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Towards global phosphorus security: a systems framework for phosphorus recovery and reuse options
The document argues that global phosphorus security requires a shift from viewing phosphorus recovery solely as a pollution control measure to a necessity for food security. It advocates for a systems-based approach to recover phosphorus from all waste streams—including human and animal excreta and food and crop wastes—to replace depleting phosphate rock reserves.
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Document type: Research paper
Tropical Forests and Climate
Brazil significantly reduced Amazon deforestation from an average of 19,508 km² per year (1996–2005) to 6,451 km² in 2009–2010, a 67 percent drop. This achievement, supported by Norway's financial contributions under the REDD+ framework, resulted in an estimated reduction of nearly 1 billion tons of global warming pollution. Brazil achieved these results through expanded protected areas, reinforced indigenous land rights, and stricter enforcement of logging laws, all while increasing agricultural production of beef and soy and reducing poverty through social programs like Fome Zero and Bolsa Familia.
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Document type: Briefing
movilizar, resistir, transformar de luchas y éxitos 40 años
The document outlines four decades of activism by Friends of the Earth International, highlighting specific successes in banning commercial whaling in Spain, prohibiting open-pit mining in Costa Rica, and establishing the first climate change law in the UK. It details diverse campaigns against coal power in Germany, oil pollution in Nigeria, and genetically modified organisms in Europe, while emphasizing the role of grassroots mobilization and legal action in achieving environmental protections and human rights.
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Document type: Report
mobilise, resist, transform and successes 40 years of struggles
The report documents various environmental and social justice campaigns led by Friends of the Earth (FoE) member groups across the globe. Key achievements include the 2008 UK Climate Change Act, a ban on open-pit metal mining in Costa Rica (2010), and the cessation of commercial whaling in Spain (1985). The document also details ongoing resistance against coal-fired power plants in Germany and Scotland, gas flaring in Nigeria, and the impact of large-scale dams in Mozambique, South Korea, and the Philippines. It emphasizes a strategy of combining grassroots mobilization, legal challenges, and international solidarity to combat corporate globalization and protect indigenous and community rights.
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Document type: Report
CLEARING THE AIR
The document critiques carbon trading as an unreliable mechanism that shifts the burden of mitigation to developing countries and benefits the Northern financial industry. It proposes a comprehensive package of alternatives: for mitigation, it suggests global feed-in tariffs for renewables, energy efficiency standards, sustainable small-scale agriculture, and the protection of Indigenous forest rights. For climate finance, it identifies a potential US$420 billion per year in new funding through a global Financial Transaction Tax, cracking down on tax evasion, redirecting fossil-fuel producer subsidies, issuing new Special Drawing Rights, and implementing carbon and energy taxes.
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Document type: Executive summary
DespejanDo el aire
The report critiques carbon trading as a 'risky, irresponsible and dangerous' tool that diverts attention from viable solutions. It proposes a comprehensive package of alternatives: investing US$100 billion annually in renewable energy feed-in tariffs, transitioning to small-scale sustainable agriculture, protecting forests by addressing drivers like agrofuels, and implementing international industrial standards for the 'best available technologies'. For climate finance, it suggests a combination of a global financial transaction tax, combating tax evasion, redirecting fossil fuel subsidies, issuing Special Drawing Rights, and implementing carbon and energy taxes, which could collectively provide at least US$420 billion annually for developing nations.
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Document type: Executive summary
clearing the air
The report critiques carbon trading as a high-risk distraction that allows developed nations to avoid domestic emissions reductions and undermines the principle of common but differentiated responsibility. It proposes a comprehensive package of alternatives, including a global feed-in tariff for renewable energy, a transition to small-scale sustainable agriculture, and the implementation of common industrial standards for best available technology. To fund these transitions and support developing countries, the report suggests generating at least US$420 billion per year through a global financial transaction tax, cracking down on tax evasion, redirecting fossil-fuel producer subsidies, issuing new Special Drawing Rights, and implementing carbon and energy taxes.
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Document type: Report
Despejando el aire: Dejar atrás el comercio de carbono, en pos de soluciones verdaderas para el clima
The document critiques carbon trading as a 'dangerous obsession' that allows developed nations to avoid domestic emission reductions and fails to provide predictable financing for developing countries. It proposes a transition to a low-carbon economy through a 'Just Transition' framework, emphasizing the historical responsibility of rich nations. Key mitigation alternatives include a global feed-in tariff program for renewables, sustainable small-scale agriculture, and the adoption of 'Best Available Techniques' in industry. For financing, the report suggests a combination of a global financial transaction tax, combating tax evasion, redirecting fossil fuel subsidies, and issuing new Special Drawing Rights, estimating a potential for US$420 billion in annual new climate finance.
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Document type: Report
Tropical Forests and Climate
The document asserts that tropical deforestation is now "enterprise-driven," fueled by the expansion of cattle ranching, soybean production, and oil palm plantations to serve urban and export markets. It highlights that this process is responsible for approximately 15 percent of global warming pollution. The author argues that because deforestation is driven by business interests and distant consumer demand, it can be mitigated through political pressure on industries and financial mechanisms like REDD+, without harming poor farmers.
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Document type: Briefing
le piège du jatropha
The report investigates the reality of jatropha production in Mozambique, challenging the narrative that it is a sustainable 'miracle crop' for marginal lands. Through case studies and interviews, it finds that jatropha is typically grown on fertile land, displacing food crops and endangering food security for the 87% of Mozambicans who are subsistence farmers. The document highlights significant failures in industrial projects, including low yields, high pest vulnerability, and broken promises of community development. It also criticizes the Mozambican government for manipulating land laws to favor foreign investors, leading to land grabs and the marginalization of local communities.
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Document type: Report
Palm Oil Strategy Review Comments
The document critiques the World Bank Group's draft palm oil strategy, highlighting systemic failures in protecting indigenous land rights and biodiversity. It specifically warns against a 'loophole' regarding Financial Intermediaries (FIs) and Advisory Services, which the authors claim could be used to bypass environmental and social safeguards. The authors argue that investment should only occur after a strict sequencing of policy and regulatory capacity building, and they call for the continuation of the sector-wide moratorium on palm oil lending until these issues are resolved.
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Document type: Statement
Moving Away from Oil: Biofuels and Biobased Products
The author advocates for a shift away from oil in the United States by implementing carbon or petroleum taxes to reduce demand and replacing petroleum-based fuels and materials with sustainable alternatives. The text highlights the potential for biofuels in transportation and heating, as well as the use of biomass for industrial chemicals and building products, emphasizing that such a transition must be grounded in sustainability to protect ecosystems.
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Document type: Statement
Practical Guidance on the Use of Urine in Crop Production
The document outlines the nutrient composition, economic value, and safe application of human urine as a nitrogen-rich fertilizer. It details a multi-barrier approach to manage health risks, provides evidence from global field trials showing yields comparable to mineral fertilizers, and offers a framework for developing local guidelines and large-scale collection systems.
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Document type: Guide
A New Collaborative Era
The author, Dan Bena of PepsiCo, advocates for a 'new collaborative era' where blurred boundaries between public and private sectors enable more effective climate adaptation. The document identifies two primary opportunities for government intervention supported by private sector expertise: instituting systems for efficient natural resource use and creating financial vehicles to provide credit to underserved communities. To illustrate these points, the paper details PepsiCo's initiatives in India, including 'direct seeding' in paddy cultivation to reduce water use and the formation of potato farmer cooperatives to mitigate credit risk. It also describes a partnership in Mexico with FUNDAR to develop sustainable agribusinesses for corn farmers and a project in Ceará, Brazil, where the PepsiCo Foundation supports the Columbia Water Center in integrating climate forecasts into state water allocation decisions via COGERH.
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Document type: Research paper
Linking Farm-Level Measurement Systems to Environmental Sustainability Outcomes
The report analyzes the disconnect between farm-level 'means-based' indicators (which measure compliance with practices) and higher-scale 'impact' indicators (which measure ecosystem health). It argues that the current proliferation of uncoordinated metric initiatives leads to information overload and a lack of comparability. The authors advocate for a 'key impact approach'—focusing on a small set of strategic indicators—and the use of conceptual frameworks like DPSIR to bridge the gap between individual farm activities and landscape or national outcomes. Key recommendations include standardizing terminology, developing open data platforms, and adopting an evolutionary, stepwise approach to measurement.
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Document type: Report
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Canada
The report examines the integration of agricultural practices into Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) frameworks across Canada and internationally. It identifies the watershed as the appropriate planning unit and highlights the critical role of private agricultural landowners in achieving environmental sustainability. Through an inventory of provincial initiatives and global case studies, the document analyzes the social, economic, and technical drivers of success, emphasizing the need for multi-stakeholder collaboration, long-term monitoring, and financial incentives for beneficial management practices (BMPs). It concludes with recommendations for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) to coordinate federal efforts and increase support for watershed-scale agricultural sustainability.
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Document type: Report
Voluntary Sustainability Standards and Value Chain Governance
This research paper examines how voluntary sustainability standards (VSS) influence the distribution of decision-making power within global value chains for coffee, forestry, and fisheries. Using a participatory governance framework, the authors analyze six major standards organizations to determine if these initiatives empower marginalized producers or reinforce existing power asymmetries.
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Document type: Research paper
Living With Climate Change: How Prairie Farmers Deal with Increasing Weather Variability
The report examines agricultural resilience in Saskatchewan's northern and southern study areas, identifying early frost and drought as primary weather stressors. It finds that while most farmers rely on government insurance and 'taking the loss,' innovative 'leading farmers' build resilience through crop diversification, specialty crops, direct marketing, and zero-till farming. The study also evaluates the effectiveness of government programs, noting that while crop insurance is essential, programs like CAIS are viewed as overly complex and ineffective.
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Document type: Report
Manitoba Adaptation Day: Understanding Manitoba-focused adaptation activities, research and capacity
The report details a workshop held on March 26, 2009, which brought together academics, policy-makers, and researchers to assess Manitoba's readiness for climate change. It identifies key climate risks for the Prairie region, such as water scarcity and ecosystem shifts, and outlines existing provincial activities like the 'Beyond Kyoto' action plan and various sustainable agriculture and water management projects. Participants highlighted significant barriers to adaptation, including short-term policy thinking, a lack of community-level capacity, and the absence of an overarching provincial adaptation strategy. The document proposes the creation of a Manitoba Climate Research Table to coordinate efforts and break down institutional silos, and discusses the Regional Adaptation Collaborative (RAC) program funded by Natural Resources Canada to address water issues in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba.
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Document type: Report
全球棉纺织产品链 中国的机遇与挑战:一个全球商品链环境分析
This report analyzes the environmental and social impacts of the global cotton textile product chain, focusing on China's role as a major producer, importer, and exporter. It evaluates the trade-offs between economic growth and environmental degradation, proposing a transition toward sustainable cotton production and the internalization of environmental costs to maintain long-term competitiveness.
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Document type: Report