountains etc) is used for agricultural production. This has impacts including the use of nitrogen and phosphate as fertilisers, water pollution, soil erosion and biodiversity. We have turned over an area the equivalent of South America and Africa to food production.

In the case of the UK, the food chain is directly responsible for about 17% of the UK economy’s GHG emissions. About half of these emissions come from production (farming and fishing) dominated by nitrous oxide from soil and methane from cattle, sheep and manure. There are also significant indirect effects particularly through land use change primarily associated with deforestation for grazing and growing feed crops. If we allocate emissions relating to global land use change to the size of the UK food economy, the total emissions burden attributable to food increases to 30%

We are losing the nation’s soils at an unsustainable rate. UK topsoil losses amount to 2.2 million tonnes per annum, costing the farmer around £9 million in lost production. In parts of the UK we have lost several feet of soil in the past decade.

The sector with the biggest environmental impact is the industrial livestock sector. We are eating more meat per person than ever before. Chicken used to be a treat. My grandfather was a chicken farmer. We only ate chicken once a month. This was more than the majority of the population. I grew up in the 70’s, so for some of us not that long ago. Now most people eat chicken every day without thinking of what goes into this animal, be it soy for feed or antibiotics.

Orang-utans to anteaters

The food system is the biggest cause of biodiversity loss on land and sea. The Orang-utan is being driven to extinction for palm oil. It is in everything from soap to bread to noodles. The anteater in the Brazilian Cerrado is endangered so people can grow sow to feed to industrial livestock, primarily dairy cows, pigs and chickens. All so we can have cheap milk, eggs and meat.

Only 12 crops provide 80% of the plant food consumed globally. Yet over 30,000 species of plants are known to be edible and 7000 are semi-domesticated. For some crazy reason people think plants are boring.

Our Green Ambassador Champion School, Wicor Primary, Hampshire, are a great example of a school growing and cooking with fruit and veg grown in their school grounds © Tristan Fewings /WWF-UK

The current situation is unsustainable. It will change, either through our actions or through circumstances out of our control. We are already seeing some crops threatened that we love due to the changing environment. There is a real risk that chocolate, coffee and tea and will all disappear or become so expensive that only the rich can enjoy them.

What can we do?

The easiest thing is connect to food, value it and cook more. Growing up both my parents worked. However they insisted that we had a home cooked meal every night and that I learnt to cook. Every weekend I spent time in the kitchen helping and getting in the way. It started with simple things like cheese on toast. Pretty soon I was making Swiss rolls and biscuits, eventually cooking the family roast. I still had time to build dens, play sports. This was before we had social media, 24 TV and shopping became a hobby. Our priorities have shifted, however look at the consequences.

We have 6 simple steps that will enable people to make this switch to healthy and sustainable food choices.

1. Eat more plants – enjoy vegetables, fruits and whole grains
2. Eat a variety of foods – have a colourful plate!
3. Waste less food – one third of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted
4. Moderate your meat consumption, both red and white – enjoy other sources of proteins such as peas, beans and nuts.
5. Buy food that meet a credible certified standard – consider MSC, free-range and fair trade
6. Eat fewer foods high in fat, salt and sugar – keep foods such as cakes, sweets and chocolate as well as cured meat, fries and crisps to an occasional treat. Choose water, avoid sugary drinks and remember that juices only count as one of your 5-a-day however much you drink.

Starting at school

At school there are many things that can be done. You can grow cress and micro greens in the class room. If you have room create a garden. I worked in on the Galapagos for a year and one of my proudest achievements was creating a vegetable garden with the students that they ended up visiting everyday. An allotment can be big or small. It doesn’t have to cost much, seeds are cheap.

It is possible to grow food in many things, be it old tires, railway sleepers or pots and pans. Greenhouse can be built from old plastic bottles. You can grow potatoes and tomatoes in old sacks. As things ripen the children can make things or just eat straight from the plant. The school kitchen can utilise some of the produce in their own meals. If you have fruit trees or bushes make jam and sell it at the school.

I have seen schools keep chickens. They don’t need much room, supply eggs and give kids and adults a chance to see where eggs come from. Chickens also eat waste food.

Food can be brought into other lessons. History can be brought to life through food. If Columbus had not found America we would not have peppers, tomatoes, potatoes; so no chips and ketchup. It can enliven geography, tracing where foods come from. Recipes can be used for maths. They are so many ways to engage through food.

For a great example of what you can do look to Wicor Primary School. This is truly inspiration. They have a fruit and veg garden. The children I met are really passionate about food, growing and eating. Last time I went there was for a Saturday open day. Even though it was drizzly there was good attendance. The parents, teachers and children alike were so knowledgeable. Members of the local community participated, and there were stalls selling local produce. The local BBC radio station joined and hosted program from there. They have even produced their own recipe book, with dishes that work and their own chutney. There is even a veg box scheme!

Fruits of our labour Credit © Tristan Fewings / WWF-UK

The situation can feel daunting. One thing I have learnt is if we all do something we can make a difference. There are many easy things we can do which will benefit our minds, our health, the planet and our pockets. Why not start by joining our plant2plate campaign and create your own recipe.

It is not about going without or eating dull food. It is about exploring flavours, enjoying food, growing and cooking. It is fun, educational and simply delicious.

Visit wwf.org.uk/plant2plate to find out more about our new recipe competition and the resources available exclusively to our Green Ambassadors schools on food issues.

Look back over this past year and explore some standout stories from 2015. They really demonstrate how varied our global projects are! Whether it’s Arctic exploring with JacksGap, eco-fashion tips for ‘Wear It Wild’ or a GoPro strapped to a turtle in the Great Barrier Reef, you’re bound to discover something exciting as we look back at 2015.

1. Rod Downie and JacksGap travel to the Arctic

Jack, Finn and Rod Downie in the Arctic © WWF-UK

Rod Downie and glaciologist professor Alun Hubbard were joined by Jack and Finn (otherwise known as JacksGap) on a trip to the Arctic. The Arctic is warming about twice as fast as the global average, and the ice sheet is losing mass at an accelerating rate. On this trip, they went to investigate and document the unprecedented rate of flow and melt of the Greenland ice sheet as a result of climate change.

Read Rod’s blog ‘To the Arctic with JacksGap’

2. Do you know the ingredients that come from the Amazon?

The Amazon is much more than simply a beautiful, far-off tropical rainforest. It’s also a source of everyday items we rely on.
This blog provides insightful information into the array of products that likely contain Amazon derived ingredients; spices, bananas, medicines and even shampoo! It goes to show that our everyday lives can be more connected to the Amazon than we first thought.

Farmer’s hands holding sustainably harvested Brazil nut (Bertholletia excelsa), near the Interoceanica highway, Peru © Brent Stirton/Getty Images/ WWF

Read Amanda’s blog ‘Ten products and ingredients that come from the Amazon’

3. Award winning wildlife photographer: 2020 Vision photography

Initiated by Peter Cairns, 2020VISION is a nature photography project that aims to communicate the link between habitat restoration and our own wellbeing. Peter has worked as a freelance photographer for over 15 years. During that time he’s racked up numerous awards, co-produced 6 books amongst many other accolades.
In his blog, he shares some sensational snaps and tells us about why he became a wildlife photographer.

Red Squirrel – ©Peter Cairns 2020VISION

See Peter Cairns photos for 2020VISION on his blog 

4. Wear It Wild – A beginner’s guide to eco-fashion

In June 2015, we saw our nationwide fundraising campaign ‘Wear It Wild’ go live. It was a great success and we’ll see it come back even stronger in 2016. In this blog Vickie Richards shares some top tips about dressing for the occasion.

Wear it wild outside the Living PLanet Centre, Woking © Tristan Fewings

Read Vickie’s blog ‘Wear to start – a beginner’s guide to eco-fashion’

5. What the world needs now is love – Will Young

With staggering figures revealing that global wildlife populations have declined by over 50% since 1970, Will Young joined us to ask you to show the world some love and take action.

6. Should we avoid palm oil?

Palm oil is in close to half of all packaged products that we buy in the supermarket. Though it’s a very productive crop, it is a major driver of deforestation in some of the most biodiverse tropical forests of Asia, including the home of orang-utans. Emma Keller enlightens us on the topic of palm oil. To buy or not to buy?

A shopping trolley containg many typical products at a supermnarket in the UK. Cakes, biscuits, chocolate, confectionery, meat, frozen fish, spreads, cereals, sweets, cosmetics, crisps, snacks, cleaning and hygene products amongst the items – Many products contain a surprising amount of Palm Oil © WWF/ Richard Stonehouse

Read Emma’s blog ‘Palm reading: Should we buy or boycott products containing palm oil?’

7. Giant panda population increase

Giant panda numbers have increased by nearly 17% since 2003, thanks in part to improved management of their habitat, which we’ve supported. This is great news for this iconic species and we hope this continues!

Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in a tree. Wolong Panda Reserve, Sichuan Province, China © Bernard De Wetter/WWF

Read the press release ‘Wild giant panda numbers increase by over 16%’

8. Kenya’s pristine Lamu seascape

Mike Olendo leads the WWF-Kenya Lamu marine team. The Lamu seascape is located at the northernmost part of Kenya’s coast line. Made up of around fifty-five islands, and 60-70% of mangrove area in Kenya, this network of islands provides a rich home for biodiversity. Lamu’s amazing biodiversity faces a multitude of threats ranging from rapid human population growth, exploitation of fish stocks, loss of mangrove cover and major infrastructure projects. These are some of the reasons we’re working to help protect marine turtle habitats.

Green turtles coming up on the surface for the first time © WWF/ Robert Magori

Read Mike’s blog ‘Kenya’s Lamu seascape – pristine, important and threatened’

9. The Climate Coalition: For the love of…

The Climate Coalition brings together over 100 organisations, from environment and development charities and more, to form the UK’s largest group of people dedicated to action on climate change and limiting its impact on the world’s poorest communities.

We ran our ‘Show the Love’ campaign on the week leading up to Valentine’s Day in 2015. Less red roses but emotive nonetheless was a video produced by the Climate Coalition with a special rendition of Shakespeare’s Sonnet read by famous faces like Meera Syal, Jarvis Cocker, Deborah Meaden and Stephen Fry.

Read Yael’s blog ‘What do William Shakespeare, Deborah Meaden and the PM have to do with Valentine’s Day?’

10. Miniature camera gives us a unique penguin’s point of view

See life under the Antarctic ice from a penguin’s point of view. Filmed as part of a scientific study, this video was captured with miniature and harmless cameras in Terre Adélie – ‘the land of the Adélies’. Footage like this gives us vital information to help safeguard the future of these charismatic little birds.

11. Diary from the Paris Climate Talks

Entrance to the UN climate talks, Paris © Lang Banks

Near the end of 2015, Paris held the 21st annual United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties talk on climate change, otherwise known as COP21. The main objective of the annual COP meeting is for the cooperation of over 190 countries in securing positive outcomes in reducing the impact of human induced climate change.
Lang Banks, director of WWF-Scotland, attended the Paris COP and documented all the news as it unfolded.

Read Lang’s blog ‘Postcards from Paris: A diary from the UN climate talks’

12. Counting rhinos on elephant back in Nepal

30 elephants and mahouts arrive at dawn rendezvous site to pick up field observers and locate position in count transect line (‘the line’), Chitwan National Park, Nepal © Sumanth Kuduvalli / Felis Creations / WWF

For the third time since 2011, Nepal has gone a year without losing a rhino to poachers! This is great news, but how do they count rhinos in Chitwan National Park? On elephant back of course! Richard Edwards, Head of Content at WWF-UK, was lucky enough to accompany the WWF-Nepal team as they trekked through the National Park to count greater one-horned rhinos.

Read Ed’s blog ‘Joining Nepal’s greater one-horned rhino count’

13. Rare sighting of a swimming black jaguar

Incredible video of a rare black jaguar swimming across a river in the Amazon. It may surprise you to know that jaguars are strong swimmers though this is not often witnessed because of how elusive these beautiful creatures are. We’re working across the Amazon to help protect the home of the jaguar. If there is any evidence of the importance of protecting the Amazon, it’s rare sights like this.

14. Autumn in the land of the leopard

See Russia as you’ve never seen it before. A combination of drones and well placed photographers capture a glimpse of the magical colours of autumn in the ‘Land of the leopard’, far-east Russia. We’re working in this landscape to help protect the future of Amur leopard.

15. Glimpse into a turtle’s underwater world

The Great Barrier Reef, one of UNESCO’s best known World Heritage sites, is home to almost 6000 species. Thanks to a GoPro carefully mounted on a turtle’s back, we can peek into their underwater world. WWF-Australia is working on an innovative project in Queensland, with the support of partners, to better understand post-release behaviour of tagged turtles. The result is this magically relaxing video.

I hope you enjoyed a brief look back at 2015. Which story was your favourite? What would you like to see more of in 2016? Comment below, we’d love to hear from you.

Here’s to another great conservation year in 2016!

Nestled on the edge of the East Sussex village of Forest Row, hidden from the main road down a long dirt track, Tablehurst doesn’t immediately give the impression of being a farm ahead of its time. But then Tablehurst is not your average farm. And Peter Brown is not your average farmer.

For more than 20 years the 600-acre farm has been run by Peter according to biodynamic principles – a closed loop method of farming where the farm is a self-sustaining organism requiring barely any external inputs. In practice, this means a commitment to crop rotation and composting, little or no tillage or application of chemicals, and employment of a system of water capture and reuse.

A polytunnel at Tablehurst © Nick Hughes

Many experts believe that, given the damaging environmental impacts of current intensive farming methods, a biodynamic approach will be a key pillar of a sustainable farming industry of the future.

As I toured the farm in early December what was particularly striking was the diversity of the crops being grown and the space afforded to the animals. A series of polytunnels housed row upon row of lettuces and salad leaves; fields were bursting with cover crops such as chicory and clover; natural beehives, which sustain themselves over winter and produce a surplus of honey during the summer, were suspended from improvised wooden houses; and everywhere we walked chickens were darting hither and thither, scratching at the soil and feasting on the rich and varied fodder.

A beehive at Tablehurst ©Nick Hughes

This is likely to conjure an image of chaos for anyone familiar with the workings of a conventional farm yet it is integral to the way in which farms like Tablehurst function. Livestock and horticulture are integrated and interdependent. The cows, for instance, are fattened on grass and their manure is used as fertiliser for the fields. Grains, such as oat, wheat and barley, are rotated regularly along with vegetables and pulses in order to maximise the natural fertility of the soil. Much of the grain is used to feed the pigs (they also feed on whey from a local cheese maker) while some of it is used to mill wheat and rye flour. And so the cycle begins again.

Tablehurst’s cows are distinctive for another reason – they have horns. Peter explains that he believes cows that retain their horns have a more vibrant personality. Does this mean the meat tastes better? Perhaps, but as with much of what goes on at Tablehurst the decision to leave the horns on is as much about farming instinct and an ethos of working with what nature provides as it is about ruthless efficiency (dehorned cattle require less space to move about in and so stocking densities can be higher).

A horned Sussex cow ©Nick Hughes

Tablehurst is a social venture as a well as a commercial entity generating in excess of a million pounds each year and employing around 20 people. The farm is owned by the local community with members paying £100 for a stake. It also houses a residential care centre for people with learning disabilities.

Whether biodynamic farming can replace industrial farming as the dominant model in agriculture remains to be seen. The current food supply chain places cost above all other considerations and Peter admits that Tablehurst’s produce is more expensive than produce from larger, less diverse and more mechanised farms.

Supermarkets like to be able to source regular quantities of cheap, uniform commodities from a limited number of suppliers. Under the current business model, health and environmental considerations tend to get squeezed down the list of priorities.

Yet there are signs of a shift in attitudes amid growing recognition of the links between intensive agricultural production and negative impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions, water depletion, localised pollution and diet-related ill health.

Biodynamic’s time may not have arrived just yet. But it might not have too much longer to wait.

Do you think biodynamic is the future of farming? Comment below, we’d love to hear from you. And for more information about sustainable food check out our food pages.

I have heard people talk of poachers who have changed their ways and who now work as rangers – well, back in September I met such a person. I was in Jilin Province in North East China, within the Amur-Heilong Ecoregion, where I met Mr Wu who told me his story.

Caught red-handed

Mr Wu works for a Forest Farm (a smaller unit under the Jilin Forest Bureau), and his main job was logging. However, he also poached deer.

Mr Wu, Huangnihe © Becci May WWF-UK

Around a year ago, the Director of Huangnihe Nature Reserve, Mr Li, a very passionate, caring and energetic man, found him in the forest carrying snares, and started a discussion with him. Mr Li could have turned him into the police, but instead they went back to Mr Wu’s home, where his wife and daughter learnt of his poaching activity.

I spoke to Mr Wu about what happened that day and his feelings towards poaching now. He said “In the past, I was fined if I was caught poaching, and so I just went out to kill more deer so that I could pay back the fine. This system did not change my behaviour. I stopped poaching around a year ago, when Mr Li caught me carrying snares in the forest. I had a heart to heart conversation with Mr Li, who persuaded me not to poach anymore.”

He explained how “morally it was wrong, and actually poaching comes with risks and it only gave me small money – Mr Li offered me an alternative – working for conservation. Now if I see a poacher, I try to persuade them not to poach, as Mr Li had persuaded me a year ago.”

The key here was that Mr Wu had been offered an alternative, sustainable livelihood. Mr Li asked him if he would stop poaching and instead work on conservation activities, such as patrolling and monitoring, where Mr Wu’s tracking skills could be helpful to conservation. Mr Wu agreed.

Bee-keeping cooperative

Mr Wu is also a member of the local bee-keeping cooperative, along with Mr Xu, also an ex-poacher, who showed me around the hives. This provides them with extra income, and WWF are working with them to help them improve the quality of their honey so that they can maximise this income. In the winter, they focus on patrolling and monitoring, and in the summer, they focus on honey.

Mr Xu, a member of the bee-keeping cooperative along with Mr Wu © Becci May WWF-UK

The logging ban – an opportunity?

The main work of the staff of the Forest Farm used to be logging, until a logging ban in Jilin’s state forests was put in place last year. This was done mainly to assist the recovery of China’s wood resources, and presents opportunities, as well as challenges, for conservation and the return of the tiger.

The pine nuts, acorns, walnuts and a good understorey will provide important food for deer and wild boar (‘ungulates’), and so a healthy forest with Mongolian oak, Korean pine and other species is good habitat for these ungulates, which are important food sources for tigers. A healthy forest also supports local people’s need, providing fuel wood and food (mushrooms, fruit) for example.

However, there are challenges – a logging ban in this province may put extra pressure on forests elsewhere – in Russia, over the border, for example. Also, some people will need to find other income if their main source of income was from logging, and they might think about poaching to earn extra income.

It is important that there are other livelihood options for the local people who have been affected by this logging ban. The Government are providing some support, and WWF is also helping by setting up a cooperative for pine nut harvesting and processing, and bee-keeping cooperative for honey production. If these models work, they could be used in other areas too, to provide a sustainable source of income for local people.

A better life and tigers are returning

Mr Wu explained: “I earned around USD 2,000 per year for hunting, but now I earn around USD 8,000 a year combining my conservation work with bee-keeping and forest frog management.” He said he would not return to poaching, and was so pleased to see tigers returning to the area “In my childhood, I heard about tigers in the area, but I never saw one. Now we see the tiger here in Huangnihe. Last autumn I found a tiger footprint in the mud when out patrolling. I felt so happy. Tigers are returning, as the deer and wild board are increasing”.

Tiger pugmark, Huangnihe © Becci May WWF-UK

Mr Wu and Mr Li led us along the valley within a Korean pine and broadleaf forest. They were so excited as they had seen a tiger pugmark there a few days ago and wanted to show us.

After walking for almost an hour, picking mushrooms on the way to cook for lunch, and snacking on mini Chinese kiwis that we found as we went, we finally found the pugmark in the mud – it looked pretty big to me, but may actually be a sub-adult male, as a male tiger pugmark can be over 10cm wide! In fact we kept walking and managed to track it for a while – the pugmarks were really clear.

I have seen camera images of tigers and a wonderful video of a tiger with cubs in China (see below), but I never thought I would see a tiger pugmark on my short visit – I was so pleased to see the evidence for myself that tigers really are returning to China.

Today, on World Wildlife Day, it’s good to celebrate and thank those people who are working hard to help protect wildlife.

You might also like to read about another ranger’s story from Bhutan.

Also, please visit our Amur-Heilong pages to find out more about our work in this region.

Water Stories Exhibition London © Chris George

Water Stories Exhibition London © Chris George

Shrimp Fishing, Lake Hong, Hubei Province China 2015 Credit: © Mustafah Abdulaziz / WWF-UK.

Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Mato Grosso, Brazil, 2015 © Mustafah Abdulaziz/WWF-UK

Drought conditions, Cantareira Reservoir, São Paul, Brazil, 2015 © Earthwatch/ Mustafah Abdulaziz

Anteater, Poconé, Pantanal, Mato Grosso, Brazil, 2015© Mustafah Abdulaziz/WWF-UK

Regents Canal, London, 2015.© Earthwatch/ Mustafah Abdulaziz

The water pump in Osukputu, Benue, Nigeria, 2015 © WaterAid/Mustafah Abdulaziz

Children journey to collect water, Sindh Province, Pakistan, 2013. © WaterAid/Mustafah Abdulaziz

Poisoned marigold flowers, Jana village, Kanpur, India, 2014© WaterAid/Mustafah Abdulaziz

Rakhi Mandi slum, Kanpur, India, 2014. © WaterAid/Mustafah Abdulaziz

Women pull water from a well, Tharpakar, Pakistan, 2013. © WaterAid/ Mustafah Abdulaziz

A picture tells a thousand words as the old saying goes, but I think a picture does much more than that. A picture can tell an infinite number of stories and will speak to everyone differently.

The feature image for WATER Stories, an incredible new outdoor photographic exhibition opening in London on this UN World Water Day 22 March, takes me back to Lake Hong on China’s Yangtze.

It was around 6.30 am and myself, Yi Qing from WWF China and acclaimed photographer, Mustafah Abdulaziz had been on the boat for over an hour to reach the centre of the lake (yes, everything in China is enormous). What we encountered was like a Renaissance painting, hundreds of boats with couples like the one you see in the picture fishing for shrimp in perfect symphony. It was the most surreal and magical light, the boats looked like they were floating in mid air.

To me this picture represents, not only an ethereal kind of beauty, but the human side to water and our conservation work. What people won’t know, unless they read the captions on the exhibition, is that the lake this couple fish on was once so polluted that it was a water wasteland – no fish, no birds, no life. When WWF, with its partners from local government and communities, started work here we had to remove thousands of reed poles set up to catch fish in an unsustainable way. Over 14 years it has been restored to the cleaner lake you see in this picture, where people are living in harmony with their environment.

The gallery in this blog represents only a handful of Mustafah’s 70 large scale images now on display at The Scoop More London Riverside with Tower Bridge as the backdrop (pictured at the start of this gallery). WATER Stories is Mustafah’s first UK solo exhibition and includes beautiful images from China, India, Pakistan and London and previously unseen works from the series, taken last year in Brazil and Nigeria.

Mustafah has captured individuals and the landscapes whose stories are intertwined with, and impacted by water – the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil, where just two polluted rivers provide water for 21 million people; the poisoned marigold fields of Kanpur, India; shrimp fishermen at dawn on the restored Lake Hong, China; the water source of an entire community in Nigeria; and brightly dressed women hauling water from a 150ft well, three hours walk from their home in Pakistan. In these images he truly captures how we interact with water, how we depend on it for our lives and livelihoods and sometimes how we take it for granted, often unaware that it isn’t an infinite resource.

Since 1970 freshwater species have declined by 76% globally and right now 650 million people do not have access to an improved source of drinking water, while 2.4 billion people live without access to basic sanitation.

The exhibition documents the global water crisis and collective work of the three NGOs; WWF, WaterAid and EarthWatch to tackle it, supported by the HSBC Water Programme.

More than this, the exhibition is an opportunity for people that may not normally come across these issues in their everyday lives to either learn something new or just have a window to another world as they walk down the Thames.

WATER Stories photographic exhibition is on display and free to the public until 10 April 2016. For more information and a map visit The Waterhub

Protein is everywhere. It is the new big fad diet. Increasingly we are seeing people talking about the need to eat more of it. I heard a lady walking down the street on her phone saying how she felt a little tired and needed protein.
Companies have spotted this. It is even being added to breakfast cereals. I have a feeling we might not really understand protein, where it comes from, what it does to us, the planet or how much we really need.

These are all subjects both WWF and the Protein 2040 challenge are looking at. In a nutshell protein is our body’s building block. It is an essential part of our diet to ensure our body and brain works. How much you need depends on sex and age. Apparently to calculate how much you need you multiply your weight in kilograms by 0.8 to get to the number of grams of protein you should consume every day.

In the UK nobody is protein deficient and most of us over consume protein. A recent WRI report demonstrates most of us over consume it by 70%. We are not alone this is a common problem though out the rich developed world.

Where can we get protein?

Contrary to popular belief it is not just found in meat. It is readily available in a many food stuffs. It is perfectly possible to be a vegan and eat all the protein you need. Basically all foods made from meat, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, nuts, seeds, tofu, wheat germ and even soba noodles contain protein.

Sustainably sourced fish and chips

What is the problem?

There is an issue with this drive to increase protein consumption. We tend to primarily get it from meat. Meat production is one of the drivers behind climate change, water pollution, land use change and biodiversity loss. Increasingly we are consuming more dairy, which has similar impacts. According to the latest UK government dietary advice, the Eatwell Guide, our diet should contain only 8% dairy, currently it is around 15%.

This problem is compounded by the state of oceans, with 85% overfished or fished to capacity. Then there is the rise of aquaculture to help feed a growing demand for fish.

Intensive livestock farming and aquaculture rely to a greater or less extent on industrial production systems. These need feed, a large amount is soy. Less than 15% of the soy grown is eaten directly by people, mostly hidden cereals and other processed foods, including chocolate. Only a small % is eaten as sauce or tofu. Soy production is the driving force behind land use change in South America, the USA and increasingly it will be in parts Sub-Saharan Africa.

Aerial view of the Cerrado and soy monoculture © Adriano Gambarini / WWF-Brazil

The cumulative impact is huge and based on business as usual will get worse, if we exacerbate the problem by demanding more animal sourced protein.

Protein 2040 and WWF

This is why we are part of the Protein 2040 Challenge. It is the first global coalition exploring how we feed nine billion people enough protein in a way which is affordable, healthy, equitable and good for the environment. This project, convened by Forum for the Future is seeking to address this tricky and emotive space.  It is a multi-stakeholder initiative seeking to address the often polarized food debate around meat and plant based proteins and consumption and production. Together, through a process that involved over 250 stakeholders we have identified a number of key opportunities and challenges. These include plant based protein in the developed and developing world, aquaculture, food waste, soil health and alternate animal feeds. The project truly is ground breaking and inspirational.

Alongside WWF UK and Forum for the future the project is made up of many leading organisations: the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), Firmenich, The Hershey Company, Quorn, Target, Volac and Waitrose.

Watch this space as we seek to move the protein debate forward to a space that is less confusing and good for us and the planet. In the meantime visit the protein topic hub to learn more about animal, plant and novel proteins. Don’t forget WWF’s own Livewell to learn more about sustainable diets. If you want further inspiration for yourself or your kids give peas (a great source of protein) a chance.

The post Protein Challenge 2040 appeared first on WWF UK Blog.

Cast your mind back to when you last ate a meal outside of the home. It may have been a quick lunch sandwich on-the-go, or a proper sit down meal in a restaurant or at your school or work canteen. Now can you remember what the main ingredient of that meal was?

If it was meat then you’re in good company – for more than three quarters of us a meal out of the home contains meat all or some of the time.

But if you went for a vegetarian or vegan option or an option where meat was not the focal point of the meal, then you’re part of a smaller, but growing club.

Classroom cooks Credit © Tristan Fewings / WWF-UK

More of us are choosing meat-free lunch options

A recent WWF survey found that 16% of us plan to eat less meat in the year ahead, a figure that rises to 19% for the influential group known as millennials, categorised as people between the ages of 18 and 34 year olds. Some people are reducing their consumption of meat for environmental reasons thanks to a growing awareness that livestock production has a significant impact on the planet. For others, it might be because they want to choose a more healthy or affordable option, or simply fancy a change.

The meat content of their meals isn’t the only preoccupation for millennials when eating out. Half of those surveyed said they are more likely to eat out in venues where they are told about where the food on their plate comes from; half are also more likely to eat at a venue where they’re told the health and nutrition content of their meals; while 53% are more likely to eat at a restaurant, café or canteen if meat has been reared to high animal welfare standards.

Of those planning to cut down on meat, 66% reported that they wanted to be able to choose plant-based options from the menu when they eat out representing a significant opportunity for foodservice companies to make vegetables a central part of their menus.

But are restaurants, fast food chains and other caterers stepping up to meet this demand for healthy, sustainable food options?

A new report from our partnership with Sodexo UK & Ireland and the Food Ethics Council found that some progressive companies are doing just that. Pret A Manger, for instance, is introducing vegetarian only chiller cabinets into its shops and is trialling a vegetarian only store throughout the month of June in which meat will be entirely absent from the menu.

Others, however, are lagging behind in providing meal options that help customers eat more plant-based foods such as vegetables and pulses, fewer processed foods high in sugar, salt and saturated fat, and more foods that meet a certified standard such as MSC fish – all of which are criteria for a sustainable diet as set out in our Livewell guide.

loaded sweet potato jackets © Beca Lyne-Pirkis

Caterers and restaurants benefit from sustainable menus

The benefits to caterers who provide more sustainable menu options are potentially huge. The report concludes that they can grow sales by winning new custom and retaining loyal customers, increase profits by retaining healthy, motivated employees and guard against future supply chain risks by making sure their food is fully traceable and of good provenance.

Millennials form one of the largest generations in history and their future purchasing power will be huge. And their message to caterers is clear: millennials expect sustainable food to come as standard. Food businesses that meet their demands can expect to enjoy their custom for many years to come.

When deciding on a meal or a restaurant think about making it a delicious, sustainable choice.

The post What does your lunch say about you? appeared first on WWF UK Blog.

It’s time for the Olympics, a month long festival of human achievement. They are being held in one of the most bio diverse regions of the world. While we are spell bound by both the games and the location we need to stop and think about the fuel driving these athletes and supporters, how it impacts on the world and ourselves.

WWF-Brazil has been leading, for the last three years, an initiative called Rio Food Vision  that brings together over 30 partners to promote a sustainable food sourcing for the Olympics. Its mission is:

“Unite the efforts by the various sectors of society in order to promote sustainable and healthy food supply for the participants in the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, leaving a significant legacy in terms of improving the food sector in Brazil.”

Its goal is to use the Games as a catalyst for the improvement of the food sector – ensuring access to healthy and sustainable products, ethical, safe and varied origin.

Jose runs through the streets of Acre proudly holding the Olympic torch © Ariso Jardim, Acre Gov

The Food Vision hopes to be an inspiration for governments, public institutions, businesses, civil society, and the general public – to build a legacy for healthy and sustainable food for the state of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

What does it cover?

The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games will produce 14 million meals. All underpinned by the need to ensure the food is healthy, sustainable, safe and keeping with the principles of the Games. There are eight principles behind the vision and they cover food safety, traditional Brazilian foods, the need to source locally where possible and the food must be nutritious and balanced. It covers production and consumption with Principle 7 clearly identifying the environment.

Principle 7: Adhere to Rio 2016 sustainability commitments and strive to go above and beyond, achieving our aspirations for exemplary environmental consciousness.

Sustainable sourcing, the Amazon and the Cerrado and beyond.

The vision takes a systemic approach. As part of this how the food is sourced is vital. The Rio Sustainable Food Vision’s objectives are:

•  io provide Rio 2016 with a framework to source and supply healthy and sustainable food;

• to engage with stakeholders and the Government to strengthen the legacy of Rio 2016 by cultivating interest in sustainable food in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil.

The official Olympic policy for food and beverage demands, where possible and available, the purchasing of certified products. The main difficulty is that the Olympics will serve 14 million meals, and  it will not be possible to source  this amount whatever  of certified ingredients. However, it is important to have this commitment and to build on it to create demand and set in a benchmark for future competitions.

In Brazil you can clearly see the impacts of agriculture throughout the country. This is seen most famously in the Amazon. It spans the borders of eight countries. If the Amazon biome were a country, it would be the seventh largest in the world.

Areal shot of the Amazon © Andre Bartschi – WWF-Canon

WWF, with Sky Rainforest Rescue, worked in the Acre state of north-west Brazil to help save over 1 billion trees from deforestation. This is an area the size of Belgium and is home to jaguars, pink dolphins and scarlet macaws. This project  supported the Rio Food Vision as the progam recognised the importance of sustainable diets are part of any effort to tackle deforestation.

The impact has been even greater in the Cerrado, due to soy production, so we can eat cheap meat and dairy, whilst the Atlantic Forest has lost most of its orginal cover.
Cattle ranching and soy are the main causes of deforestation in Brazil and many family rely on these industries as sources of income.. The challenge  is how to produce food legally and using best environmental practice, whilst securing enough income to support families and provide nutritious food.

Sustainable diets and the food served at the Olympics area part of the solution,providing markets for new and  sustainably sourced foods. We do not expect everybody to become vegetarian to help save the rainforest but if people made small changes like eating more plants, it could all make a difference

Sustainable diets in Brazil meet Livewell

In 2014 Brazil updated its dietary guidelines and it is safe to say they are the first country to advocate a sustainable diet. The advice includes the usual important and oft ignored recommendations regarding the importance of eating vegetables and whole cereals, and of reducing consumption of foods rich in fats, salt and added sugars.

The guidelines have a Brazilian twist. They categorise food according to their level of processing. They state that more processing usually means more added fats, salts, sugar, and fewer whole foods. This undermines health objectives and it  generally entails more packaging and energy, which carries environmental costs.

Brazil nut collecting © Michael Gunther / WWF-UK

They even come up with a set of principles, which are broadly in line with WWF’s Livewell principles. With a clear message around the need to eat more plants, enjoy food, eat less processed foods and even be wary of marketing and advertising.

The 10 principles

1. Make natural or minimally processed foods the basis of your diet (like LiveWell it is about eating a great variety of foods,  mainly of plant origin including – cereals, legumes, roots, tubers, vegetables, fruits, nuts, milk, eggs, meat – and diversity within each type.)
2. Use oils, fats, salt, and sugar in small amounts when seasoning and cooking natural or minimally processed foods and to create culinary preparations
3. Limit consumption of processed foods
4. Avoid consumption of ultra-processed foods
5. Eat regularly and carefully in appropriate environments and, whenever possible, in company
6. Shop in places that offer a variety of natural or minimally processed foods
7. Develop, exercise and share cooking skills
8. Plan your time to make food and eating important in your life
9.Out of home, prefer places that serve freshly made meals
10. Be wary of food advertising and marketing

The only things missing are references to moderating your meat consumption, which is probably tricky for Brazil, and wasting less food.  On the whole it says the same things as WWF’s Livewell work and this advice is key when providing food for an Olympian.

Jaguar in the Pantanal © Anthony B.Rath_WWF

Legacy

Success at the Olympics will lead to a legacy that builds on London 2012 and will benefit the games and Brazil . The government understands the need for sustainable diets, a food policy and sustainable sourcing. This is more than can be said for many other countries.

Enjoy the Olympics, support WWF’s work in Brazil, adopt a jaguar , engage with Livewell , eat more plants and think about food.

The post From Panda to Plate to Podium appeared first on WWF UK Blog.

Climate change can be a complicated and confusing topic.  For many people it seems abstract and irrelevant to their lives, but with so many species, habitats and people being impacted it’s becoming ever more important to engage with.

To celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of International Literacy Day, I’m sharing my A-Z of climate change, covering many of the terms you’re likely to see in the media today.  I was onto a pretty good start with Adaptation, Biodiversity, Climate Change and Deforestation.  Sometimes I had to choose between two or more good options, for example should R be Renewables, or Range shifts, or Rainforest?  Towards the end it got tougher – my Q is obscure and X more or less beat me but my Z let me talk about coral bleaching.  I hope you find this A-Z of climate change inspiring and informative.

A – Adaptation

The adjustment in natural or human systems to actual or expected climate and its impacts. Adaptation efforts include the use of drought-resistant crops, adoption of water conservation measures and building of storm surge barriers. Wildlife try to follow their preferred climate in behaviour called range shifting, which is also an adaptation.

B – Biodiversity

The variety of plant and animal life in a particular habitat. Climate change is forcing biodiversity to adapt – with many species shifting habitat and changing their life-cycles. Climate change can amplify existing threats and increase biodiversity loss.

Snow leopard In Winter © Klein & Hubert / WWF

C – Climate change

The global or regional-scale change to long-term weather patterns and global warming is the long-term trend of rising average temperatures. The Earth’s climate has changed throughout history but since the industrial revolution warming, and related climate changes, are largely attributed to higher atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide (CO₂) caused mainly by burning fossil fuels.

People gather in London for the Peoples Climate Change March, September 2014 © WWF-UK

D – Deforestation

A staggering 8.8 million hectares of natural forest is lost per year (more than four times the size of Wales). Deforestation and forest degradation leads to the release of carbon stored in the trees and are a big source of man-made greenhouse gas emissions and driver of climate change.

E – Energy

Clean and affordable energy is important for sustainable development. We need to transform the global energy-system to 100% renewable energy sources such as wind and solar from one reliant on burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas, as energy from fossil fuels is the biggest contributor to climate change.

F – Food

Both food and the agriculture system are big drivers of climate change, with 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions coming from livestock. Changing patterns of consumption to eat less meat is one way of cutting emissions from our food system.

G – The greenhouse effect

The warming of the lower atmosphere due to certain gases allowing sunlight through, which then reflects off the Earth’s surface as infrared radiation, and becomes trapped. Without the natural greenhouse effect the Earth would be very cold, but the additional accumulation of man-made greenhouse gases is leading to adverse effects.

H – Heat waves

Heat waves are periods of abnormally hot weather and are associated with an increased number of deaths.  Heatwaves, drought and heavy rainfall are all examples extreme weather events.  Warming increases the likelihood of extremely hot days and for some extreme events, science can quantify probability or intensity changes due to climate change.

An almost dried up farmer’s watering hole on a farm near Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. Watering holes have dried up and stocking rates on many farms have dropped as the land can no longer support as many beasts. © Global Warming Images / WWF

I – Impacts

Impacts of climate change are already occurring and at record rates – these include rising temperatures, shifting seasons, rising sea-levels, disappearing Arctic sea-ice and more intense heat waves. Globally climate change impacts hit the poorest and most vulnerable hardest. UK risks have been assessed in a report by the Committee on Climate Change.

J – Just transition

A just transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient economy, refers to the concept of providing workers with decent jobs, while protecting the environment. During the transition there will be fewer jobs in high-carbon industries and more in green technology.

K – Keeling Curve

The Keeling Curve shows atmospheric CO₂levels measured at Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory. Human activities, such as burning fossil fuels, has led to a ~27% increase from 315 parts per million (ppm) in 1958 to over 400 ppm in 2016.

The famous Keeling Curve, showing the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels since monitoring began © Scripps Oceanography

L – Loss and damage

This refers to the negative impacts of climate change that occur regardless of efforts to cut global greenhouse gas emissions and efforts to adapt. Loss and damage can result from extreme events such as tropical storms and slow-onset events such as sea-level rise. Developing countries are particularly vulnerable.

M – Mitigation

Efforts to cut the rate of man-made emissions of greenhouse gas into the atmosphere. Climate change mitigation includes actions such as switching from polluting fossil fuels to clean renewable energy sources, improving energy efficiency, lowering consumption, improving transport, and stopping deforestation.

N – Nitrous oxide

Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide (N₂O) is the third greenhouse gas in terms of contribution to global warming after CO₂ and methane (CH₄). N₂O occurs naturally and is also caused by human activities such as agriculture, burning of fossil fuels and industrial processes.

O – Oceans

Oceans play an important role in the climate system. The world’s oceans absorb around 30% of the CO₂ we pump into the atmosphere which keeps atmospheric concentrations and hence warming lower, but as a consequence causes ocean acidification, which can dissolve shells of tiny marine species, damaging the food chain.

P – Paris Agreement

2015 saw the confirmation of a historic deal between 195 countries to address climate change. The Paris Agreement aims to keep global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to 1.5°C. It highlights the importance of adaptation and national mitigation to cut greenhouse gas emissions after 2020.  It is likely to enter into force in 2016.

Q – QELROs

Also known as ‘Quantified Emission Limitation and Reduction Objectives’ are the targets which many developed countries committed to as part of the Kyoto Protocol under the UNFCCC.

R – Range shifts

Plants and animals survive and reproduce in areas with a suitable climate. As the planet warms those species fast enough typically try to track their favoured climate towards the poles and uphill; those unable to – due low dispersion rates or barriers such as mountains or cities – may face local extinction.

S – Sea-level rise

This has adverse impacts on people and wildlife in coastal and low-lying areas – including submergence, coastal erosion and saltwater intrusion. The global mean sea level increased 19cm between 1901 and 2010 and is rising by more than 3mm per year – mainly due to thermal expansion and melting of land ice.

T – Temperatures

There was a record global average of 1°C above pre-industrial levels in 2015, and 2016 is set to break that. The temperature rise varies in different regions of the globe, with the Arctic warming faster than average. To avoid the worst impacts of climate change global average surface temperature rise should be limited to 1.5°C.

Arctic sea ice map © NOAA

U – UNFCCC

UNFCCC stands for the 1994 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to prevent “dangerous” human interference with the climate system. The UNFCCC spawned two further treaties to pursue this objective – the Kyoto Protocol, which entered into force in 2005, and the Paris Agreement negotiated in 2015.

V – Vulnerability

The vulnerability of a species describes the degree to which it will survive under climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) define vulnerability as the propensity or predisposition to be adversely affected by climate change; it encompasses a variety of concepts including sensitivity or susceptibility to harm and lack of capacity to cope and adapt.

W – Water

An important medium through which climate change influences the Earth’s ecosystem – a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture. Freshwater resources can be impacted by climate change with concerns including rainfall reliability (persistent droughts for some areas and repeated floods in others), groundwater levels and decline in water supplies stored in glaciers and snow cover.

X – X

The first unknown quantity.

Y – Yearly greenhouse gas emissions

Emissions are rising and are estimated at around 47.6 billion tonnes CO₂ equivalent for the world in 2012. UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2014 were 514.4 million tonnes CO₂ equivalent; this is 35% below 1990 levels.

Z – Zooxanthellae

These are algae living in the tissue of healthy coral.  When water is too warm, corals expel the zooxanthellae and turn white – this is called coral bleaching. In 2014 global warming, combined with El Niño caused the longest recorded global coral bleaching and die-off.

In my A-Z I’ve tried to cover some of the reasons we need to act on climate now and some issues that climate change encompasses.

There is momentum internationally with the world’s two biggest greenhouse gas emitters, China and the US, ratifying the Paris Agreement ahead of the G20 summit last weekend.  It is vital we ensure that politicians in the UK continue to see dealing with climate change a priority.  Two steps the UK could take to stand up and be counted are to quickly ratify the Paris Agreement and to clarify how they intend to meet their international promises to reduce the UK’s emissions in a low-carbon plan.

To find out more about climate change and WWF’s climate change and energy work take a look at our website.

The post The A to Z of Climate Change appeared first on WWF UK Blog.

Following World Mara Day on 15 September, we’ve got the lowdown on this incredible landscape…

Mara Day, held on 15 September every year, celebrates the Mara River and the unique surrounding landscape in Kenya and Tanzania. The day coincides with one of nature’s greatest events: the annual migration of wildlife from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. It is said that this is the day the wildebeest return from Kenya to Tanzania.

The rich and fertile Mara river basin boasts some of the biggest wildlife populations in Africa and the Serengeti National Park is arguably the best-known wildlife sanctuary on the planet. This is one of the most complex ecosystems on Earth. But in recent decades the area has been under pressure like never before. Poaching, expanding agricultural development, population growth and other influences mean the Mara-Serengeti and the thousands of animals it supports are under threat.

Here’s the need-to-know on the magnificent Mara and what we’re doing to help protect it.

1. Mass migration

This spectacular area is the site of the world’s greatest wildlife migration. Every year, almost two million wildebeest, zebra and gazelle travel from the Serengeti up to the Maasai Mara (and back again), feeding on the lush grass that springs up after seasonal rains.

Common / Plains Zebra herd running. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © naturepl.com / Anup Shah / WWF

2. Epic landscape

The mara ecosystem spans around 3,000 sq km. All that space makes for some pretty awe-inspiring sunsets.

Three Wildebeest silhouetted at sunset, Maasai Mara, Kenya. © naturepl.com / Anup Shah / WWF

3. Elephant numbers increasing

Elephant numbers in Kenya are on the rise. The elephant population declined from 167,000 in 1973, to a staggering 20,000 in 1990. But, in 2012, numbers had climbed to 26,000 and are still increasing.

African elephant herd walking. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © naturepl.com / Anup Shah / WWF

4. Endangered species

Elephant numbers may be rising, but the African elephant remains vulnerable and there are more than 100 endangered species found in Kenya, including the black rhino, wild dog and cheetah.

Black Rhino. Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya. © Richard Edwards / WWF-UK

5. Poaching pressure

One such endangered species is the critically endangered black rhino. There are only around 680 black rhinos left in Kenya. But the good news is we’re working hard to protect them against poaching and the illegal trade in their horns. Check out this film to find out how.

6. Diverse bird life

Kenya is considered one of the top five bird-watching destinations in the world and well over a thousand species of our feathered friends call the country home. The Mara ecosystem has the highest ostrich population of Africa and the unique grey crowned crane is also found here. We think its distinctive stiff golden feathers give the lion’s mane a run for its money!

Grey Crowned-Crane. © Martin Harvey / WWF

7. Lions under threat

The Mara-Serengeti landscape has the highest concentration of large predators in the world, including the iconic African lion. Across Africa, lion populations are estimated to have halved over the last 20 years and an estimated 600 lions remain in the Mara ecosystem. This is the story of one man’s mission to help protect them…

8. Human wildlife conflict

In Kenya, 60% of the elephants’ range is outside of protected areas. This close proximity to humans means elephants are under threat. David Leto, WWF Elephant Project Officer, has a unique story to tell about elephant conservation in the Mara. David’s father was killed by an elephant when he was 10, but now he dedicates his life to protecting this magnificent species. Watch this inspirational film to find out why…

9. River lifeline

The Mara River provides the lifeblood to the surrounding ecosystem. Without the essential water it provides there would be no wildebeest migration and the ecosystem would look very different. The river is also the main source of water for many communities, businesses and local farmers nearby, with only 30% of people in this part of East Africa having access to tapped water. But the river is under pressure. Water levels and quality have changed significantly over the past few decades because of expanding agriculture, industrial activity and population growth.

Over half of households on the Mara River are home to smallholder farmers and we’re working with them to protect this vital resource. Nancy Rono, farmer and single mother to three boys, tells us how training in sustainable farming methods has improved her life and the quality of the water she depends on…

10. Two decades of conservation

WWF has worked in the Mara ecosystem for more than 20 years, supporting species, people and landscapes to create a sustainable future for all.

A short film highlighting the people, landscapes and species we support in Kenya, including some of our work in the Mara.

Want to learn more about our work in the Mara? Check out our Mau-Mara-Serengeti web page.

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When the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) was founded on 16 October 1945, it was the first major international organisation with the purpose of ‘ensuring humanity’s freedom from hunger’. FAO celebrates World Food Day every year on 16 October to commemorate this, and to raise awareness about hunger, nutrition and food security.

World Food Day 2016 ©FAO

A brief history

Although ensuring citizens are sufficiently fed has been a key concern of governments and rulers since ancient times, a series of global and regional food shocks over the past 50 years – including two in the past decade – have spurred international efforts to eradicate hunger and ignited global interest in the concept of ‘food security’. This simple two-word phrase is now central to most government, business and NGO reports and policies addressing the future of food production and consumption.

The key difference between today’s challenges and those faced by early civilisations – such as the ancient Egyptians – is that the global footprint of humanity’s food consumption is overstepping sustainable limits. For example, since the year 2000, studies have estimated that nearly three quarters of global deforestation has been caused by commercial agriculture. The challenge today and for future generations is to secure sufficient food supply within increasingly tight resource and environmental constraints.

The term ‘food security’ itself came into use in the mid-1970s following the 1972 global food crisis. The most frequently cited ‘official’ definition is the one established at the 1996 World Food Summit: “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.

However, with the recent surge in popularity of the term, there is today a proliferation of interpretations and usages. Such is the influential nature of ‘food security’ that it has been used by organisations to justify policies and investments in all parts of the economy and society – from trade negotiations and agriculture regulations, to infrastructure development and national security.

To add to this complexity and confusion, the term is often employed by organisations on opposing sides of divisive arguments (read any campaign on genetically modified organisms or pesticides and you’ll see food security referenced by industry lobbyists and environmental campaigners as a basis for supporting mutually exclusive world views).

Food security and biodiversity

Regardless of who is ‘correct’ in such arguments it has become clear to WWF-UK that the concept of food security – and how it is understood by policymakers, businesses, investors and citizens – is of increasing relevance to its mission to protect global biodiversity. Because of this, WWF-UK asked 3Keel to examine how organisations are using the concept of food security in their communications and how decisions made in the name of food security have the potential to impact upon biodiversity. One of the outputs of this work is a toolkit for navigating the topic of food security and the links to biodiversity.

Fisherman holding fish in his hands, Mafamede, Mozambique. Mafamede is part of the protect area of Primeiras e Segundas © WWF-US / James Morgan

This toolkit is the result of an extensive review of research and publications in this area, as well as numerous discussions with businesses, researchers and WWF staff around the world. Amongst other things it gives a fascinating insight into the many ways people ‘frame’ the challenge and solutions to food security now and in the future – many of which you will recognise from reading the newspaper or watching the television.

Twelve frames for understanding food security

But why should we be interested in how people ‘frame’ issues?

How policymakers and agri-food businesses address food insecurity – and what solutions citizens support – will be influenced by the frames that dominate the debate around a contentious topic. Framing is therefore a really important tool to enable organisations to understand and influence debates and policy decisions (read more about framing in this excellent summary commissioned by WWF-UK).

For example, if the dominant framing of food security is about insufficient agricultural production then policymakers and citizens might conclude that the expansion of agricultural land into natural habitat and the over-exploitation of water resources are an acceptable price to pay to keep food on the plate. Alternatively, where access to food is identified to be the problem, policies would more likely focus on reducing post-harvest crop waste, improving diets, reducing poverty, encouraging fair trade, etc. Currently the mainstream framing of food security in policy and business is the well-known appeal to the world to “double production to feed 9 billion in 2050” – or some variation on that theme.

Twelve food security frames © WWF-UK

Worryingly, our review found that many framings of food security likely to be used by key decision-makers do not put biodiversity ‘in the frame’. Our analysis also identified that biodiversity loss and food security have many shared drivers – and that policy responses to the latter may damage the former, if not carefully designed and implemented.

The good news is that there is an increasing appreciation that long-term global food security and sustainable development cannot be achieved without protecting the world’s natural capital. The challenge will be finding ways to balance the many powerful and often competing environmental, social and economic interests that will accompany efforts to keep the world’s citizens well fed for millennia to come.

Read our report Food Security – A toolkit for exploring frames and links to biodiversity

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It’s a sad fact but for many who have not had the good fortune to visit the country, Colombia is associated with violence. Violent crime related to the production and trafficking of drugs has become entwined with a vicious 50 year civil war to create a reputation for lawlessness and disorder that is difficult to counter.  Fortunately, events in 2016 might have begun to shift that perception.

Colombia hit the headlines last year as several years of peace negotiations reached an endpoint- of sorts. In September the government and the largest rebel group, the FARC, signed an agreement on the terms of a permanent cessation to violence. Good news it seemed, but most of the world was then surprised to find that the Colombian people, in the subsequent plebiscite, would reject the deal. Back to square one? Not quite. Aspects of the agreement were quickly renegotiated, congress approved the changes and the peace process took another step forward.

The Channel Billed Toucan. It is claimed that Colombia has more species of bird than any other country © Fernando Trujillo WWF

There are other positives to be said about Colombia- one of which concerns its biodiversity. It’s not an especially big country, by land area China is about eight times bigger and India about three times bigger, and yet Colombia has a greater diversity of species than either of these countries. In fact, it may well be the second most diverse country on the planet, second only to its giant neighbour, Brazil.  So in a relatively small area, a huge contribution to the conservation of global biodiversity could be made by investing in Colombia.

So, will peace create the conditions for that investment? Well, there are some challenges. The country’s extraordinary biodiversity needs space to thrive- but so too do the millions of internal refugees created by the conflict. The majority of those refugees fled rural areas and the peace accords recognise the need to find land for them to return to. But will that need be satisfied at the expense of nature? Peace also brings the expectation of increased investment in infrastructure to underpin Colombia’s fast emerging economy. With infrastructure comes risks- if new roads, mines and dams open up areas for development will nature be swept aside?

Will there be bright new dawn for Colombian Conservation? © Jamie Gordon WWF

In short- the emerging era of peace in Colombia needs to be managed carefully so that spaces can be created that accommodate both diverse species, and the diverse interests of people. We need to help negotiate the best mix of objectives amongst relevant stakeholders.

Fortunately our colleagues in WWF Colombia are ahead of the game. Negotiating how to accommodate the needs of people and nature is very much part of their approach, and one that WWF UK supports through the Northern Amazon Plan. Bringing diverse interests together to participate fully in negotiating ‘who gets to do what and where’ is a long process, as I have witnessed myself on trips to Colombia. It can start with the most basic of workshops in which local and indigenous people are made aware of their legal rights just to be part of democratic governance. Not until all the relevant stakeholders are fully informed of the possibilities that exist, and have the means and opportunity to represent themselves, can meaningful negotiation begin. Remember, members of rural communities in areas affected by violence may feel very uncomfortable making demands of government officials- or even of representatives of conservation NGOs!

Such work will take years to finalise across the country, but as a new year starts, we can take heart that a real opportunity exists to turn a war torn country into a model of modern, people centred conservation.

Find out more about WWF’s work to protect the Amazon and how you can support us.

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Today is World Wetlands Day, commemorating the signing of the Ramsar Convention for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands in 1971. More importantly, it’s a day to celebrate the amazing diversity and value of wetlands around the globe.

As the name suggests, wetlands are water-rich areas that are flooded either permanently or seasonally. The habitats they create often harbour prolific biodiversity, and wetlands around the world support one billion people. They also provide surprising environmental services. Did you know wetlands can help us cope with extreme weather events by storing carbon dioxide, reducing storm surges, storing and spreading floodwater and safeguarding against drought? Quite impressive when you think that ‘wetland’ often conjures up images of stagnant, boggy marshes.

Given their importance to the environment, it’s no surprise WWF works in areas of wetland around the world. Today I’d like to draw our focus to two particularly special ones…

An aerial view of the Pantanal © Anastasia Taylor-Lind / Telegraph / WWF

The Pantanal Wetland

The Pantanal is a well-kept secret in South America, often overshadowed by the other remarkable ecosystem of Brazil, the Amazon. But it’s the world’s largest wetland, spreading over 170,500km2, mostly in Brazil but also stretching into parts of Bolivia and Paraguay.

A mosaic of lakes, rivers, lagoons and marshes, the Pantanal is home to at least 4,700 species of plants and animals. This wetland wonderland is a home for jaguars, hyacinth macaws, giant river otters, marsh deer and caiman – among a staggering variety of other wildlife.

Sadly, the Pantanal is threatened by intensive farming, deforestation and pollution. Soil erosion is causing sedimentation to silt up some waterways, and chemicals are polluting the once-pristine waters. It lost 15 per cent of its total area by 2009 and there is little sign of the situation improving as deforestation, forest fires, the indiscriminate use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides, bad agricultural practices, and lack of basic sanitation continue to pose serious threats.

What are we doing for the Pantanal?

WWF-Brazil, with support from the HSBC Water Programme, has set about creating the Pantanal Headwaters Pact to recover and preserve rivers which feed the immense wetland. The Pact unites local authorities, businesses, communities and individuals in actions that will guarantee quality of water in almost 750km of rivers in headwaters. The Pact has already restored waterside ‘gallery’ forests around 62 springs which feed the headwaters. Finally, the Pact raises crucial awareness of the importance of the Pantanal in the region.

The Pantanal wetland at sunset © Karina Berg / WWF

To mark World Wetlands Day today, WWF is calling for the government of Brazil to approve and implement the Pantanal Law before the end of this year. Despite the Pantanal’s importance, the bill has been languishing since 2011.

Most importantly, the bill should be amended to include not only the Pantanal floodplain but also the upland areas that encompass its headwaters. If these critical regions are not conserved, the Pantanal will remain threatened. The bill should also provide incentives to promote sustainable development, including in traditional communities, and to encourage environmental restoration and conservation.

Doñana National Park

Travel from the Pantanal over the South Atlantic Ocean and through Africa to the Doñana National park in southern Spain, and you will find another wetland sanctuary. The Doñana wetland is of such value for people and wildlife that it’s considered to be one of the most important wetland sites in Europe.

Doñana is essentially the delta of the Guadalquivir River, and it is home to a rare mix of wildlife: The Iberian lynx, the imperial eagle, and six million migratory birds every year who rely on the stopover in Doñana to survive their epic journey across Europe. Many of these birds are familiar to our UK shores, including much-loved swallows, chaffinches and geese.

Iberian lynx in Coto Doñana © Fritz Vollmar / WWF

Despite enjoying World Heritage Site status, Doñana is threatened by poor management and over-extraction of water, causing the wetland to dry out. The area now receives only 20 per cent of its natural water input. Last year there were plans to dredge the Guadalquivir River, which would have been disastrous for the delicate balance of life in the area, particularly the migratory birds.

What are we doing for Doñana?

First we asked our supporters to email the Prime Minister of Spain, calling for an end to the dredging plans. When the plans were still set to go ahead by November, we showed the Spanish government the strength of support for Doñana by asking people to make origami birds – any style, any colour, any size – and send them to us. Thousands of you responded from all over the world with a flood of support, and our colleagues in Spain were able to create this spectacular display in Madrid, right outside the Spanish Parliament. In response, the President of the Parliament agreed to talks with us and just over a week later the dredging plans were cancelled.

Origami birds displayed outside the Spanish Parliament © Myriam Navas

While this was a dramatic success, dredging was only the most imminent threat to Doñana. This precious wetland is still under pressure from illegal wells, and there is still work to do to preserve it.

The outpouring of support for wetlands is a testament to the value of these natural havens, essential for so much life. We have seen wonderful examples of people standing together to protect these vital habitats, and as long as there is still work to be done, we hope you will be with us as we continue working to protect these essential wetlands.

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