Implementation Framework for Transformation of Peat Ecosystems to Support Food Security

Abstract

The development of food estates, including peatland ecosystems, is expected to support food security in all regions equally. Technically, the widespread clearing of peatlands for cultivating a specific food crop has multiple environmental effects. The need for more attention to non-technical aspects related to the socioeconomic life of the surrounding community is also an obstacle to the sustainability of the food estate program. In support of food security and sovereignty, this study aimed to develop an implementation framework for sustainably utilizing peat ecosystems as arable land-producing food commodities. A systematic literature review in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and field observations were used to develop ecosystem concepts by focusing on maintaining an ecosystem’s social, economic, and ecological aspects. This paper describes the history of peat ecosystem utilization, evaluates previous errors in peatland clearing for food, and analyzes the data using the perspective of peat hydrological unit to better understand the livelihood preferences of existing communities. The previous literature’s key findings served as the guidelines for constructing the implementation framework. First, this method identifies people’s natural resource-based livelihoods and describes peatland ecosystems. Second, it evaluates the long-term viability of livelihoods and identifies improvement levers. Finally, it facilitates increasing the scale of food commodities produced from sustainable livelihoods to meet market demand while maintaining ecosystem resilience.

Why Have China’s Poverty Eradication Policy Resulted in the Decline of Arable Land in Poverty-Stricken Areas?

“…With the rapid degradation of arable land quality, the population in poverty-stricken areas will further deforest and clear new arable land to make a living. These phenomena are undoubtedly a vicious circle of environmental destruction and ecological resource sacrifice for poverty-stricken areas, which will cause huge externalities to biodiversity and climate change and harm sustainable development [34,35].…”