Wildlife has been traditionally used by forest communities as a source of protein, and the Peruvian Amazon is no exception. The articulation of colonist and indigenous communities to urban centers and markets results in changes in livelihood strategies and impacts on wildlife populations. To address the threat of overhunting and forest conversion, we provide a generalized characterization of colonist and indigenous communities and their hunting activities near Pucallpa, Ucayali, Peru. A semi-structured household survey was conducted to characterize hunters and describe their prey collections. The data were analyzed by conducting a Kruskal-Wallis test, a multiple regression analysis, and by estimating the harvest rate (H). Less wealthy households were more actively engaged in hunting for food security and as a livelihood strategy. Additionally, older hunters were associated with higher hunting rates. Although the percentage of hunters was relatively low, estimated hunting rates suggest overharvesting of wildlife. Lowland pacas (Cuniculus paca) were the most frequently hunted prey, followed by red brocket deer (Mazama americana) and primates. While hunting intensity was not significantly different between indigenous and colonist communities, hunting rate disparities suggest there are different types of hunters (specialized vs. opportunistic) and that prey composition differs between communities. Close monitoring of wildlife populations and hunting activities is ideal for more accurately determining the impact of hunting on wildlife population and in turn on forest health. In lack of this type of information, this study provides insight of hunting as a shifting livelihood strategy in a rapidly changing environment at the forest/agriculture frontier.

In this article, we operationalized a sustainability framing based on the Sustainable Rural Livelihood Resources Framework (SLF), which consists of five capitals—human, physical, social, financial, and natural. We proposed a sustainability index (SI) for two landscapes dominated by two agricultural systems: cattle ranching and small-scale family agriculture. Farm variables within each capital were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. Key variables were identified and index values were calculated for each capital. These were combined through a set of simultaneous equations to estimate farm-specific capitals and SI from the observed farm variables. Principal component and cluster analyses were used to group the farms according to their index scores and to further compare their characteristics. Furthermore, with the purpose of comparing the index scoring with an independent metric, a landscape indicator, which comes from a continuous forest, was calculated. From the results, the capitals that contributed to a higher SI score the most were financial and physical. As cattle ranching was associated with higher economic returns and infrastructure investments, this livelihood was identified as the most sustainable. Yet, cattle ranching has been a deforestation driver in the region. These results are attributed to the current conceptual framework design, which gives greater weight to material and economic variables; therefore, it generates a weak sustainability measure. Although the framework allowed us to identify land-use alternatives that could improve SI scores (i.e., silvopastoral systems), corrections to the proposed framework and methodological approach will need to include additional environmental benefits currently unaccounted for. Farmers that use their farms for conservation purposes should be recognized and compensated. An improved environmentally focused SI operational framework could help to endorse and promote sustainable livelihoods and to generate a strong sustainability measure.

The application of participatory methods for codesigning sustainable land uses in research and development (R&D) projects for the agroecological transition are receiving increasing attention. However, there has been limited research critically assessing participatory methods employed in a codesign process. We therefore analyze the participatory methods applied for codesigning alternative land uses in the Sustainable Amazonian Landscape (SAL) project in the Caquetá department, Colombia. We conducted our analysis by situating the codesign process in a participation continuum and a codesign typology. We found that a gradient of participation level in the R&D project is beneficial for managing a codesign process. Thus, codesigning can be shaped during the project to respond to specific needs, and farmer participation levels change during the project. We found that codesigning is a process that only partially relies on participatory methods epistemologies. Instead, it reflects a tension between the continuity of a codesign project in a given territory, the sustained involvement of local partners, and external conditions such as socioeconomic and institutional stability. These are essential points to consider for co-designing the agroecological transition, as we suggest that these project-based research conditions might hinder critical principles of the codesign process.

Cooperation plays a central role in the sustainability of agricultural value chains. This study analyzes cacao and dairy producer organizations in the Department of Caquetá, Colombia, with three objectives: to characterize their current organizational status, to understand legal representatives’ perceptions of the role of cooperation in strengthening their organizations, and to examine the structure of cooperation networks across different stages of the value chains. A qualitative approach was adopted, based on structured interviews, participatory network-mapping workshops, and secondary data analysis. The results show that cacao organizations exhibit higher levels of institutional consolidation than dairy organizations. Representatives’ perceptions indicate that in cacao, cooperation is primarily oriented toward administrative and strategic strengthening, whereas in dairy it is concentrated on production, budgeting, and marketing. Network analysis reveals a predominance of linking-type cooperation, characterized by vertical relationships with external actors, which enhances access to resources but also generates dependency. Overall, network structure and the prevailing types of cooperation influence organizational autonomy and collective performance in Amazonian contexts.

This study presents a framework for assessing the scalability of innovations aimed at achieving low-emission development, using a case study of Nandi County, Kenya. Food system emissions make up a significant portion of Kenya’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing these emissions is crucial for lowering the country’s overall emissions, supporting Kenya’s commitment to the Paris Agreement. To achieve this, Kenya must scale innovations that can transform the food system toward low emissions while meeting national development targets. The framework was thus tested, in the scope of two participatory workshops, on three CGIAR innovations with relevance to Nandi County: Improved Livestock Breeds and Feeds (ILBF), Integrated Aquaculture Practices (IAP), and Biogas Technology (BT). Stakeholders evaluated these innovations in a two-day participatory workshop using a multi-criteria scoring process. Based on established criteria, the participants developed scores that reflected an innovations’ potential for scaling. ILBF scored 24 out of 33 points (75%), IAP scored 27 (81%), and BT scored 26 (76%). The results indicate varying potential for scaling among the innovations, highlighting the importance of context-specific and systemic enabling factors, beyond technical performance. These include institutional, social, and biophysical contexts, adoption barriers, market potential, costs of innovation, financial opportunities for scaling, environmental and social co-benefits and trade-offs as well as economic benefits, all of which are critical in creating an enabling environment for scaling. The framework serves as a support tool for evaluating potential opportunities, barriers, bottlenecks, and trade-offs to inform scaling strategies in a more systematic and responsible manner. Beyond its empirical findings, the study contributes methodologically by illustrating how participatory multi-criteria assessment can strengthen strategic decision-making for Agricultural Research for Development programs.