Encyclopedia of Sustainability

This article from LEISA magazine Vol. 22.1 focuses on the “Encyclopedia of Sustainability”, an online initiative of Both ENDS, a Dutch environment and development organisation focusing on the problems resulting from conventional natural resource management approaches that have given rise to serious problems of injustice and social conflict, and to the slow disappearance of local management systems. The objectives of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability initiative are documentation of sustainable agro ecology as well as capacity building and information sharing and facilitating of public debate.

The article describes the selections for the encyclopaedia as rooted in local people's experience and knowledge and as combining traditional knowledge with modern techniques. Both ENDS also provides financial support in the form of small grants that include: organising exchange visits, developing manuals, establishing networks or coalitions among organisations for mutual strengthening, and developing joint policy proposals.

The encyclopaedia has a specific format of a detailed case description for which some advisory support is provided. It includes highlights of the experience, the socio-economic and ecological context, and the obstacles and challenges with the response to them. Challenges for the field project writers arise in the attempt to explain circumstances and outcomes of an ongoing process as well as analyse economic viability in a way that is clear to outsiders. It is an exercise that can generate discussion within organisations about the content of their work.

Main themes are Food Sovereignty, Ecological Restoration, Integrated River Basin Management, Land Rights and Natural Resource Management, Non Timber Forest Products and Urban Sustainability. Material is published in Spanish, English, French and Indonesian; distributed in hard copy among related groups; used with international audiences at conferences and in policy discussions; and used with donors. The two cases highlighted here show the success of "bio-regulators" in soy production leading to their official recognition as an alternative to agro-chemicals in Bolivia, and the Analog Forestry model to restore deforestation, as implemented in Ecuador and Sri Lanka.

In attempting to influence policy-makers, the aim of the Encyclopedia of Sustainability is to join forces at the international level and to convince policy makers of the use of ecological alternatives. The encyclopaedia’s impact is demonstrated in this article by examples of its use as documentation to find donor support; by the frequency of visits to the encyclopaedia website; and by the use of the information in advocacy work in several international locations. For example, representatives from two countries promoted the Analog Forestry model at international gatherings, resulting in interest from the government of Zimbabwe and the Cuban government to start large-scale Analog Forestry implementation to restore degraded lands. With the goal of establishing networks for replication of projects and coalitions for advocacy work, encyclopaedia partners present their work and views at international meetings such as the World Water Fora, the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and several Conferences of Parties of the United Nations.