Grafting for chocolate in Peru, and going after invasive species in New Zealand
Cacao farmers can increase yields from old trees and avoid clearing more forest
When their trees produce fewer pods over time, farmers typically start new plantations. In Peru, grafting was found to boost productivity by 45% within two years, while preserving biodiversity.
Researchers from the universities of Göttingen and Würzburg worked in the northwestern Piura region, grafting new branches of the prized cacao Blanco de Piura variety onto old stock. Even as a tree’s crown is rejuvenated, the diversity and populations of insects and spiders were found to quickly recover – an important consideration for natural pest control.
Why We Wrote This
In our progress roundup, growers rejuvenate cacao trees, Fiji strengthens democracy, and a California prison program aims to interrupt cycles of abuse.
As it is more cost-effective than establishing a new plantation, grafting likely benefits livelihoods as well as agricultural sustainability.
Sources: Science Daily, Journal of Applied Ecology
Survivors of domestic violence are working to interrupt cycles of abuse for incarcerated people
At the California Institution for Men, one initiative follows principles of restorative justice – emphasizing healing for survivors, accountability for those who caused harm, and repair within their communities.
Founded by Insight Prison Project, the program has participants engage in weekly sessions featuring readings, self-reflection, and empathy-building. Later, surrogate survivors, many of whom have had their own experiences of abuse but do not know the program participants, interact with the incarcerated individuals so they can hear a victim’s perspective.
“I really started to realize the harm that I caused,” one formerly incarcerated person said about listening to a surrogate survivor’s story. “Before, I always felt that no one cared about me, so why should I care about anybody?”
“People come out changed,” said Nora Jacob, a program lead at the prison. Numerous studies say that recidivism is lower for individuals in rehabilitative programs, including those on restorative justice.
Source: Yes! Media
New Zealand will embark on the largest island restoration project in its history
It’s part of a broader initiative – the Island-Ocean Connection Challenge – run by a group of nonprofits and the University of California, San Diego that plans to rewild 40 island ecosystems by 2030.
New Zealand’s project aims to eradicate invasive species and restore native wildlife on Maukahuka (Auckland) Island, Rakiura (Stewart) Island, and Chatham Island. The three islands are home to more than 800 endemic plant and animal species, many of which are threatened by invasive mice, feral cats, and pigs.
Previous efforts at eliminating pests have found success in New Zealand. Last year, the flightless takahe birds were reintroduced into the wild after being nearly wiped out by stoats. Island Conservation, a nonprofit involved in the project, says that islands without invasive species have more robust seabird populations and can recover faster from coral bleaching.
Source: Mongabay
Fiji makes significant strides toward democratizing
Although analysts note that autocracies outnumbered democracies worldwide in 2024, Fiji has adopted a number of reforms to strengthen civil participation and fair implementation of laws.
The country of 925,000 marked its first constitutional transfer of power in the 21st century in 2022, after implementing a new constitution in 2013. That precipitated a rollback of authoritarian policies, such as repeal of a 2010 media law that gave the government broad powers to investigate media outlets and suppress news. Among 12 democratizing countries, Fiji saw some of the most significant declines in censorship of the press, analysts say.
Other reforms include relaxing restrictions on voter registration and shifting toward more local governance. Still, attempts to amend the constitution to allow for easier direct democracy failed earlier this year. Freedom House, a U.S.-based democracy watcher, scored Fiji’s democracy 69 out of 100, a nine-point improvement since 2021.
Sources: V-Dem Institute, International IDEA, Freedom House, Radio New Zealand
