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Areas of tropical vegetation are rapidly disappearing due to agricultural expansion, posing significant threats to biodiversity and climate stability. To address this issue, companies and governments have adopted supply-chain sustainability policies and zero-deforestation commitments. However, challenges persist in their implementation and there is resistance to conservation regulations. The Brazilian Cerrado, a biodiverse savanna, experiences rising deforestation driven by soy production. Understanding soy farmers' decision-making is key to overcoming this issue, as most of deforestation occurs on private properties and in compliance with legal conservation requirements. Yet, little knowledge on soy farmers land use decision-making in the Cerrado exists. This thesis investigates soy farmers' land-use decision-making processes in the Cerrado to contribute to the zero-deforestation debate and propose effective conservation strategies. The study's objectives are as follow: (1) To emphasize the urgency of including the Cerrado biome in conservation policies and propose effective deforestation mitigation measures, (2) To assess the current state of agricultural literature regarding mental models, identifying patterns in their use, (3) To explore and analyze the perspectives, attitudes, and behavior of Brazilian soy farmers regarding land-use decisions, and (4) To investigate farmers' acceptability of interventions that aim to reduce the rates of deforestation. [...], Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), School of Environment and Sc, Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology, Full Text

Maintaining peace and conserving biodiversity hinge on an international system of cooperation codified in institutions, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brings recent progress to a crossroads. Against this backdrop, we address some implications of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine for the governance of biodiversity conservation both within and beyond Russia. The Russian invasion of Ukraine threatens the governance system for biodiversity conservation, as it pertains to Russia and beyond, due to three interacting factors: (i) isolation of Russia from the international system, (ii) halt and delay of international cooperation, and (iii) changes in international and domestic policy priorities. We recommend making the existing international system of governance for conserving biodiversity more resilient and adaptable, while aligning security agendas with biodiversity conservation goals.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath are the most significant socio-economic crises in modern history. The pandemic’s devastating impacts have prompted urgent policy and regulatory action to reduce the risks of future spillover events and pandemics. Stronger regulatory measures for the trade of wildlife are central to discussions of a policy response. A variety of measures, including broad bans on the trade and sale of wildlife to banning specific species for human consumption are among a suite of discussed options. However, the wildlife trade is diverse, complex, and important for the livelihoods of millions of people globally. We argue that reducing the risk of future pandemics stemming from the wildlife trade must follow established principles of governance which include being equitable, responsive, robust, and effective. We demonstrate how incorporating these principles will support the development of context-specific, culturally sensitive, and inclusive responses that recognize the on-the-ground complexity of disease emergence and the social-ecological systems in which the wildlife trade occurs.

The conservation of iconic wildlife is increasingly perceived as for the global good and therefore requires support from a diverse range of stakeholders. Although conservation and animal welfare groups agree on the need to help wildlife, differing opinions on conservation goals often lead to polarised debate. Conflict between conservation and animal welfare frequently centres on what should be prioritised and what is acceptable. Given the current funding shortfall, conservationists are critical that funding for ex-situ or animal welfare issues does not deliver significant benefits for biodiversity, and therefore, in-situ conservation projects should be prioritised. Similarly, animal welfare advocates take issue with conservation actions that negatively impact individual animals for the good of populations or ecosystems. The use of lethal control in conservation often leads to controversy as it brings the trade-off between the interests of individual animals, populations, and habitats into focus. Using elephants as a focal species, this thesis explores conflict between conservationists and animal welfare advocates over the management of elephants. Animal welfare advocates have criticised conservationists for lacking empathy and moral concern for individuals. At the same time, conservationists criticise animal welfare advocates for caring too much for individuals at the expense of biodiversity, being overly emotional, and not understanding the realities of conservation. To understand the relevance of these criticisms in conservation and animal welfare debates, I investigate the role of emotions, utilitarian morals, and perceptions of issues in explaining elephant conservation conflicts. [...], Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), School of Environment and Sc, Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology, Full Text

The African continent faces challenges from climate change, as manifested in the increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and rising global temperatures, which pose significant threats to food security and agricultural productivity. Despite its minimal contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions, Africa is particularly susceptible to climate change, given its heavy reliance on rain-fed agriculture and limited adaptive capacity. Due to the evolving climatic conditions, research indicates substantial yield reductions in essential crops such as wheat, maize, sorghum, and millet. Furthermore, climate change is expected to alter soil fertility, compounding the challenges confronted by African nations in providing sustenance for their burgeoning populations. With the agriculture sector employing approximately 75% of the African population, the adverse effects of escalating temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns on net farm revenues imperil livelihood security. Given the limited resources and infrastructure accessible to small-scale farmers in the region, it is imperative to develop and implement resilience-building strategies that mitigate the repercussions of climate change on agriculture and food security in Africa. [...], Thesis (PhD Doctorate), Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), School of Environment and Sc, Science, Environment, Engineering and Technology, Full Text