This document summarizes the proceedings of the 2015 Caux Dialogue on Land and Security, which brought together participants from various organizations to discuss land restoration and sustainable development. The dialogue focused on identifying opportunities and drivers for restoring degraded land on a large scale. Participants shared case studies of successful land restoration projects and discussed the key requirements for expanding these projects, including community engagement. Presenters emphasized the importance of sustainable land management for food security, economic growth, and environmental benefits. The dialogue also examined issues related to global food trade and how to ensure farmers are incentivized and rewarded for sustainable practices. Relationship building and collaborative approaches across sectors and borders were seen as important for addressing land degradation and conflicts over natural resources.

1. 1
GROUNDING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
— SCALING UP LAND RESTORATION
CAUX DIALOGUE
on LAND and SECURITY
Caux,
Switzerland
11 – 14 July 2015
Protect,restore and promote
sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems,
sustainably manage forests,
combat desertification,
haltand reverse land degradation
and halt biodiversity loss.
LIFE
ON LANDSDG #15

2. 2 3
Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti,
United Kingdom Climate & Energy Security Envoy, 2009 – 13
'...the reality is that there is an increasing recognition amongst the security community that
environmental risks pose a threat to national security as much as they do to human security,
and therefore must be reflected in their strategic analysis.'
Luc Gnacadja,
Executive Secretary, UNCCD, 2007 – 13;
former Minister for the Environment, Benin
'The Sahara desert and the Mediterranean sea are becoming the cemetery of the hope
of many African youth. Migration is another reason why Europe should care about climate
change and desertification threatening people’s livelihoods.'
Louise Baker,
External Relations, Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, UNCCD
'At UNCCD we are working on … land degradation neutrality. This means trying to stop further
degradation and massively scaling up the rehabilitation of land around the world. We’re doing
that because … conflicts over natural resources, forced migration pressures, will gather pace.'
The 2015 Caux Dialogue on Land
and Security (CDLS 2015) was
organised by Initiatives for Land,
Lives and Peace, in collaboration
with the UN Convention
to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD) and the International
Union for the Conservation of
Nature (IUCN).
2015 will be seen as one of the
most important years yet in
international governance, with
two global processess to agree
on a sustainable trajectory
for the future coming to their
climax. In September in New
York, governments agreed on the
newly proposed UN Sustainable
Development Goals, while in
December in Paris at the United
Nations climate change summit
(UNFCCC COP21),countries will
seek a binding climate agreement
to limit global greenhouse gas
emissions. Both international
summits have Sustainable
Development at their heart, and
share the idea that combating
poverty and climate change
must be dealt with together. This
coincides with the UN Food and
Agriculture Organization’s (FAO)
Global context
Participants' comments: +++ It was fantastic and a learning dialogue. I have learnt a lot from this. +++
Saturday, July 11
Practical examples of new
approaches to land, natural
resources management and
peacebuilding, which could be
scaled up.
Sunday, July 12
Food, Trade, Land and Water: In
the face of global change, how
can we ensure food is traded in a
system that incentivises farmers
to manage land and water
sustainably on behalf of us all?
Monday, July 13
Building trust for collaboration
— a precondition for scaling
up land restoration. What can
be achieved in strengthening
relationships essential for
governance and peace-building?
International Year of Soils,
making land degradation one
of the most important issues
of the 21st century. In 2011,
Luc Gnacadja, then UNCCD
Executive Secretary said, in
proposing the Caux Dialogues
on Land and Security, “only six
to ten inches of top soil separate
mankind from extinction”.
While the international
political frameworks are finally
recognising the opportunities
in the land-security nexus,
the CDLS 2015 focussed on
the further step of identifying
opportunities and drivers for
restoring land and delivering
change at scale.
Under the theme “Grounding
Sustainable Development”, the
2015 Caux Dialogue set out
to help clarify the conditions
needed for scaling up successes
across the world. CDLS 2015
took place just as the number of
refugees and migrants from Sub-
Saharan Africa — risking their
lives to arrive in Europe seeking
security, safety and economic
opportunities — increased.
Global context
Guillaume Benoit,
President of the French Water Partnership's group on water and
food security, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, France
'We now need to bring about change on a much larger scale. I propose to emphasise three
points that my country is very attached to: family farming and policies that favour it; agro-
ecology;and the vital reconciliation between food security and the fight against climate change.'

3. 4 5
Left: 'Fireside conversa-
tion': Young participants
interact with leading
environmentalists. Right
(l–r): Geoffrey Lean,
Environment Editor of the
Daily Telegraph, UK;
Julia Marton-Lefèvre,
Director General, IUCN
from 2007–2015;
Luc Gnacadja,
Executive Secretary,
UNCCD, 2007–13.
Land restoration and sustainable land management play a central
role in food security, water security, economic growth through
employment, and carbon sequestration.The first day of CDLS 2015
was awash with examples of successful projects from around the
world of how land can be restored, cheaply, quickly and to the great
benefit of rural communities, especially when the human factors of
mistrust and governance are also addressed. When practitioners
were asked about the key requirements for scaling up their successes,
the response was remarkably simple and consistent: community
engagement and empowerment.
Workshops during CDLS 2015 also demonstrated that restoring land
falls within no one specific approach, whether traditional, modern,
or scientific. Neither does land restoration require exclusively top-
down or bottom-up drivers.It was clear that there is no single magic
bullet that would be applicable in all contexts at all times.Rather,the
workshops demonstrated the importance of,and scope for,breaking
down silos, for mutual respect and collaboration. Creating a joint
vision with all stakeholders encourages each school of thought,
specialisation and hierarchy to contribute their best to a solution.
Moreover, sharing lessons across communities and borders is an
extremely effective means to scaling up land restoration, allowing
farmers to adopt the most suitable technologies and methods to
their specific contexts.
Case studies and successes
July 11 panel (seated, left to right): Gabriel Lagat, George Kiiru, Niguse
Hagazi, Tony Rinaudo, Michael Ben Eli. Standing: Luc Gnacadja.
Participants' comments: +++ The ‘fireside conversation’ with the young people was insightful as well as delightful. +++
Youssif El Tayeb,
Executive Director,
Darfur Development and
Reconstruction Agency, Sudan
‘We need deep rooted local mechanisms
of conflict resolution and peace ...
promoting strong community awareness, to give communities the
confidence to speak for themselves.’
Initiatives fair
‘First is the dryland ecosystem
restoration, but the other... is the
impact on the community and
the people who are involved, and
who have grown very much like
those trees, and like those flowers,
and like all the life coming back
to that place.’ — Michael Ben
Eli, Founder, The Sustainability
Laboratory, USA, an NGO active
in desert restoration
‘We found the solution was
literally under our feet. When
you cut a tree, at least 50% of it
is still alive underground. In that
barren landscape there was a vast
underground forest waiting to grow,
but we kept it back by fire, cutting
and grazing.’ — Tony Rinaudo,
Natural resources adviser, World
Vision, Australia
‘My vision for the future is to
expand the forestry cover in my
area through community initiatives
such as schools and community
centres.’ — George Kiiru, farmer,
Kenya
Case studies and successes
Gabriel Lagat,
Deputy Governor,
Elgeyo Marakwet County, Kenya
‘Yes, there are resource constraints. But
the biggest driver is the demand for a
development approach that the people have
actually brought into. Our lesson has been the power of community
engagement and of using established community structures.’

4. 6 7
Farmers everywhere play a key role in long-term sustainable land and
water management practices.
CDLS 2015 dedicated one day to reviewing the current relationship
between farmers,particularly inAfrica,and the global trade frameworks
within which they operate.
FAO estimates that the global demand for food will more than double
between 1990 and 2100. By 2100 Africa — including North Africa
— will need to access food for 4.3 billion. By 2100 its population
could exceed the 4.1 billion inAsia. Africa will not be able to feed the
populations of other continents.It may always be a net-food importer.
There is a growing awareness of the need to ensure that farmers are
adequately rewarded for their unique contribution to the environment.
How can we ensure food is traded in a system that incentivises farmers
to manage land and water sustainably on behalf of us all?
The CDLS 2015 offered the opportunity to showcase and discuss
innovative solutions in agricultural technologies, value chain
development, sources and mechanisms for financing, as well as land
tenure agreements.
The global food trade discussions also highlighted the growing physical
and“relational distance” between food producers and consumers;the
managers of our natural resource and the beneficiaries.
One widely supported conclusion was the importance of supporting
farmer’s organisations and cooperatives, thereby greatly increasing
farmers’ power in the market place, enabling them to add value to
their own products, and enhancing their resilience.This was felt to be
more sustainable than price support for their products.This is already
government policy in Morocco, France and Kenya.
Food, farmers and trade
Participants' comments: +++ Such an interesting mix of ideas and people… I was blown away by the Caux magic and will definitely try and return next year. +++
Dominic Waughray,
Senior Director,
Head of Environmental Initiatives, World Economic Forum,
Switzerland
‘Imagine a GlobalWater Court in 2030,working with anAfrican government to construct the right
to a parcel of land which is well watered, perhaps with a 99 year lease.That Court, with the expertise to ensure that the
farmers would still be working on that land, would attract the investment to grow the crops for that lease period, manage
everything to do with social protection,and would award that lease to a particular client…..'
‘Grazing management needs
to be improved. Population
pressure is another problem.
But the most important
thing is the way we approach
farmers.’ — Niguse Hagazi,
World Agro-forestry Centre,
Ethiopia
‘There is enough law. The
problem is weak enforcement.’
— Muhammad Swazuri,
Chair of the Land Commission,
Kenya
Tony Colman,
farmer and former
British Member of Parliament
'Farmers of the world must unite. We are weak
individually,but together we can be strong.'
Food, farmers and trade
Tony Allan,
Emeritus Professor,
Department of Geography, King’s College, London;
Winner of the Stockholm Water Prize in 2008
'...We are living a contradiction.We are addicted to cheap food. But we do not realise that asking
farmers to produce under-priced food means they cannot provide the ecosystem services which we also need them to provide.
If low food prices make it impossible for farmers to attend to the environment … we must help change the debate and put
messages out there so that politicians can stand up and say what we need to do is price food properly.'
Panellists: Martin Keulertz, Research
Fellow, Environmental Governance
Research, Humboldt University,
Berlin; Philippe Rohner, Senior
Investment Manager, Pictet Asset
Management, Switzerland.
‘Unless government enga-
ges with the private sector to
bring change, we cannot make
change sustainable.’ — John
Schluter, international coffee
trader.

5. 8 9
‘It is important not just to
react when crises occur, but
to think through the issues
and structures beforehand’
— Jeremy Ive, Church of
England Pastor; conflict
resolution expert
Daphrose Ntarataze,
President, Creators of Peace,
Burundi
‘There is a whole generation of young people
who are broken.We need to stop the cycle now
before it injures future generations … to hear our
memories and address the past together.’
‘What is the relational problem
behind the problem? Enabling
space to argue is an antidote
to violent conflict. It is part
of the process of working on
a relationship’ — Brendan
Bromwich, environmental
peace-building practitioner
and researcher, Sudan
The relationship between land
and environmental degradation
due to poor or failing governance
systems and conflict has
been established at previous
Caux Dialogues. Conversely
numerous case-studies have also
demonstrated that scaling up land
restoration takes collaboration,
which in turn requires trust,
between individuals, groups and
communities. Land restoration
offers a non-political avenue
for bringing together diverse
Restoring relationships to restore land
Participants' comments: +++ I greatly enjoyed my brief Caux stay and keep on thinking of all that could be done in that magical place. +++
Michael Schluter,
Chairman & CEO, Relational Research, Cambridge, UK
'Any environmental issue involves looking at who the stakeholders are and what are the
relationships among them. If you don’t deal with the relationship problem at the root, then
you will fail in the end.
'What is the key to building trust? ....There are five drivers.The first of these is communication.The second is time.Every
relationship has a past, a present and an expected future.They all have an impact on how we conduct relationships.
The third is information - the breadth and depth of the information about the other party is critical to how you
understand them.The fourth is how power is used. How much is there a participation in decisions? How much is there
a sharing of risk and reward? The fifth is about whether people have a sense of sharing a purpose, and share their
goals and values.”
Joseph Montville,
Director, Program on Healing
Historical Memory, School for
Conflict Analysis and Resolution,
George Mason University,
Washington DC, USA
'One of the great advantages for different groups who have a history of
loss is that by working collaboratively on land, water, and food projects that
have clear material benefits for all the people, including their children, they
have a real incentive to succeed, psychologically, spiritually, and financially….
Acknowledgement by aggressors of countries which feel victimised can
transform international relationships’
‘Even though we have different
beliefs, we live in the same
community and we must live by
sharing sincerity and rightness’
— Bitrus Dangiwa, Nigerian
pastor engaged in interfaith
mediation
Participants were treated to the world première of
“Ethiopia Rising”, a powerful new film by Mark Dodd
about land restoration in Abrha Weatsbha, Ethiopia.
Restoring relationships to restore land
communities to strengthen
relationships for peace and
develop suitable governance
mechanisms for their shared
environment.
What can be achieved in
strengthening relationships
essential for governance and
peace-building? Land restoration
in the context of a present
conflict or post-conflict region
requires delicate negotiation and
the space and time for forgiveness
to heal broken relationships and
communities.When so combined,
land restoration and trust-building
interventions offer proactive
approach to long-term sustainable
peace. Global interventions to
address security, development
or environmental issues thus
need to move away from silo-
based thinking to collaborate and
innovate for appropriate solutions
to these interlinked challenges.

6. Book Pre-launch: Land Restoration — Reclaiming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future
Land Restoration: Reclaiming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future addresses solutions to land restoration
and related topics, such as human security, development, and water and air pollution. This compilation of
current research provides a holistic overview of land degradation and restoration from the scientific and
practical development points of view.
Land Restoration: Reclaiming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future brings together practitioners from
NGOs, academia, governments, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD),
most of whom have participated in the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security, to
exchange lessons to enrich the academic understanding of these issues and the
solution sets available.
Commissioned by Elsevier Science and Technology Publishing, and edited by
three members of the Initiatives for Land Lives and Peace Steering Group:
Ilan Chabay, Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany;
Martin Frick, Chair of Initiatives for Land Lives and Peace, and
Jennifer Helgeson, Applied Economics Office of the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST)
KEY FEATURES
• Provides information about the science, policy, and social issues behind
land degradation and restoration in a form accessible to all,including those
who are not specialists in the topics, allowing full access to the issues at
hand
• Includes practical on-the-ground examples garnered from diverse areas,
such as the Sahel, Southeast Asia, and the U.S.A.
• Provides practical tools for designing and implementing restoration/re-
greening processes.
To order the book, go to www.landlivespeace.org.
North Rift Dialogue on Land and Security, Eldoret, Kenya in April 2016
The Caux Dialogue benefits from an extremely diverse community of participants. Of these, participants
from Kenya have made significant contributions to the Dialogues over the last three years. Notable among
these were a delegation from Baringo County, led by Deputy Governor H.E. Mathew Tuitoek; a delegation
from Elgeyo Marakwet County, led by Deputy Governor H.E. Gabriel Lagat; Dr Muhammad Swazuri, Chair of
the National Land Commission; Simon Thuo, Policy and Strategy Advisor, Social Impact Institute, Kenya, and
Matthew Kyalo,Africa Sand Dam Foundation.
Impressed by the ILLP approach during CDLS 2015,Dr Lagat — Deputy Governor of Elgeyo Marakwet County
— made a request, with full support from the Kenyan delegation,
that a Dialogue on Land and Security be held in north west Kenya.
Eight counties in this semi-arid region — Baringo, Elgeyo Marakwet,
Nandi, Samburu,Trans Nzoia,Turkana, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot
— have formed an alliance to address common socio-economic
challenges. As the Chair of the Technical Committee within this
alliance, Lagat is keen to adopt the ILLP approach in responding
to the region’s natural resource management and conflict issues.
This has since been reinforced by a letter from Mathew Tuitoek
which says: 'After our successful conference in Caux, Switzerland, we
are proposing to hold a Dialogue on Land and Security in Kenya in April
2016.We wish to invite the organizers of the Caux Dialogue on Land
and Security to join us in co-hosting such an important event for a variety
of stakeholders and especially the North Rift region. Land and security
are critical issues for us.We believe the spirit of
trust and dialogue promoted by the Initiatives
of Change is an important element to bring
long-term solutions.' — H.E. Eng. Mathew K.
Tuitoek, Deputy Governor, Baringo County.
Outcomes and next steps
Participants' comments: +++ I feel energised, with renewed faith in humanity. +++
ILLP is pleased to confirm
a partnership with Deputy
Governor Tuitoek, Deputy
Governor Lagat, and
others in delivering a
North Rift Dialogue on
Land and Security in
April 2016. More details
will be available on www.
landlivespeace.org.
1110
Standing (l–r): Janet Jeruto, Grace Wambui Mwangi,
Kipng'etich Barmaasai, Meera Shah,Alan Channer.
Sitting (l–r): Kiprono Kemboi, Muhammad Swazuri,
Simon Thuo, Gabriel Lagat, Joseph Karanja.
Ilan Chabay
Outcomes and next steps

7. Since the end of WorldWar II,the Caux conference centre (www.caux.ch) at Caux,Switzerland,has belonged
to the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation. It has a proud heritage, reconciling war-time enemies, helping
to achieve independence from colonial rule without bloodshed, building trust within industries and between
divided communities. In the last seven years, through its focus on human security, Caux has become known
for its holistic approach to development,peace and environmental issues,and as a humanitarian meeting place
of people from many backgrounds and disciplines, where trust and mutual understanding flourish.
Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace (ILLP), which co-organises the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security
with UNCCD and IUCN, is a programme of Initiatives of Change International, whose mission is to inspire,
connect and equip people to address world needs,starting with themselves (www.iofc.org). ILLP’s website is
at www.landlivespeace.org and its twitter handle is @cauxdialogue.
CAUX DIALOGUE
on LAND and SECURITY
www.landlivespeace.org
@cauxdialogue
Photo credits:
Caux — Initiatives of Change and Initiatives for Land, Lives and Peace:
Julian Theseira, James Nikitine.
(Except cover: Large picture – Terracing in Kenya © H. Liniger PROFO 2009 (Flickr Creative Commons). Small pictures from top and left
to right – Girl behind NATO wire © S. Modola/IRIN; Armed conflict © M. Perret/UN; Syrian village Treimsa in Hama province © AFP
Photo D. Leal Olivas 2012; AUSAID Africa Food Security 18 Uganda © K. Holt/AfricaPractice 2009; Indonesia © DFATD-MAECD/B. Aquin
2013; Smallholder farmers © CGIAR 2013; CGIAR, ClimateSmart Villages in SouthAsia (India) © V. Reddy (ViDocs) 2013; Rice terracing
Annapurna Nepal © E. Montfort 2008 (all these, except the first two small ones, from Flickr Creative Commons). – Ornament ribbon
shows detail from Caux chateau ceiling, photo © H. Liniger 2014. – SDGs materials from http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/
news/communications-material/.)
Design: Annette Gütgemann.
Realising the potential
of land restoration
2016 29 June
– 3 July