In response to growing concerns over biodiversity loss due to agrifood systems, a new research initiative, the Transformative Change for Biodiversity and Equity (TCforBE) project, is set to chart pathways towards more sustainable and equitable food systems. Running from 2022 to 2026, and in collaboration with CIFOR-ICRAF and the GLF, this project aims to address the global impacts of EU agricultural trade on biodiversity-rich countries particularly in the Global South.
Demand for crops like cocoa, banana, palm oil and tea is driving deforestation and land use changes in biodiversity-rich countries such as Cameroon, Colombia, and Kenya. These countries bear the environmental costs of complex, often unfair global trade systems.
The TCforBE project is engaging with stakeholders across multiple scales—EU, national, and local—to co-develop transformative pathways for more sustainable food systems. The project focuses on enhancing biodiversity conservation while promoting equity for vulnerable communities, including Indigenous Peoples and local populations.
By linking local experiences to global conversations, the TCforBE project aims to bridge the gap between the on-the-ground realities of landscape management and the broader policy frameworks that govern trade and biodiversity.
As the world faces mounting pressures from globalized trade and environmental degradation, initiatives like TCforBE are essential in developing pathways toward a more just and sustainable future.
The project is funded by the European Union, led by Wageningen University in partnership with the University of Greenwich, CIRAD, CIFOR-ICRAF, the Global Landscapes Forum, Hanken, IDDRI, Universidad de los Andes, the University of Dschang and the University of Kabianga.
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