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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · 28d

🛠 Why it matters:

#Multifunctional landscapes — those that integrate forest conservation with diverse livelihoods — are key to balancing production, conservation & well-being.
This study offers spatial insights to guide inclusive land use planning in Savannakhet Province. (Photo: © Amy Scott/ IUCN)

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · 28d

🌱 What did we find?

- ES supply is highest in forested/shifting cultivation areas
- Food supply peaks in lowland monocultures — but at a cost
- Demand is widespread, especially for pollination, water & cultural values
- Trade-offs between food & species are real

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · 28d

We combined InVEST modelling with household surveys in 22 villages to assess 6 key ecosystem services:

🥗 Food
💧 Water
🌊 Water Quality
🐝 Pollination
🦉 Species
🏞️ Tourism

#InVESTmodel #Fieldwork #Savannakhet #LandscapeEcology

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · 28d

🌿 New publication alert!

Under the exceptional analytical lead of @sandraeckert.bsky.social and grounded in fieldwork by Phetsaphone Thanasack, we mapped #ecosystemservice supply & demand across Savannakhet Province, #Laos.
A first of its kind for the region. 🧵

Reposted by Julie G. Zaehringer

Wisse van Engelen @wissevanengelen.bsky.social · May 10

In case you missed these: some great papers appeared in the last few days that address the relation between monetary wealth and environmental degradation/protection 🧵👇

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

🧠 Authored by an amazing interdisciplinary team from across the globe with excellent intellectual leadership by Rachel Carmenta 🌏
📚 Carmenta et al. (2025). Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability
📖 Read the full paper: bit.ly/3ZqNvlC
@cdeunibe.bsky.social @wyssacademy.bsky.social

Redirecting

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

To bend the curve on biodiversity loss, we must bend the narrative.
Let’s stop blaming poverty — and start addressing inequality, consumption, and colonial legacies.
True conservation is just, inclusive, and transformative. 🌍🌺 #Transformation #Equity #SystemChange

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

3️⃣ We propose Connected Conservation — a model that:
🔁 Connects local stewardship with systemic drivers
💬 Embraces plural values & worldviews
💪 Shifts power to Indigenous Peoples & local communities
📉 Targets distant wealth-based drivers of biodiversity loss
#ConnectedConservation

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

📊 Here's our conceptual model:
It shows how hegemonic values, disciplinary lock-in, and governance inertia reinforce PBLA-informed conservation — and how Connected Conservation can counteract this by embracing plural values and systemic change.

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

2️⃣ Why does the PBLA persist, despite overwhelming counter-evidence?
We identify 3 key forces:
🔹 Hegemonic values
🔹 Disciplinary dominance
🔹 Convenient governance
Together, they obscure the role of wealth and power in biodiversity decline. 🏦🌿 #EnvironmentalJustice

Unveiling pervasive assumptions: moving beyond the poverty-biodiversity loss association in conservation

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

1️⃣ The poverty-biodiversity loss association (PBLA) — the idea that poor communities degrade ecosystems — still shapes many conservation interventions.
But: this assumption is flawed, colonial in origin, and ignores deeper drivers of biodiversity loss. #PBLA

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

🌱 New paper out! We challenge the long-standing assumption that #poverty drives #biodiversity loss — and explore why this narrative persists in conservation practice. Time to rethink who is really driving the crisis. 📉🌍
🔗 bit.ly/3ZqNvlC #openaccess
🧵👇 #conservation #biodiversity #equity #PBLA

This paper reflects on the continued persistence of the idea in conservation research and practice that poverty drives biodiversity loss (the poverty-…

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · May 23

A telecoupling lens on our artisanal #gold project in the #Peruvian Amazon, led us to investigate whether #Swiss actors involved in the gold market would be ready to source responsibly produced gold. These insights are important to shape interventions that aim to improve the reality of miners.

Wyss Academy for Nature @wyssacademy.bsky.social · Mar 13

Is the Swiss market ready for responsibly sourced gold from small-scale miners? The @cdeunibe.bsky.social and the Wyss Academy wanted to get to the bottom of this question. Interested? Learn more and access our reports at www.wyssacademy.org/publications

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Dec 24

It‘s extremely uncommon to experience a rainy Christmas in #Senegal. Today is an exception - or maybe the new normal? In any case, it‘s the topic of the day here in Saly. Merry Christmas to you all!

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Dec 14

Glad for the invitation to the @ethzurich.bsky.social RESPONSE symposium where I stressed the need to approach sustainable land use in tropical forest frontiers through both local and global action, mobilising system, target and transformation knowledge.

Centre for Development and Environment CDE, University of Bern @cdeunibe.bsky.social · Dec 14

1/ Watch @juliegwen.bsky.social’s (@wyssacademy.bsky.social, CDE, @unibern.bsky.social) presentation from the RESPONSE Symposium 2024 at @ethzurich.bsky.social 💡She emphasized that land is key to sustainable development but achieving it requires balancing ecology, economy, and justice.
t.ly/KUN3X

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Nov 21

7/ It was a huge pleasure to work on our second paper as a research collective. We honor the collective aspect of the work by attributing the first author position to a pseudonym, Dr. Care.

And thank you, Wyss Academy for Nature and @cdeunibe.bsky.social, who enabled me to conduct this work!

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Nov 21

6/ By aligning with values like care, inclusivity, and reflexivity, researchers can strengthen collaboration, deepen impact, and better contribute to systemic change. 💡
Curious to learn more? Dive into our paper for the full story! bit.ly/3OfOQFO

Reaping what we sow: Centering values in food systems transformations research - Ambio

In many transdisciplinary research settings, a lack of attention to the values underpinning project aims can inhibit stakeholder engagement and ultimately slow or undermine project outcomes. As a rese...

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Nov 21

5/ The takeaway? 🌟 Researchers striving for sustainability transformations must reflect on their own values—not just those of stakeholders.
To create meaningful change, we need to embody the principles we advocate.

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Nov 21

4/ In our paper, we present two cases from #Madagascar and #Tajikistan where centering values helped reshape collaboration and impact. These show how researchers can:
✅ Embrace reflexivity to challenge assumptions
✅ Foster inclusivity to broaden participation
✅ Build collective care into their work

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Nov 21

3/ While much research focuses on stakeholder values in food system transformations, we shifted the lens inward. What about the values researchers bring to the table? 🤷‍♀️
Turns out, aligning researcher values with the transformations we study is critical.

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Nov 21

2/ Our collective, The Careoperative, tackled this challenge head-on. Through a visioning process, we established four core values to guide our collaboration:
✨ Care
🤔 Reflexivity
🌍 Inclusivity
🤝 Collectivity
Here’s how a values-centered approach transformed our research on food systems. 👇

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Nov 21

1/ 🚨 Many transdisciplinary food or land system research projects stumble because they overlook a crucial aspect: values. Without addressing the values that underpin their goals, researchers risk losing stakeholder trust and derailing project outcomes. 🧵

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Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Jan 28

Thank you to all contributing authors for coming together in this collaborative Synthesis, the anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and @PaN_BES for hosting the Special Feature! @cdeunibe.bsky.social 7/7

Julie G. Zaehringer @juliegwen.bsky.social · Jan 28

III: Conservation and development research is vital for achieving transformative change and environmental justice. Implementing the methods identified can drive more just and sustainable decisions by activating key leverage points for deep transformative changes. 6/7