Opinion

How pastoral farming can help to avoid a biodiversity crisis

The world is losing its biodiversity. An estimated 41,000 animal species are now threatened with extinction. World leaders will convene at the UN COP15 biodiversity conference in Montreal this month to discuss ways of reversing this decline. Participants are expected to adopt a global...

Ian Scoones

The politics of religion in Zimbabwe: land, agriculture and citizenship

Religion and politics have always had a close relationship. The early European missionaries provided a platform for the establishment of the colonial state and a modernising vision, while today the Pentecostal denominations along with the prophets from indigenous African churches are influential...

Ian Scoones

How biodiversity conservation schemes can harm the environment

Land loss for livestock production is increasingly seen as a major contributor to climate change and nature loss. While cutting down rich forests to grow livestock feed for industrial livestock is certainly harmful, misunderstandings about rangelands and pastoral interactions with their...

Ian Scoones

Evidence and learning into action: The impact of K4D

Over the past six years, the Knowledge, Evidence and Learning for Development (K4D) Programme has been providing evidence and learning support to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), other government departments and partners. Since the programme ended in September 2022, there...

Annabel Fenton

Beyond western epistemologies around humanitarian protection and gender-based violence

On the 25 November, the annual international campaign of 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence has begun. The UK is also hosting the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) conference where it will look at how to strengthen the global response to Conflict-Related...

Jeremy Allouche

Tina Nelis

Understanding interacting urban risks in Nairobi and Karachi

An elderly woman living in a low-income neighbourhood located along one of Karachi’s key drainage channels died when the roof of her house collapsed in July 2022. A landslide triggered by unprecedented monsoon rainfall was initially blamed. But her house was partially demolished in 2021 when...

Nausheen H Anwar & 3 others

Religion, agriculture and market dynamics in Zimbabwe

The last blog offered a brief overview of different churches across our study sites. This second blog in this series focuses on their role in agriculture and markets, and more broadly rural livelihoods. Given their different histories, forms of organisation, finance and religious beliefs...

Ian Scoones

Enhancing biodiversity through livestock keeping

Touted as a ‘make or break’ conference, the United Nations’ COP15 Biodiversity Conference next month aims to agree on ways to halt and reverse catastrophic nature loss. Following the failure to meet the Aichi targets, the conference will adopt a new Global Biodiversity Framework to stop...

Ian Scoones

Radical school spaces for climate action

‘Visual echoes’ of uncertainty: exploring bottom-up perspectives on climate preparedness in Gujarat

Worldwide, climate change and complex anthropogenic factors have resulted in erratic weather patterns, leading to significant challenges and loss and damage for vulnerable communities on the frontline. In particular, the increasing incidence of extreme weather events (heatwaves, floods and...

Shibaji Bose & 3 others

Reliable, rapid evidence and learning in development: Lessons from 6 years of K4D

The current global context is defined by crises, uncertainty, and complexity. Policymakers and practitioners are faced with emerging epidemics, climate change, and multiple conflicts. Decisions must be made quickly and be informed by reliable evidence and learning. Achieving the Sustainable...

Annabel Fenton

Bringing embodiment into work with girls

Considering embodiment in work with girls can help us to understand the effects of gendered oppression, as well as the potential of approaches that aim to tackle it.