Competition over land and natural resources is increasingly overstretching the multi-functionality of landscapes, whether it is at local or at global level. With the ambition as enshrined in numerous international conventions and national polices alike to reconcile agricultural development and the wise use of our natural resources, this places enormous pressure on resource managers to broker development outcomes that suit both agendas. It implies rethinking current natural resources management paradigms and applying new analytical frameworks to better understand conflicts, the driving forces behind them and the design of process approaches to manage them.