Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1098/rsos.250810
Licence creative commons licence
Title (Primary) Policy principles for sustainable and just land systems
Author Garrett, R.; Meyfroidt, P.; de Bremond, A.; Wartenberg, A.; Barbieri, L.; Fernández-Llamazares, A.; Acheampong, E.; Addoah, T.; Adeleye, M.; Alexander, P.; Brandão, J.; Coomes, D.A.; Ellis, E.C.; Fajardo, J.; Jacobi, J.; Leach, M.; Lele, S.; Llanque Zonta, A.; Lyons-White, J.; Martin, A.; Messerli, P.; Milner-Gulland, E.J.; Müller, D.; Mills, M.; Nantongo Kalunda, P.; Pascual, U.; Rueda, X.; Ryan, C.; Setty, S.; Pham, T.T.; Zagaria, C.
Source Titel Royal Society Open Science
Year 2025
Department UPOL
Volume 12
Issue 10
Page From art. 250810
Language englisch
Topic T5 Future Landscapes
Supplements Supplement 1
Keywords governance; science–policy; sustainability transitions; conservation; climate; food; transformation
Abstract Land systems are the nexus of many global sustainability and justice challenges. Here we present eight guiding principles (P1–8) for improved land system policies following the heuristic stages of a policy cycle. The principles are as follows: embrace recognitional justice (P1), be politically strategic (P2), consider multiple policy goals (P3), address systemic issues (P4), take an integrative scope (P5), foster co-development (P6), adopt clear and monitorable targets (P7) and integrate diagnostic and adaptive capacities (P8). We then explore how well policies align with these principles in two globally relevant cases (land-based climate mitigation and biodiversity-friendly agriculture). In both cases, we find that when policies align poorly with the principles at the agenda-setting stage, there is further misalignment at the policy formulation stage. In the instances when recognitional justice is embraced at the onset, policies subsequently integrate more diverse goals and co-development, but they insufficiently consider political strategy and struggle to handle system complexity. Nonetheless, we identify promising policy mixes that provide benefits to multiple actors, integrate multiple goals, take an integrative scope and have strong monitoring and adaptation, aligning well with multiple principles. Further investigation of these principles could reveal promising policy pathways for land systems.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=31621
Garrett, R., Meyfroidt, P., de Bremond, A., Wartenberg, A., Barbieri, L., Fernández-Llamazares, A., Acheampong, E., Addoah, T., Adeleye, M., Alexander, P., Brandão, J., Coomes, D.A., Ellis, E.C., Fajardo, J., Jacobi, J., Leach, M., Lele, S., Llanque Zonta, A., Lyons-White, J., Martin, A., Messerli, P., Milner-Gulland, E.J., Müller, D., Mills, M., Nantongo Kalunda, P., Pascual, U., Rueda, X., Ryan, C., Setty, S., Pham, T.T., Zagaria, C. (2025):
Policy principles for sustainable and just land systems
R. Soc. Open Sci. 12 (10), art. 250810 10.1098/rsos.250810