CCI Conservation Seminar - Matthew Spencer, in conversation with Rachael Garrett and Joss Lyons-White.
Why are two thirds of tropical forests still standing? A discussion on what has worked in forest protection.
What has been most important in protecting the two-thirds of tropical forests that remain standing? Factors like political will, macroeconomic conditions, and governance and accountability are challenging to assess using existing statistical methods. To address this gap, we conducted a Delphi study with 36 experts to identify what factors they thought contributed to forest protection in the Brazilian Amazon and Indonesia. Our results unpacked the complex dynamics affecting forest protection in both regions and highlighted the importance of political will, advocacy by civil society, and intergovernmental diplomacy. However, while our analysis in Brazil emphasised the central importance of the state, our findings in Indonesia revealed a complex and evolving mix of public, private and civil society factors. In this seminar, we will host a discussion to explore the implications of our findings and bring in experience and interviews from other forest-rich countries to try to understand what has worked in forest protection.
Matthew Spencer - 2023 CCI Turner Fellow and Global Director Landscapes at IDH
With a career spanning three decades, Matthew has an impressive record in brokering sustainable land use strategies between international commodity businesses, small farmers and government agencies in 22 landscapes across Asia, Africa and Latin America. He has held numerous leadership roles with Oxfam and Green Alliance and was a member of the UK Governments Renewable Advisory Board.
With support of the Turner Kirk Trust, CCI established the Turner Fellows Programme to engage influential individuals, with expertise in diverse fields such as economics, law, finance and public policy, to address complex conservation challenges and drive sustainable change.
Prof. Rachael Garrett - Moran Professor of Conservation and Development, Department of Geography, and Director of the Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge.
Rachael leads the Conservation and Development Lab at the University of Cambridge. Her research, including an ERC Starting Grant, examines the drivers and impacts of land change, primarily in forest landscapes, the effectiveness and equity of forest conservation and sustainable agriculture policies and practices, and opportunities to transform land systems through systemic changes in regional economies. Her research focuses on Brazil, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and Indonesia. Rachael works closely with farmers and national agriculture and forestry agencies in all of these regions. She grew up in the US and has held positions at Harvard University, Boston University and ETH Zürich. She is a Fellow of Homerton College and Co-chair of the Global Land Program Science Steering Committee.
Dr Joss Lyons-White - Postdoctoral Researcher in the Conservation and Development Group, University of Cambridge.
Joss is a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Conservation and Development Lab at the University of Cambridge. His research examines policies to improve the effectiveness and fairness of forest conservation, with a focus on commodities including cocoa and palm oil. Joss is currently leading a pan-tropical analysis of the conditions under which companies’ commitments to achieve “zero deforestation” can be implemented effectively and equitably. He is also leading a randomized controlled trial of a training program to reduce deforestation while improving the livelihoods of palm oil farmers in Indonesia. Joss has conducted fieldwork in Gabon, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, and Ghana. He grew up in the UK and completed his Master’s and PhD in Conservation Science at Imperial College London.
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Are you an early career conservationist?
Join us for lunch (1.00pm - 2.00pm in the Common Room) after the upcoming CCI Conservation Seminar sessions!
20th November | Matthew Spencer/Rachael Garrett - Panel discussion Why are two thirds of tropical forests still standing? A discussion on what has worked in forest protection.
27th November | Dr John Payne - Bring Back our Animals: A fifty-year brief analysis of nature conservation in Malaysia and pointers for future approaches.
We invite you to gather with fellow conservationists for a sandwich lunch following each seminar, where you can discuss the topics presented and network with peers in the field.
Please remember that signing up for lunch is required. Please fill out this form with your details and any dietary requirements.
We look forward to seeing you there!