4.5.2 Ecology-Based Value Chains
In general, the VC classifies business activities by function and analyzes which parts
(functions) generate added value and which parts have strengths and weaknesses
compared to the competition to determine the efficacy of business strategies and the
direction of improvement. In the case of peatland management and its utilization, the
aim is to select appropriate plants for a specific GWL that will not only result in
ecological conservation, but will also add value to the cultivated plants provided to
the market, making it a win–win solution for the local community and nature. For
this purpose, the key is to properly evaluate the ecology-based VCs and provide the
market with a price reasonable in value. In other words, it is also necessary to
consider the land use classification of the “large-scale eco-management of tropical
peatlands” system described in Chap. 3. Fig. 4.13 shows land classification for the
conservation of peat domes and possible land use practices, i.e., cultivated plants and
end products. The difficult challenge is how to add value to the products in the VC
process, which will lead to an improvement in the livelihood of local communities.
For the “ecology-based value chains (VCs)” to be successful, the characteristics
of the environment are crucial. A variety of concepts related to ecology-based VCs
have been proposed so far:
• Ecological Footprint (Rees 1992). https://www.footprintnetwork.org
• Planetary Boundary (Rockström et al. 2009; Steffen et al. 2015; Nash et al. 2017).
https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html
• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (UN 2012). https://www.un.org/
millenniumgoals/
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UN (United Nations) 2015a; UN
(United Nations) 2015b; UN (United Nations) 2018). https://
sustainabledevelopment.un.org/
• IPCC Guideline (IPCC 2003). https://www.ipcc.ch/, https://www.ipcc-nggip.
iges.or.jp/public/
• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) (Reid et al. 2005). https://www.
millenniumassessment.org/en/About.html
• Natural Capital Declaration (UNEP FI 2012). https://naturalcapital.finance/,
https://www.unepfi.org/ecosystems/ncfa/
Thus, concepts related to “ecology-based VCs” have been constructed from many
indexes, criteria, and inventories. Previously, however, creating a market for values
such as the ecosystem service and natural capital has been extremely difficult and
problematic (Costanza et al. 1997; Naidoo et al. 2009; Teytelboym 2019). These
concepts are excellent, but in many cases, they require data obtained by the inventory to meet the requirements of those concepts. This means that the data and
information are very limited for “ecology-based VCs,” because real-time (daily to
weekly) or (semi-)real-time (monthly to yearly) sensing data are required to evaluate
“ecology-based VCs” as numerical and visible forms, even if the targeted area is not
homogeneous. Real-time or (semi-)real-time observation systems not only provide a
4 Coexistence of Humans and Nature in Tropical Peatlands
153
In general, the VC classifies business activities by function and analyzes which parts
(functions) generate added value and which parts have strengths and weaknesses
compared to the competition to determine the efficacy of business strategies and the
direction of improvement. In the case of peatland management and its utilization, the
aim is to select appropriate plants for a specific GWL that will not only result in
ecological conservation, but will also add value to the cultivated plants provided to
the market, making it a win–win solution for the local community and nature. For
this purpose, the key is to properly evaluate the ecology-based VCs and provide the
market with a price reasonable in value. In other words, it is also necessary to
consider the land use classification of the “large-scale eco-management of tropical
peatlands” system described in Chap. 3. Fig. 4.13 shows land classification for the
conservation of peat domes and possible land use practices, i.e., cultivated plants and
end products. The difficult challenge is how to add value to the products in the VC
process, which will lead to an improvement in the livelihood of local communities.
For the “ecology-based value chains (VCs)” to be successful, the characteristics
of the environment are crucial. A variety of concepts related to ecology-based VCs
have been proposed so far:
• Ecological Footprint (Rees 1992). https://www.footprintnetwork.org
• Planetary Boundary (Rockström et al. 2009; Steffen et al. 2015; Nash et al. 2017).
https://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries.html
• Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (UN 2012). https://www.un.org/
millenniumgoals/
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (UN (United Nations) 2015a; UN
(United Nations) 2015b; UN (United Nations) 2018). https://
sustainabledevelopment.un.org/
• IPCC Guideline (IPCC 2003). https://www.ipcc.ch/, https://www.ipcc-nggip.
iges.or.jp/public/
• Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) (Reid et al. 2005). https://www.
millenniumassessment.org/en/About.html
• Natural Capital Declaration (UNEP FI 2012). https://naturalcapital.finance/,
https://www.unepfi.org/ecosystems/ncfa/
Thus, concepts related to “ecology-based VCs” have been constructed from many
indexes, criteria, and inventories. Previously, however, creating a market for values
such as the ecosystem service and natural capital has been extremely difficult and
problematic (Costanza et al. 1997; Naidoo et al. 2009; Teytelboym 2019). These
concepts are excellent, but in many cases, they require data obtained by the inventory to meet the requirements of those concepts. This means that the data and
information are very limited for “ecology-based VCs,” because real-time (daily to
weekly) or (semi-)real-time (monthly to yearly) sensing data are required to evaluate
“ecology-based VCs” as numerical and visible forms, even if the targeted area is not
homogeneous. Real-time or (semi-)real-time observation systems not only provide a
4 Coexistence of Humans and Nature in Tropical Peatlands
153