ABSTRACT
We live in a world of increased competition for natural resources. In countries around the globe scarcities related to food, water, energy, and forests constrain social and economic opportunities
with amplified severity. In this context can we still talk about win-win situations when it comes to satisfying all interests and needs equally? Ask one set of stakeholders what the most pressing issue is and what should be done to meet that need, and they might say that the key issue is producing more food with a view to empowering local communities. Ask another group and they might adamantly claim the most important issue is conserving the integrity of ecosystems as it provides the basis for people’s livelihoods and the planet’s health, including the preservation of biodiversity. Ask a third group and they will affirm that mitigating the root causes and impacts of climate variability and change should be at the centre of any debate, as the threat to the global climate translates into a threat to humankind.
