Search Results (4)

Socio-ecological production landscapes (SEPLs) are places that support and are supported by biodiversity and that play important roles in maintaining biodiversity as well as providing the goods and services that society demands. SEPLs exist with, by and for people. The lack of sustainable value chains that give advantage to goods and services produced in SEPLs threatens the continuation of sustainable practices, many of which are manifestations of traditional ecological knowledge, in an increasingly globalized and efficiency-driven economy. Sustainable management of SEPLs will be an important contribution to biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. To determine the approaches for creating sustainable value chains for goods and services from SEPLs, we gathered information from practitioners and experts on SEPLs using (1) an online questionnaire to experts, (2) an online knowledge-sharing session, and (3) focus group discussions, under the framework of the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI). Through the questionnaire (13 respondents) and the online session, we identified key issues and obstacles, as well as solutions to them in practice. Focus group discussions were held on value chains specific to cacao and rice to gain a deeper understanding of value chain issues from these vastly different commodities. As a way to create value chains that contribute to sustainability of SEPLs, we present a theory of change consisting of five approaches that producers can implement to shorten value chains. The proposed evaluation framework of this theory will use case studies produced by IPSI members and beyond on diversity of commodities from SEPLs. This is a call to action on an important element of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development. Full article

This article considers the development process of Jiuzhuang Community Garden in Taipei City to analyze the practice of community gardens and their relevance to urban health and human well-being. Previous studies have highlighted the contributions of community gardens in areas such as food supply, climate adaptation, local culture, and social interaction. Using qualitative methods, such as participatory observation, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews, this study demonstrates the co-beneficial relationships between various factors and the synergetic effects they bring to physical and mental health. By adopting a perspective that incorporates social infrastructure and the Satoyama Initiative, this research interprets how community gardens can support and develop place-based health concepts and respond to urban complexity. It demonstrates the pathway to enhancing urban health through interventions in urban spaces, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the examination of a community garden case, this study explores the potential connections between SDG 3 and SDG 11, emphasizing the role of green space provision, place identity, and participatory management in enhancing physical and mental well-being. This study also indicates the necessity of integrating the perspectives of public health and urban planning in addressing urban health issues. This integration is essential to shift away from a disease- and mortality-centered approach and towards a health paradigm centered on lifestyle and social interactions. Full article

Satoumi is advocated for coastal sustainability under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the International Partnership for the Satoyama Initiative (IPSI), and has provided a basis for countries around the world to formulate national biodiversity strategies and action plans. Given the significant impact of environmental changes and socio-economic decline, relevant policy directions and practices are urgently required to promote the sustainable development of fishing communities in Taiwan. However, local residents and communities are not sufficiently aware of or involved in this concept to facilitate the development of a holistic Satoumi implementation strategy. Therefore, this study integrates the concepts of Satoumi actions and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and has adopted a questionnaire survey to investigate the perceptions of 202 fishing community residents in the Gongliao District of New Taipei City and Yilan County towards these concepts. The standpoint and perception of the fishing community residents regarding Satoumi actions and SDGs provided a valuable reference. The results of the perception of Satoumi actions revealed that all of the respondents recognized Satoumi actions. However, the ranking demonstrated the urgency for some actions (e.g., clear marine litter), and measures that have been implemented in Taiwan but still need improvement (e.g., fish stocking practices). Satoumi actions were associated with two key factors that affect the perception of residents at Satoumi: “Empowerment through community-based industry and environmental education”, and “Conservation of crucial biological resources and habitats”. For the SDGs perceptions, the two factors were “Marine socio-economic sustainability” and “The sustainable use of marine ecological resources”. This study also adopted cluster analysis and identified three characteristically different groups of residents: The Conservation Priority Group, Industry–Society Priority Group, and Balanced Development Group. According to the major research findings, policies implemented in coastal areas of Taiwan have aligned with global sustainability trends. However, the attitude of the Industry–Society Priority Group, which has the largest sample size, should be changed to that held by the Balanced Development Group, in order to formulate a strategy for a balanced development that secures existing livelihoods and aligns with expectations on environmental sustainability. This study suggests that methodologies that encourage stakeholder interactions, dialogues, and consensus-building should be utilized to develop strategies for future work. Furthermore, policy tools related to coastal management should be analyzed to establish a comprehensive toolkit for coastal governance. Finally, Satoumi requires public–private collaboration to achieve both biodiversity conservation and transformative change towards more sustainably and equitably social, environmental, and economic coastal development. Full article

Over the past decade, integrated landscape (–seascape) approaches—IL(S)As—have been gaining prominence as holistic, collaborative, and tangible solutions to biodiversity conservation and sustainability challenges. On-the-ground implementation of IL(S)As, however, is a complex task. The Xinshe “Forest–River–Village–Ocean” Eco-Agriculture Initiative (the Xinshe Initiative), established in October 2016 and facilitated by the authors, is an ILSA aimed at the socio-ecological revitalisation of the Xinshe ridge-to-reef landscape–seascape in eastern coastal Taiwan. The objective of this paper is to summarise and demonstrate our experiences with facilitating the Xinshe Initiative over the five-year period (2016–2021). This is a case study participatory action research based on mixed qualitative methods of data collection and analysis. Research findings reveal the importance of: (1) locally sensitive boundary setting and checking by the means of inclusive and participatory processes; (2) various facilitation tools and engagement strategies for the continuity of multi-stakeholder interest and engagement; (3) five socio-ecological perspectives of the Satoyama Initiative for determining environmental and socio-economic objectives; (4) regular, consistent, and locally sensitive monitoring and evaluation tools for the effectiveness of adaptive co-management; and (5) enabling conditions (relational, knowledge, and political resources) for promoting the Xinshe ILSA-related experiences “from -scape to scale”. Full article