Markku Kanninen | University of Helsinki (original) (raw)

Papers by Markku Kanninen

Climate variability and change significantly affect smallholder farmers' food security and liveli... more Climate variability and change significantly affect smallholder farmers' food security and livelihoods in sub-Saharan Africa. Tree planting is one of the measures promoted by development programs to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Tree planting is also believed to positively contribute to livelihoods. This paper examines factors influencing smallholders' tree planting activities in four villages in the Ziro province, Southern Burkina Faso. Furthermore, it analyses the challenges encountered and willingness to continue tree planting under current tenure arrangements. The data was obtained through key informants, household interviews, focus group discussions, and field observations. Results indicate that the majority of farmers interviewed planted Mangifera indica (50%), Anacardium occidentale (32%) and Moringa oleifera (30%). In a number of trees planted, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Mangifera indica and Anacardium occidentale dominated. Tree planters were mainly farmers who held large and old farm areas, were literate and relatively wealthy, had favorable attitudes toward tree planting, and with considerable years of participation in a farmers' group. The main reasons for planting trees included income generation from the sale of tree products, access to markets and local support for tree planting. Preference for agriculture, tenure insecurity and lack of sufficient land were the main reasons cited for not planting trees. Farm households that were relatively poor, had

Sustainability, 2019

Smallholder farming is considered one of the most vulnerable sectors to the impacts of climate ch... more Smallholder farming is considered one of the most vulnerable sectors to the impacts of climate change, variability, and extremes, especially in the developing world. This high vulnerability is due to the socioeconomic limitations and high environmental sensitivity which affect the biophysical and socioeconomic components of their farming systems. Therefore, systems’ functionality and farmers’ livelihoods will also be affected, with significant implications for global food security, land-use/land-cover change processes and agrobiodiversity conservation. Thus, less vulnerable and more resilient smallholder farming systems constitute an important requisite for sustainable land management and to safeguard the livelihoods of millions of rural and urban households. This study compares a comprehensive socioeconomic and environmental dataset collected in 2015–2016 based on household interviews of 30 farmers of highland agroforestry systems and 30 farmers of conventional agriculture systems,...

Land, 2018

Smallholder farming constitutes an important but marginalized sector, responsible for most of the... more Smallholder farming constitutes an important but marginalized sector, responsible for most of the world's agricultural production. This has a significant influence in the land use/cover change process and agrobiodiversity conservation, especially in mountainous regions of the developing world. Thus, the maintenance of sustainable smallholder farming systems represents a key condition for sustainable land management and to safeguard the livelihoods of millions of rural households. This study uses a combination of biophysical and socioeconomic data based on household interviews to compare 30 highland agroforestry systems and 30 conventional agriculture systems, to determine which system provides better conditions to support sustainable livelihoods for smallholder farmers. The interview data is based mainly on the perceptions of Kayambi indigenous farmers who use these farming systems to support their livelihoods. Independent-Samples t Test and descriptive statistics were applied to analyse the data from 60 farms. The results indicate that agroforestry systems contain greater agrobiodiversity; more diversified livelihoods; better land tenure security and household income; more diversified irrigation sources and less dependency on rainfall than conventional systems. These findings highlight the role of agroforestry systems in supporting sustainable livelihoods of smallholder farmers in mountainous areas.

Nature Climate Change, 2017

Main text Slowing the reduction, or increasing the accumulation, of organic carbon stored in biom... more Main text Slowing the reduction, or increasing the accumulation, of organic carbon stored in biomass and soils has been suggested as a potentially rapid and cost-effective method to reduce the rate of atmospheric carbon increase 1. The costs of mitigating climate change by increasing ecosystem carbon relative to the baseline or business-as-usual scenario has been quantified in numerous studies, but results have been contradictory, with both methodological issues and substance differences causing variability 2. Here we show, based on 77 standardised face-to-face interviews of local experts with best possible knowledge on local land-use economics and socio-political context in ten landscapes around the globe, that the estimated cost of increasing ecosystem carbon varied vastly and was perceived to be 16-27 times cheaper in two Indonesian landscapes compared to the average of the eight other landscapes. Hence, if REDD+ and other land-use mitigation efforts were to be distributed evenly across forested countries, e.g. for the sake of international equity, their overall effectiveness would be dramatically lower than for a cost-minimising distribution. Changes in agriculture, forestry and other land uses are considered central in the mitigation pathways envisioned by the IPCC 6. Because deforestation 'business as usual' tends to benefit forestland holders and often even forested countries 3 , a system of compensated deforestation reduction between poor forested and rich countries has been developed 4. Hundreds of projects aimed at reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) and other forest carbon initiatives with similar objectives have been launched 5. Their combined impact on the global carbon cycle has so far remained modest 6 , but this may change thanks to the signing of the Paris Agreement in early 2016 (7). Information on the costs of mitigating climate change is valuable to avoid spending in landscapes with high cost-effectiveness ratios. Forest-based mitigation cost curves have been estimated, from the local to global scale, using household-level field surveys 8 , contracts allocated by inversed auctions 9 , census-based municipal-level data 10 and global simulation models based on national census data 11. For example a recent pantropical household survey across 17 different sites finds the time-discounted value of costs per Mg of carbon to vary by more than two orders of magnitude

Journal of Sustainable Development, 2017

The BIODEV capacity development programme (BCDP) uses forestry, agroforestry and trees to derive ... more The BIODEV capacity development programme (BCDP) uses forestry, agroforestry and trees to derive a broad range of development and environmental outcomes (high-value biocarbon) while strengthening the capacities of local and national institutions to be able to sustain the benefits. The BCDP conducted 40 long and short-term training activities in Burkina Faso, Guinea, Mali and Sierra Leone across the following categories: (i) Short-term in-country trainings and regional training e.g. support to UNFCCC negotiators running from 2-4 and 6-8 days and implemented using the Harvard Case and the Socratic Learning Methods; (ii) Short-term training abroad for three weeks on Managing Sustainable Forest Landscapes, and (iii) Long-term training abroad e.g. PhD study on forest governance and climate change. The success of BCDP is largely influenced by (i) the effectiveness of coordination and planning amongst trainers; (ii) the content, format, depth, focus and duration of the training vis-a-vis t...

Journal of ethnopharmacology, Jan 4, 2018

Terminalia laxiflora Engl. & Diels, (Sudanese Arabic name: Darout الدروت) and Terminalia brownii ... more Terminalia laxiflora Engl. & Diels, (Sudanese Arabic name: Darout الدروت) and Terminalia brownii Fresen (Sudanese Arabic name: Alshaf ألشاف) (Combretaceae) are used in Sudanese traditional folk medicine and in other African countries for treatment of infectious diseases, TB and its symptoms, such as cough, bronchitis and chest pain. Because of the frequent use of T. laxiflora and T. brownii in African traditional medicine and due to the absence of studies regarding their antimycobacterial potential there was a need to screen extracts of T. laxiflora and T. brownii for their growth inhibitory potential and to study the chemical composition and compounds in growth inhibitory extracts. The plant species were collected in Sudan (Blue Nile Forest, Ed Damazin Forestry areas) and selected according to their uses in traditional medicine for the treatment of bacterial infections, including TB. Eighty extracts and fractions of the stem bark, stem wood, roots, leaves and fruits of T. laxiflora...

Antibiotics (Basel, Switzerland), Jan 13, 2017

Decoctions and macerations of the stem bark and wood of Terminalia brownii Fresen. are used in tr... more Decoctions and macerations of the stem bark and wood of Terminalia brownii Fresen. are used in traditional medicine for fungal infections and as fungicides on field crops and in traditional granaries in Sudan. In addition, T. brownii water extracts are commonly used as sprays for protecting wooden houses and furniture. Therefore, using agar disc diffusion and macrodilution methods, eight extracts of various polarities from the stem wood and bark were screened for their growth-inhibitory effects against filamentous fungi commonly causing fruit, vegetable, grain and wood decay, as well as infections in the immunocompromised host. Ethyl acetate extracts of the stem wood and bark gave the best antifungal activities, with MIC values of 250 µg/mL against Nattrassia mangiferae and Fusarium verticillioides, and 500 µg/mL against Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus. Aqueous extracts gave almost as potent effects as the ethyl acetate extracts against the Aspergillus and Fusarium strains,...

Journal of Hydrology, 2017

Identifying mismatches between institutional perceptions of water-related risk drivers and water ... more Identifying mismatches between institutional perceptions of water-related risk drivers and water management strategies in three river basin areas,

Silva Fennica, 2017

(2017). Back to forests in pre-Saharan Morocco? When prickly pear cultivation and traditional agr... more (2017). Back to forests in pre-Saharan Morocco? When prickly pear cultivation and traditional agropastoralism reduction promote argan tree regeneration.

Land, 2016

The poverty and environmental degradation vicious circle hypothesis considers the poor as agents ... more The poverty and environmental degradation vicious circle hypothesis considers the poor as agents and victims of environmentally degrading activities. Despite some studies, however, there still has not been a sufficient empirical examination of the poverty-environment nexus. Based on participatory poverty assessment (PPA) methods with two hundred farm households categorized by wealth status in southern Burkina Faso, six indicators of environmental degradation and a set of land management practices were examined to answer the following questions: (i) Which households (non-poor, fairly-poor, or poorest) are responsible for environmental degradation? (ii) Does poverty constrain adoption of land management practices considered to improve the land? Results indicate deforestation is highest for non-poor farmers, and non-poor and fairly-poor farmers have higher rates of overgrazing. In addition, the entire non-poor group, mainly recent migrants to the area, occupy borrowed lands with tenure perceived as insecure, considered by farmers to be a disincentive for assisted natural regeneration of vegetation. Thus, non-poor and fairly-poor farmers participate most in activities locally identified as environmentally degrading, and the former contribute more than the latter. On the other hand, adoption of land management practices considered to improve the land is relatively low amongst the poorest farmers.

Sustainability, 2016

Biophysical restoration or rehabilitation measures of land have demonstrated to be effective in m... more Biophysical restoration or rehabilitation measures of land have demonstrated to be effective in many scientific projects and small-scale environmental experiments. However circumstances such as poverty, weak policies, or inefficient scientific knowledge transmission can hinder the effective upscaling of land restoration and the long term maintenance of proven sustainable use of soil and water. This may be especially worrisome in lands with harsh environmental conditions. This review covers recent efforts in landscape restoration and rehabilitation with a functional perspective aiming to simultaneously achieve ecosystem sustainability, economic efficiency, and social wellbeing. Water management and rehabilitation of ecosystem services in croplands, rangelands, forests, and coastlands are reviewed. The joint analysis of such diverse ecosystems provides a wide perspective to determine: (i) multifaceted impacts on biophysical and socioeconomic factors; and (ii) elements influencing effective upscaling of sustainable land management practices. One conclusion can be highlighted:

Forests, 2016

There is growing interest in designing and implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation ... more There is growing interest in designing and implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation (M + A) in synergy in the forest and land use sectors. However, there is limited knowledge on how the planning and promotion of synergies between M + A can be operationalized in the current efforts to mitigate climate change through forest carbon. This paper contributes to fill this knowledge gap by exploring ways of planning and promoting M + A synergy outcomes in forest carbon initiatives. It examines eight guidelines that are widely used in designing and implementing forest carbon initiatives. Four guiding principles with a number of criteria that are relevant for planning synergy outcomes in forest carbon activities are proposed. The guidelines for developing forest carbon initiatives need to demonstrate that (1) the health of forest ecosystems is maintained or enhanced; (2) the adaptive capacity of forest-dependent communities is ensured; (3) carbon and adaptation benefits are monitored and verified; and (4) adaptation outcomes are anticipated and planned in forest carbon initiatives. The forest carbon project development guidelines can encourage the integration of adaptation in forest carbon initiatives. However, their current efforts guiding projects and programs to deliver biodiversity and environmental benefits, ecosystem services, and socioeconomic benefits are not considered explicitly as efforts towards enhancing adaptation. An approach for incentivizing and motivating project developers, guideline setters, and offset buyers is imperative in order to enable existing guidelines to make clear contributions to adaptation goals. We highlight and discuss potential ways of incentivizing and motivating the explicit planning and promotion of adaptation outcomes in forest carbon initiatives.

Forest Policy and Economics, 2015

Deforestation in Burkina Faso is estimated to be between 0.91–1.03% per annum and displacement by... more Deforestation in Burkina Faso is estimated to be between 0.91–1.03% per annum and displacement by croplands or rangeland expansion is identified as its main drivers. The climate and geography of the country causes its north and central regions to be exposed to drought and desertification, which act as stimuli for rural migration to southern Burkina Faso which lies in the South-Sudanian climatic zone. This zone has better conditions to support rain-fed agricultural production, wood energy supply and fodder for livestock but it also experiences the highest rate of deforestation in the country. This study analyses the drivers of deforestation in Ziro province of Southern Burkina Faso. For data collection and analysis, the area of forest cleared annually was used as the dependent variable, whereas household characteristics and local institutions (tenure and property rights) were considered independent variables. Data were collected through focus group discussions (FGD), participant observation, interviews with key informants and from 200 farm households. Tobit regression results reveal that land tenure insecurity and low agricultural production expressed in the sizes (areas) and ages of farms led to increased deforestation. In addition, the significance of tenure insecurity as a driver of deforestation indicated that migrants contributed more to deforestation than the indigenous groups. Greater rights and improved legal status might reduce the rights to limited use granted to migrants. Furthermore, supports from government to increase local community's capacity to monitor protected forests are likely to reduce field expansion.

• This infobrief provides an early snapshot of 17 REDD+ pilots under development in Indonesia in ... more • This infobrief provides an early snapshot of 17 REDD+ pilots under development in Indonesia in mid 2009. • There is great variety in and experimentation by the proponents of REDD+ pilots.

Vulnerability to natural disasters has increased tremendously during the past 25 years and their ... more Vulnerability to natural disasters has increased tremendously during the past 25 years and their effects disproportionately affect poor people. Natural disasters, such as storms, especially tropical cyclones, floods, droughts, forest fires, and landslides, affect the poor more severely because they are often forced to live in areas that are more susceptible to natural hazards. With few alternatives within their reach, the poor often make their living on steep hillsides, or lowlying riparian and coastal areas that are exposed to landslides, mudslides, floods and tidal waves. An increasing number of these fragile sites are facing rapid environmental degradation including erosion, reduced soil fertility, declining quality and availability of freshwater, increase in pests and diseases, and loss of biodiversity. Poor people generally do not have the savings or access to credit to mitigate these risks, and even fewer assets to rely on in such hard times. Climatic variables are increasingly considered as a determinant factor in the development process. It is now well recognised that many developing countries, particularly in the tropics, are more exposed to extreme events and that they are likely to be more vulnerable than countries in other regions. This is especial relevant for poor households living in these countries because, in general, their livelihoods count with a much lower adaptation capacity. Current changes in the climatic system tend to increase the vulnerability of livelihoods in two main ways: First, due to the fact that many of such livelihoods are exposed to more frequent and intense extreme events causing increasingly negative impacts. The second reason is related to the long-term impacts of changes in temperature and rain patterns. Some potential impacts are loss of land as a consequence of sea rise, loss of arable land due to extended drought periods, loss of food or other basic goods and in general an important reduction of the production basis of the poor. Understanding the interrelations between changes in the climatic system and development is therefore crucial for increasing adaptation capacity at the local level. This represents a challenge for scientists as for policy makers and those engaged in development cooperation. In recognition of the need to establish a bridge between science, policy making and development cooperation, the Swiss Foundation for Development and International Cooperation (Intercooperation), the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), and the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher vi | Foreword Education Center (CATIE), with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC), organized in March 2004 in Turrialba, Costa Rica an international workshop on "Adaptation to Climate Change, Sustainable Livelihoods and Biological Diversity". The book we present here encompasses the discussions and conclusions made in the workshop and presents in addition some specific inputs from science and policy-making on the subject matter. As one of the initial efforts in linking climate change, sustainable livelihoods and biological diversity, the book opens up challenges to scientists and practitioners to commonly assess the needs of poor livelihoods to successfully cope with climate change and to bridge the gap for a meaningful implementation of lessons learned at the level of the field. It is hoped that the book can make a significant contribution towards a better understanding of the future challenges in development cooperation to help adapting poor households to the hazards of climate change.

Brief CIFOR memberi informasi mengenai topik terkini di bidang penelitian kehutanan secara ringka... more Brief CIFOR memberi informasi mengenai topik terkini di bidang penelitian kehutanan secara ringkas, akurat, dan telah melalui proses pencermatan oleh mitra bestari.