Paper on Agroforestry

Well, I just posted my Urban Agriculture paper, and I'll let you read mine and Joel's paper on Agroforestry too. We had the opportunity to write one together in our Development in the Periphery class, which is always a fun treat, because we work well together. I'm really good at getting ideas out, and like starting early on papers, and Joel likes to procrastinate, but he's amazing at making papers sound eloquent and gets all the grammer figured out (I suck at grammer). So we balance each other nicely.

Agroforestry

Agroforestry is being heralded as the long-awaited solution to human poverty and global environmental degradation across the world. Though it was never stated in any individual paper, after analyzing so many resources it becomes apparent that this is a situation much like the poverty / population debate. Just as population and poverty are both the cause and effect of each other, poverty and environmental damage have the same negative cyclical relationship. Due to this observation solutions must not focus on only conservation or only human development. Instead, these issues must be addressed simultaneously in an integrated approach. This paper will provide commentary and analysis of a number of sources regarding agroforestry, including the challenges that must be faced and the methods that have been developed to meet these challenges.

In examining various papers on agroforestry it becomes apparent that multiple definitions and uses fall under the term “agroforestry.” Hart coins agroforestry as a method for cultivating trees at the edge of a pastureland in conjunction with crops (xiii). Others see agroforests simply as tree cover, protecting the land against erosion, returning nutrients to the soil and enhancing the microclimate, and mention nothing of a multi-use forest (Hyde, 223). One researcher found that in the Amazon, Runa Indians practiced “agroforestry” which is characterized by “low-intensity succession management system,” occasionally resulting in temporary clearings in the forest canopy (Pandey, 50). Robert Trip illustrates an “agroforestry” technique in Africa, known as “alley cropping” (Trip, 29). This specific system plants a row of trees alternated with rows of crops, the trees provide shade for the crops, mulch and green manure for the field, and fodder for the animals (Trip, 29). However, in the most broad of terms, agroforestry is a technique allowing farmers to benefit off short term provisions, such as medicines, grains, vegetables, and animals, while cultivating long term forest goods, such as hardwood trees. Agroforestry provides sustenance for daily living, income generation without jeopardizing the future of the forests, and uses the forests natural biodiversity to enhance the inputs and outputs of the forest ecosystem.

The UN’s Millennium Development Goals can be summed up as a framework for tackling the major issues affecting the worlds developing regions. The goals include a significant reduction in poverty, equal rights and opportunities for all peoples, and ensuring that future generations will have the capacity to survive and develop in a stable environment. D.P. Garrity identifies how agroforestry is essential in meeting these goals. He provides the links between the Millennium Development Goals and what the World Agroforestry Centre considers to be the challenges facing the developing world. For example, agroforestry will be both positively and negatively affected by HIV/AIDS. The disease, “can reduce the economic incentive for farmers to undertake long-term investments, [and] dissipate labor and financial resources that would be needed to establish and maintain agroforestry practices” (Garrity, 12). Still, this is only one side of the coin; agroforestry can also, “generate much-needed income, improve nutrition, reduce labor demands, and stabilize the environment in AIDS-affected communities” (Garrity, 12). Agroforestry has the promise to create local sustainable economies based around a combination of sustenance and cash crop farming.

In order for development to proceed in a sustainable manner studies have been done that focus on the spreading of knowledge and technologies at a grassroots level. Scientific research and indigenous knowledge must be combined to find site-specific solutions. Pandey’s study on ethnoforestry emphasizes local knowledge of plants, animal habitats and resources (14). Miller and Nair’s article on agroforestry systems of Amazonia shows how this traditional knowledge can be applied to entire regions to promote sustainable development (162). On the other side of the world research including the farmers of north east India has led to the discovery of the Champak tree as an, “option for eco-restoration, and maintenance of soil resources” (Saha, 248). These successes clearly show that development agencies like the IMF need to start seeing farmers as partners and involve them in policy making and research.

All the articles read agreed upon one thing; bottom-up approaches to development are more affective in the long-term. Brown and Durst suggest that in order for the developing world to adopt agroforestry, they must receive monetary rewards for farming in a diverse and sustainable manner (13). By helping farmers get past the initial hardships of switching to agroforestry they will be able to support their families off a small piece of land indefinitely. A “forest garden” of half a hectare can support a family of up to ten people (Hart, xvi). Research shows that farmers need incentives like money to get the past the initial hurdles of investment, and begin using sustainable methods of farm forestry.

In Pakistan and Uganda studies have been done regarding the reasons that farmers choose or choose not to implement farm forestry, and how to conquer these challenges. Farmers choose what to plant based on their individual perceptions of cost/benefit economics thus the focus of development organizations should begin with the farmers by helping them see the long-term benefits associated with agroforestry (Zubair, 227). Cooperation of all levels of society is important. However, as noted in the Uganda case study conflict over land boundaries and natural resources can actually have some positive effects. Competition leads to more private farms and more agroforestry (Sanginga, 73). This stability results in benefits for communities like in Uganda where many children now have access to education (Sanginga, 72).

Despite efforts to encourage agroforestry, implementation of the associated methods and technologies is happening very slowly. Impoverished farmers in the periphery lack the necessary knowledge, in many cases, to grow productive forest gardens (Kiptot, 10). The International Monetary Fund forces many countries that have applied for aid to cut government extension programs like environmental and social services. Without such programs transfer of knowledge is slowed in the countries held down by tied aid. Giving monetary loans to governments to promote export agriculture prevents sustenance farming and biodiversity.

The benefits of agroforestry techniques are innumerable compared to industrialized cash crops that are the predominant farming technique since the green revolution. First of all, those who practice agroforestry plan on passing down the traditional knowledge to their “children’s children” (Tomich, 3). The focus is not on short term economic gain at the expense of the natural ecosystem, but long term sustainability that will last for generations to come. Agroforestry can benefit the world by being a tool to meet the United Nations Development Programmes Millennium Development Goals, through encouraging biodiversity, while eradicating hunger and poverty in a sustainable manor (Garrity, 6-9, World Bank, 15). An agroforest enhances the environment through protecting and recycling nutrients in the soil, protecting groundwater, providing shade, and non-timber forest products (Hart, xiii).

The use of agroforestry techniques often lead to a higher yield in agricultural production (Hyde, 237), and often provides a higher income than other livelihoods (Tomich, 3). There are also benefits in diversifying crops, because in a monoculture if a pest invades, then the entire crop may be devastated, but in an agroforest production, a pest will only target one species of many, not jeopardizing the communities entire livelihood (Hart, 119). Perhaps one of the most important benefits of agroforestry is the reduced amount of chemical inputs needed for production. Because the soils are able to regenerate nutrients naturally, and pests are not as much of an issue, farmers do not need expensive, environmentally damaging fossil fuel products.

Despite all the benefits of agroforestry, there are some major constraints to changing all world agricultural production systems to agroforestry. One limit, recognized in Africa, is that problems exist in marketing agroforestry products, along with weak by-laws and enforcements, and insecure land tenure (African Highlands Imitative). Kiptot argues another constraint on agroforestry is the amount of knowledge required to make smart decisions on agriculture at the individual farm level. She also claims that most farmers are more interested in short-term economic benefits rather than long-term sustainability (Kiptot, 11). A farmer cannot think generations into the future when their own family is starving and a quick economic gain will provide income and food for today. Another constrain on the agroforestry system is the lack of government initiatives, as many sustainable forestry practices are undertaken by NGO’s and other privet groups (Trip, 14). This has prevented large-scale initiatives in retaining traditional knowledge, and sustainable farming groups are often isolated from each other. It has been recognized that “no single group or organization has the means or expertise to tackle these complex issues” (About ASB), and thus the problem is lacking a global initiative.

Throughout this examination of a variety of works relating to agroforestry techniques, it is obvious there is still much work to be done. However, those involved up to this point must be congratulated as the pioneers of a new science based off age-old traditions of subsistence farming. Initiatives need to be taken in addressing a comprehensive framework to facilitate and encourage farmers to use agroforestry as an alternative to cash crops. Incentives need to include short-term economic and environmental benefits to stabilize poverty stricken communities in the periphery, while maintaining biodiversity and sustainable practices that will last for countless generations. The time has come for a new green revolution.