Conserving Biodiversity Through Certification of Tropical Agroforestry Crops at Local and Landscape Scales

Conservation Letters

Teja Tscharntke⁴  Jeffrey C. Milder¹  Götz Schroth⁵  Yann Clough⁴  Fabrice DeClerck³  Anthony Waldron⁶  Robert Rice² 

[1] Rainforest Alliance, New York, NY, USA;Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, Washington, DC, USA;Agrobiodiversity and Ecosystem Services Program, Bioversity International, Montpellier, France;Agroecology, University of Göttingen, Germany;Rainforest Alliance, LT, Wageningen, the Netherlands;Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK, UK

关键词: Agricultural intensification;    sustainable management;    market incentives;    conservation effectiveness;    smallholder farmers;    spatial planning;    voluntary sustainability standards;    coffee and cocoa;    ecosystem services;   

DOI  :  10.1111/conl.12110

来源: Wiley

【 摘 要 】

Abstract

Voluntary sustainability standards and certification offer a promising mechanism to mitigate the severe negative impacts of agricultural expansion and intensification on tropical biodiversity. From a conservation standpoint, certification of tropical agroforestry crops, especially coffee and cocoa, is of particular interest given the potentially high biodiversity value of agroforestry systems and the substantial market penetration of coffee and cocoa certification in recent years. Here, we review experience with coffee and cocoa certification, summarize evidence on conservation impacts, and explore future needs. While there is much evidence that environmental criteria behind certification support biodiversity conservation, it is less clear to what extent certification is the cause of improved conservation outcomes. Additionally, the farm-scale focus of current certification models may limit delivery of biodiversity conservation benefits, as maintenance of biodiversity depends on processes at larger landscape scales. To address this scale mismatch, we suggest that investment and innovation in certification over the next decade prioritize landscape conservation outcomes. This may be achieved by (1) linking existing certification mechanisms with broader landscape and ecosystem service management approaches and/or (2) expanding current certification models to consider the landscape itself as the certified unit.

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC-ND   
Copyright and Photocopying: ©2014 The Authors. Conservation Letters published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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