It is widely known that ecological and socioeconomic functions of the land are the basis for social and economic well-being. Despite this fact, land is still a relatively neglected natural resource, which can be concluded by analyzing the pressures on the land and the lack of systematic monitoring, which involves considering the situation and defining the program for its protection.

A combined agronomic and geographic approach has helped to explain forest agrosystem spatio-temporal dynamics in the forest regions of Guinea. The important expansion of cropping systems associating various perennial crops (coffee, kola, cocoa, fruit trees) and native spontaneous forest species – called “agroforests”- has been observed in 3 villages of the Kobela area. This spatial dynamic can be considered as the renewing of an ecosystem dominated in the past by forest.

One of the goals of a sustainable environment adopted in the United Nations General Assembly resolution (September 25, 2015) was «to restore degraded lands and strive to achieve a world neutral to land degradation». The problem was identified at the international and European level, but it is also a very pressing problem in Latvia. With regard to the risks of land degradation and their prevention in Latvia, the Law «On Land Management» came into force on January 1, 2015.

Land-use conflicts reveal the contemporary evolution of rural areas, and specifically the rise of the rural living environment and its confrontation with the other functions of the countryside (productive, recreational and natural protection). Local public authorities implement regulations to organize common environmental resources use without conflicts. But local public choice can not satisfy everyone, leading to a lack of unanimity. Local public intervention inevitably creates a losing side and it is difficult for them to escape the environmental damage by leaving.

This report provides guidance for development finance institutions and investors seeking to understand and manage environmental and social issues responsibly at different stages of the value chain. It provides

• information on ways investors can expand the scope of due diligence to further improve E&S risk management and drive value through supply chains,

• initial and practical information about the links between upstream and downstream actors in the value chain, including primary producers and project-affected communities, and

This guide provides information on how to engage in consultation following the FPIC principles with Indigenous Peoples and local communities before undertaking forestry management activities on the lands they legally or customarily own and/or use. It

• encourages and supports discussion among stakeholders, Indigenous Peoples, and FSC on the recognition of the right to FPIC, and

• provides a framework for the development of generally acceptable guidelines for companies seeking FPIC.

This guide offers a three-point framework for companies seeking to integrate FPIC principles into their policies and apply them in the operations. This includes

• complying with the requirements for FPIC under international and national law,

• implementing FPIC principles throughout the project life-cycle, and

• extending FPIC processes to all project-affected communities in line with good practice guidance. It also seeks to

• articulate the relevance of FPIC to company policy and practice, and

This Guide describes how human rights should be integrated into environmental, social and health impact assessments (ESHIAs). It provides an introduction to human rights and their relevance to the activities of the oil and gas industry, and briefly describes why it is important for the oil and gas industry to consider the impact that its projects and activities have on human rights.

This guide provides information for companies in the mining, oil and gas sector - and their consultants - on how to undertake a gender impact assessment to gain and maintain a “social licence to operate” with impacted communities and avoid conflict and costly shut-downs. It

• describes some important principles and approaches that should underpin a gender impact assessment,

• provides a framework for companies to identify, understand and respond to the gender impacts of an extractive industry project, and

• outlines some key concepts, definitions and case studies.

This guidance is primarily directed at Rainforest Alliance auditors and farm or group administrator representatives that follow the Rainforest Alliance criteria. It can also be used more broadly by companies who aim to follow the FPIC principles in their operations. It describes

• the cases where an FPIC process is required; and

• the steps required in the FPIC process, in cases where an FPIC process is necessary.

This note is part of an Action Notes series and provides guidance for governments and companies on how to monitor the performance and impact of agricultural investments, and on which aspects to observe.