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Sustainable Development Update Issue 3, Volume 3, June/July 2003 The Sustainable Development Update (SDU) focuses on the links between ecology, society and the economy. It is produced by Albaeco, an independent non-profit organisation. SDU is produced with support from Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Environment Policy Division. Dr. Fredrik Moberg, Editor If you want to download the newsletter as PDF click here 
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| Editorial | ||||||
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Renaissance for island thinking The photographs of Earth taken by the Apollo astronauts thirty-four years ago are often said to have given humankind a new perspective on Earth - as an island of life floating in space. Just as an island the Earth has only so much space and so many resources that must be well managed if the island is to be self-sustained. I read in a book that the first modern nature conservation efforts were initiated on islands in the Caribbean in the 17th century as a response to the effects of deforestation and grazing leading to soil erosion. On the continents people could just move on if local resources were depleted. This was not possible on islands. The limited size forced people into long-time responsibility. With today's globalisation of trade and travelling it is not as representative to compare Earth to an island. Nowadays, Islands are seldom self-sufficient in this sense and many import a lot of resources and export a lot of waste. But as far as we know, there is still a lack of inhabitable planets - and the one we have access to still seems to function as an old-fashioned island, with limited resources. There are, however, contrarians claiming that there are no limits to growth, that these limits are indefinitely adjustable by technology and human cleverness. The truth is we can't know for sure, but there are huge things at stake. "One planet, one experiment," as a famous ecologist once put it. Globalisation also implies that no man is an island - we are part of a global community. With Internet, travelling and global media coverage we can't avoid seeing the unfairness resulting from the fact that 20% of the inhabitants on island Earth consume 80% of the resources. A renaissance for the insights from islands gained already three hundred years ago, but on a global scale, could do wonders in promoting sustainable development. It's time for summer holiday in Sweden. Many go out in the archipelago. Time for island thinking. /Dr. Fredrik Moberg, Editor | ||||||
| SDU - Feature | ||||||
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Golden Rice revisited - magic bullet that will end malnutrition or just a golden hoax? Genetically engineered rice containing beta-carotene, a source of Vitamin-A, has caused heated debates among politicians, scientists and NGOs. For the proponents of biotechnology it is a striking example of how genetically modified (GM) crops can help to fight malnutrition in the world's poorest countries. Critics claim that research on Golden Rice is a waste of money, misjudging the problems of those who suffer. Moreover, the critics say that we know far too little about the many potential environmental risks of GM crops.  Worldwide, 250 million people suffer from Vitamin-A deficiency. In poor countries, half a million children go blind every year as they lack Vitamin-A in their diet. Even mild deficiency of this essential vitamin weakens the immune system and makes people more vulnerable to infectious disease and malaria. Although the problem is well known, the WHO failed to implement its plan to eradicate Vitamin-A deficiency by year 2000. In addition, scientists disagree about the best approach to tackle this serious health problem. Magic bullet for the poor? "Golden Rice" was produced by inserting two genes from daffodil and one gene from bacteria into a special rice variety. This new "transgenic" rice can produce beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A in the endosperm, the part of the rice grain that remains, even after it has been polished. Beta-carotene, also found in carrots and pumpkins, gives the rice a yellow or "golden" touch. Now a new generation of Golden Rice is underway which also contains higher levels of iron, vitamin E and high-quality proteins - an attempt to develop a magic bullet for several nutritional problems in poor countries. Still in the laboratory The Golden Rice - even its first generation that received enormous media attention a couple of years ago - has not been used outside the laboratory yet. The expected commercial release will not come about until 2005, more realistically in 2007 or later. Before that, Golden Rice has to go through thorough regulatory procedures and field tests. This has proven to be difficult as many countries are skeptical towards genetically modified staple crops. The Golden Rice project is led by Ingo Potrykus, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, and Peter Beyer, University of Freiburg. It has been funded by the prominent Rockefeller Foundation, whose mission is to support scientific research that specifically benefits the poor. Also the EU, Switzerland and the biotech corporation Syngenta invested in the development of golden rice, which should be made available to the world's poorest farmers at no cost. The deal is that farmers earning less than 10,000 dollar a year should obtain the seeds for free - without paying royalties to the inventors.  Cartoon from Etcgroup.org commenting the Golden Rice and the large quantities needed to prevent Vitamin-A deficiency. Backlash for the "golden hoax" A growing number of scientists, politicians and NGOs criticise the golden rice from a broad array of cultural, nutritional, economical and environmental points of view. Even the Rockefeller Foundation spokesman Gordon Conway reacted early and said that the public relations campaign had "gone too far" when Syngenta claimed that a single month of marketing delay would cause 50,000 children to go blind. Most intriguing is the critique about cultural habits. Before the Green Revolution, it was common to eat unpolished rice in poor countries. Unpolished rice, now having low status compared to white rice, contains significant levels of beta-carotene, proteins and important nutrients. So the problem could be solved if the poor accepted unpolished rice in their diet again. Transgenic rice would not be necessary and probably not be accepted either - as it is yellow, not white. From a nutritional point of view there are doubts whether Golden Rice really provides sufficient levels of Vitamin-A. Critics claim that enormous amounts of rice would need to be eaten to prevent Vitamin-A deficiency induced diseases. According to one calculation, a grown-up would have to eat 9 kg of cooked rice a day and a pregnant woman twice that amount. Hence, even Peter Beyer himself has said that Golden Rice would only be a partial solution to the vitamin-A problem. There are also other nutritional questions that wait for an answer: for example if the human body can handle vitamins from a transgenic crop or if Golden Rice maintains its beta-carotene content when stored for longer periods. Socio-economic research indicates that there are cheaper ways to combat vitamin deficiencies, such as a combination of food fortification, food supplements and improvements of diets. Experience shows that sometimes poor people just need to be encouraged to eat more Vitamin-A rich fish, vegetables, fruits and crops (e.g. sweet potato, mango, dark green leafy vegetables), thus it is also a matter of nutritional know-how. In the light of the high costs of GM crop development, such suggestions gain convincing power. There are also quite a number of ecological risks from the spread of GM crops into the natural environment. These include the escape of herbicide tolerant genes into weeds that become "super- weeds," the loss of beneficial insects, and erosion of biodiversity. For the Golden Rice, large-scale field tests have not started yet and a number of ecologists claim that we know far too little about the secondary effects of GM crops on ecosystems. Discussion paper from Sida The promotion of GM crops to alleviate hunger and malnutrition has also been addressed in a discussion paper from Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency. If the new technology boosts yields, it might be a good thing for the poor, says the paper. However, the introduction of GM crops must take many different ecological, economic and cultural factors into consideration. For instance, the benefits of the GM crops should be compared to those of alternative methods of agricultural intensification and increasing Vitamin A intake. Moreover, the poor must be allowed to share the benefits of their own genetic resources if gene technology companies in developed countries use them. There is also a risk that poor people will become too dependent on expensive high-tech seeds, and that varieties of crops adapted to local conditions will be out-competed. As a result, it is important to support capacity building, in particular focused on local knowledge about GM crops, in developing countries. The discussion paper also reflects on health issues such as new allergies and the risk that transgenic crops might require new pesticides. Summing up the available research results and the overall tenor of the debate, the future of the Golden Rice appears not all too promising. Hugh Warwick from Splice Magazine put it quite nicely: "If it were not for the vast array of alternatives on offer, the arguments for the GM approach might be genuinely compelling". /Bernhard Huber and Fredrik Moberg
Sources: van Wijk J. 2002. Food insecurity: Prevalence, causes, and the potential of transgenic `Golden Rice'. Phytochemistry Reviews, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 141-151(11) Available at http://www.fbk.eur.nl/DPT/VG8/ARTICLES/jeroen2.pdf Robertson, R., Unnevehr, L., and Dawe, D. 2003. Golden rice: what role could it play in alleviation of vitamin A deficiency? Available at: http://www.agbioworld.org/biotech_info/ articles/interviews/goldenrice.html Can genetically modified crops contribute to alleviating hunger in the world? A discussion paper from the Life Group at Sida. Email to info@sida.se if you want a copy. More at: http://www.nature.com/cgitaf/DynaPage.taf?file=/nature/journal/v410/n6828/full/410503a0_r.html http://www.grain.org/publications/delusion-en.cfm http://www.who.int/nut/vad.htm | ||||||
| Sustainability School | ||||||
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Hydrosolidarity is an ethical concept developed by the Stockholm International Water Institute. It is based on the realisation that wise water use and governance is central to alleviate poverty, hunger and lack of access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Hydrosolidarity provides guidelines for problem solving in a river basin, where water resource has to be shared. It provides recommendations that can be used as a base for stakeholder discussions, interactions and conflict reconciliation. Hydrosolidarity is the opposite of "hydroegoism", the fragmented and sectoral approach to water management, where the strongest lobbyists tend to win. Human activities and ecosystems depend on the same water, so trade-offs are inevitable between activities upstream and downstream. Upstream consumption by water dependent human needs must be balanced with aquatic ecosystems and other water dependent human needs downstream. In addition, upstream pollution loads affect ecosystems and people downstream. Also, balancing is needed between different sectors, such as between water for city supply and water for irrigation. Hydrosolidarity has grown to be an internationally accepted concept. It has been central in the discussions on a sequence of conferences in Stockholm as well as the World Summit in Johannesburg and the third World Water Forum in Tokyo. More at: http://www.siwi.org | ||||||
| In Brief | ||||||
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Vital Signs 2003: "Poverty, disease and environmental decline threaten global stability"
"The world's failure to reduce poverty levels is now contributing to global instability in the form of terrorism, war, and contagious disease," says Vital Signs Project Director Michael Renner in the press release. One of the vital signs looked at is the difference in per capita income between the 20 richest and 20 poorest nations. It has more than doubled between 1960-1995, despite the fact that the global economy has grown tremendously during the same period. Moreover, this inequity, together with dwindling natural resources and environmental degradation, is causing an increasing number of conflicts. In round numbers, one-quarter of the world's 50 wars and armed conflicts of recent years have partly been related to the control of natural resources. Most of these conflicts have occurred in countries where a poor majority has been marginalised and an economic elite has gained control over resources. Problems for the poor Another problem caused by poverty and environmental degradation is the about 50 million environmental refugees, driven from their homes by for example dam building, drought or flooding. Also, infectious diseases are spreading at an alarming rate in large part due to poverty and environmental problems. It kills twice as many people worldwide as cancer each year. Moreover, the world's poorest people are especially vulnerable to weather-related disasters due to land clearing, clear-cutting of forests, and climate change - even though weather related economic losses were highest in industrial countries. Last year, more than 150,000 people where displaced in Kenya due to flooding, more than 800,000 Chinese were affected by the most severe drought in over a century. In the long list of negative vital signs there are also a few positive ones. For example: wind power use has tripled since 1998 and is now the world's fastest-growing power source. Rapid growth is projected in China and India, two countries with high population growth and increasing need of electric power. More at: http://www.worldwatch.org/ http://ens-news.com/ens/may2003/2003-05-22-10.asp "Environmental economics can give the poor cleaner air and more sustainable use of natural resources" A recent Sida publication evaluates the economic "toolkit" available for dealing with natural resources depletion and environmental degradation. It suggests that available economic instruments like taxes, tradable permits, and labelling can indeed solve the environmental problems that the poor face. These instruments are, however, rarely used adequately. The recent publication from Sida, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, discusses economic policy instruments and describes how they can be used to avoid natural resource depletion and solve environmental problems. The booklet focuses on developing and transitional countries and suggests a more widespread and careful use of economic policy instruments. It is a good overview of the linkages between environmental issues and social and economic issues and is far from being an academic exercise. Rather, it translates economic theory to practitioners and concentrates on what policymakers and resource managers need to know in the real world. For many environmental problems the individuals and corporations polluting do not have to bare the costs. It can be asthma and bronchitis due to air pollution or the costs of climate-induced sea-level rise - costs that do seldom appear in the price of gasoline or on people's electricity bills. Taxes, permits or other policies can internalise these costs so the real polluters have to pay the costs they inflict on others. A sustainable economy The publication is an independent summary of a book by Thomas Sterner, Policy Instruments for Environmental and Natural Resource Management (RFF Press, November 2002). It presents a number of practical examples in areas such as road transportation, industrial pollution and the management of natural resources and ecosystems. In short, Sterner argues that the environment can become everybody's business; that it is possible to achieve a sustainable economy. Although there are many who doubt that conventional economic theory can ever solve the environmental problems we face today, Sterner argues convincingly that available instruments can indeed do that if they are used adequately. Moreover, it is important to realise that ecosystems are extremely complex meaning that we can never predict exactly how a certain policy will influence them. Hence, Sterner concludes that policies must be flexible and continuously evaluated and adapted, "a process that needs input from both theory and experience". When it comes to biodiversity, policies must also be guided by the precautionary principle, Sterner says. More at: http://www.rffpress.org/rff/rff_press/bookdetail.cfm?outputID=3193 Scenario planning: how the business approach to uncertain futures can be used for wise environmental decisions We live in a world of changes. How do we advise our children when we can't know what sort of society they will live in? Similar questions arise when managers and scientists deal with environmental change and strategies to cope with it. A good strategy to adopt is one that plays out well across several possible futures. It's called Scenario planning.
Strategies for a range of possible futures To tackle such problems, ecologists have started to learn from the business community and the use of a process called Scenario planning. It was developed by companies that have to make expensive long-term decisions in uncertain situations. Contrasting scenarios are envisioned to identify strategies that can be successful across a range of possible futures. Hence, every scenario is a depiction of a possible future, not a prophecy. Another strategy being used in order to prepare for change and uncertainty in ecosystem management is to concentrate on ecosystems' resilience - their capacity to cope with environmental change and disturbances. That is, instead of focusing on maximum current gain from ecosystems a bet-hedging approach is adopted where ecosystems are managed to sustain variation and diversity. In this context, a high biodiversity provides insurance and spreads risks so that the capacity of ecosystems to produce desired goods and services can be maintained even if environmental conditions change. Scenario planning for sustainable development Now, scenario planning is being used in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), the largest study ever done on the linkages between ecosystem health and human well-being. The MA seeks to improve the management and understanding of the world's ecosystems by providing policy-relevant scientific information on the condition of ecosystems, the social and economic consequences of ecosystem change, and potential approaches to ecological management. The third Global Environmental Outlook (GEO3) from UNEP is another large sustainable development project using scenario planning. The GEO3 scenarios were developed from a collection of sustainability scenarios developed by the Global Scenarios Group at the Stockholm Environmental Institute (SEI). These scenarios are described in detail in the book Great Transition: The Promise and Lure of the Times Ahead (2002), which we reported about in SDU4/2002. More at: A great collection of articles and links to websites on scenario planning can be found at: http://limnology.wisc.edu/peterson/scenarios.html Loma Alta, Ecuador: Co-operation saved the forest and water supply The first community forest reserve in Ecuador is a good example of how local communities, researchers and NGO's can co-operate to conserve important ecological functions. Local decision-makers were convinced to create the reserve when watching a video about the highland forest's role in capturing fog and providing water to farmers in the dry lowlands. In Loma Alta the highland cloud forests were degrading due to conflicts between forest farmers and woodcutters. Meanwhile, lack of water in low land agriculture was a constant problem for the 2000 inhabitants in the community. Few knew that these two problems were connected. Loma Alta is a community in the western parts of Ecuador where the community owns about 7000 hectares of mountainous land in the coastal desert. In the early 1990s, researchers from International Forestry Resources and Institutions (IFRI) from the US initiated a project investigating the local forest management in Loma Alta. The research revealed a community with a good institutional structure and a big common property of forests. However, the local community had foreseen the most important function of the highland forest ecosystem: these mountainous trees capture the moisture in the cold air from the ocean and trap it as fog. This fog, called garúa, contributes significantly to water supply in the desert low lands. Most families in Loma Alta make a living by irrigating crops in the lowlands, but they were not aware of the fact that the water they use is partially derived from fog captured by the highland forest. Hence, an ecosystem service (fog trapping) with a big indirect economical value was being continually degraded due to poor information. A valuable reserve A 1000-hectare forest far from the village was open access, but not used because of the distance. By information and education efforts, the researchers together with NGO's, tried to convince the local people to conserve the forest because of its role for the lowland water supply. Local students were also engaged in the practical research and they made a video about the fog trapping forest and showed it to local decision-makers. Finally these local decision makers were convinced of the importance of this ecological service and the first community forest reserve was created in Ecuador. Today the inhabitants in Loma Alta are proud of the reserve and together with the NGO's they are developing ecotourism to show the great biological values within the forest. The economical value of the intact forest is thereby further enhanced. Every external finical support from the NGO's for social development must be followed by a conservation effort from the inhabitants. Thereby biological conservation and social development is integrated. Globally, deforestation is an ongoing problem and many conservation efforts fail. Scientific information and financial contributions from NGO's does not seem to be enough to make a lasting change. A contributing factor is that most stakeholders tend to only focus on their own special problems and a few specific solutions. The Loma Alta community-owned forest reserve shows the importance of local participation and co-operation across disciplines and cultures. /Sara Borgström More information:IFRI, International Forest Resources and Institutions at Indiana university http://www.indiana.edu/~ifri/aboutifri.htm Earthwatch institute http://www.earthwatch.org/expeditions/ becker_02/theproject.html Scientists gathered in Stockholm to discuss the linkages between the world's ecosystems and human well-being Almost one hundred scientists from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) gathered in Stockholm between 26-30th of June. This autumn the huge project will begin publishing its results. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA), which was launched by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in 2001, is the most extensive study ever performed of the linkages between the world's ecosystems and human well-being. It was designed by a partnership of several UN agencies, international scientific organisations, and development agencies, together with the private sector and civil society groups. At the meeting in Stockholm between June 26-30, nearly one hundred scientists from 38 developed and developing countries shared lessons learned and discussed future collaboration. The MA director, Walter Reid, appeared on Swedish National Television and said that there is a tremendous interest among high-level decision makers to understand how changes in ecosystems affect people now and in the future.  Researchers from the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment being interviewed on Swedish national television. Publishing its results The MA-project will begin publishing its results in September this year. The first publication, Ecosystems and Human Well-being: A Framework for Assessment, will provide an outline of the approaches, processes, and parameters the scientists are using in the study. The other volumes will report on the conditions of Earth's ecosystems, describe plausible scenarios of ecosystem change and human well-being, and provide examples of responses to ecosystem changes. Five additional reports will address biodiversity, desertification, wetlands, and the importance of ecosystems for human well-being, and the private sector. The studies will be published through Island Press over two years. All the findings will also be available through their website. More at: For more information about the MA-project, please visit: http://www.millenniumassessment.org/ Albaeco produced a brochure for the meeting in Stockholm. It presents the two Swedish sub-global assessments of the MA. It can be downloaded at: http://www.albaeco.com/htm/pdf/MAbrochure.pdf. Photo caption: Swedish national TV reported from the first day of the meeting in Stockholm. Jane Mogina from Papua New Guinea, Carl Folke coordinator for the Swedish studies and Walter Reid director of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment are being interviewed by Jessica Olofsson from SVT24. New SEI-report on environmental security focuses on poverty and livelihoods Environmental security is not only about the linkage between environmental degradation and violent conflicts. A new report from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) focuses on poverty and livelihood and introduces several less well-known aspects of environmental security. Environmentally related conflict is more likely to occur in developing countries and at the sub-national level, according to a new report from the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI). The report, "Integrating perspectives on environmental security", is intended to assist environment- and development professionals to link environmental security with development policies and programmes. It is concluded that environmental degradation and inequitable sharing of natural resources can lead to conflict, although the role is often indirect. This aspect is the most heavily investigated research area within the field of 'environmental security'. The new SEI-report, however, emphasises livelihood security, health threats, and vulnerability analysis. The authors do not dismiss violent conflict as a concern, but see other less obvious but substantial threats as well as solutions that are more oriented to the overarching goals of sustainable development. Several environmental security issues are discussed, for example: hydropower dam construction, as well as health risks associated with climate change and urban livelihoods in developing countries. The report suggests that the next generation of environmental security studies should ask: How do we create institutions that can respond effectively to a variable environment and the shifting needs of the most vulnerable in a changing society? This is in accordance with adaptive environmental management strategies now under development, which are aimed at planning for surprises, building resilience, and monitoring changing conditions.
/Mattias Nordström More at:The full report "Integrating perspectives on environmental security" is available at http://www.sei.se/risk/poverty.html Charcoal production in Southern Africa: Sustainable deforestation? In some parts of Southern Africa it might under current circumstances be more rational to cut trees for charcoal production than saving them for other future uses. These findings come from a research project coordinated by the Stockholm Environment Institute. Charcoal is the most important cooking fuel for poor and middle-income households in Africa. However, charcoal is also one of the major causes of deforestation in Africa, as one tonne of charcoal requires 4-8 tonnes of wood. A joint research project involving five countries and being coordinated by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) has studied charcoal production in Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique. Charcoal has become one of the major sources of income for poor people in rural areas and is a convenient and accessible source of energy for the urban poor. The state in all the three countries has declared its ownership of the forest resources, but enforcement is absent. This means that people can cut trees without paying fees and licences, and without caring for future users or rightful owners. The research project concludes that this is contributing to the depletion of forests surrounding large cities in southern Africa. However, charcoal is often produced instead of just burning the trees while clearing for shifting cultivation - and thus not always directly responsible for clearing. Nonetheless, there is a growing need in all the study areas for better forest management and enforcement of the fiscal system.  Charcoal lorry on the Great East Road, Lusaka, Zambia. Photo: Chaposa Project Livelihood for the poor with intact forests? Collection of fees and licenses could be used for financing the management requirements, but this cannot be implemented in isolation without offering alternative sources of income to the poor. Agricultural smallholder production needs support and new policies in order to become a viable alternative and the electricity sector needs to provide power to large numbers of low-income consumers. If these recommendations are not enforced together, or in close sequence, then it might be better to sacrifice the natural forest rather than to bring more hardship on the poor, according to the SEI-coordinated project. This project is not the first to stress the importance of creating opportunities for the poor to generate income from forest products and services. It is by many seen as a necessity for successful conservation of forests outside reserves. There are, however, many other forests products than charcoal. Poor farmers often earn up to a quarter of their household income from non-timber forest products like mushrooms, fruits and medicines. Local forest communities can also receive payments from governments and conservation agencies for protecting their forests in order to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem services such as watershed protection and carbon dioxide storage (to mitigate global warming). More at: Read a longer article about charcoal production by Anders Ellegård and Mattias Nordström, from SEI, at: http://www.albaeco.com/sdu/charcoal.doc For more information and technical reports, please visit http://www.sei.se/chaposa/chaposaindex.html During the summer of 2003, an Executive Summary for policymakers will be distributed, and all technical reports will be available on the website. The quote: The G8 could end the suffering of the world's poorest billion people if it adopted realistic measures to solve their problems… They think that global poverty is inevitable and too expensive to solve. But they can solve the problems of the world's poorest -- with relatively little effort and with no noticeable negative impact on their own standard of living. Jeffrey Sachs, professor of economics and director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University. http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/edit /archives/2003/06/03/2003053794 |
