Agroforestry potential in the southeastern United States: perceptions of landowners and extension professionals

The first steps in developing an agroforestry extension and training program involve compilation, synthesis, and analysis of current knowledge on existing practices. Equally important is to understand the perceptions of landowners and professionals of agroforestry as a land use option. No systematic effort has been made to assess these critical issues in the southeastern United States. Therefore, needs assessment surveys were developed following an analysis of major demographic issues that frame land use in the region and synthesis of information obtained from informal site visits and interviews with people engaged in resource and land use in the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain. Surveys of extension professionals and landowners were then undertaken in the states of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia to represent the southeastern region. In addition to getting insights into the perceived benefits and concerns about agroforestry practices, the surveys indicated that the extent of alley cropping, forest farming and silvopasture practiced by landowners was less than anticipated, and that the prominence of windbreaks was overlooked by professionals. Managed riparian forest buffers or streamside management zones and windbreak technologies were the most widely used forms of agroforestry in the study area, although landowners did not recognize influence of agroforestry practices on quality or quantity of water among benefits of highest importance to them. Multistrata patio- or home gardens were also a prominent landowner-practice and acknowledged by professionals. These survey results can be useful for developing a relevant agroforestry extension and training program in the subtropical Southeast and may be of interest to agroforestry efforts in other similar settings. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Agroforestry education and training programs: an overview

Agroforestry has been incorporated in education and training programs at an unprecedented level since 1982. A survey of educational institutions conducted by ICRAF in 1987 revealed that agroforestry is found as an option for specialization in undergraduate as well as in postgraduate M.Sc, diploma programs in forestry, agriculture, natural resources, and others. Courses and special seminars in agroforestry are organized in degree programs. Full undergraduate and postgraduate programs in agroforestry are being formulated and implementation started in quite a few universities, and many students are choosing agroforestry-oriented research projects for their dissertations. A good setting for higher degree training in agroforestry requires, however, staffing from combined faculties of at least agriculture, animal science and forestry; faculty commitment to a farming systems approach; and inter-departmental cooperation in teaching and research. It was difficult to asses whether these and other elements are present in existing programs where agroforestry has been incorporated. Emerging trends indicate that traditional forestry programs are broadening the scope of the discipline (from forests to integrated land-use systems) while agriculturists are recognizing that trees play important roles as soil improvers and protectors, fodder, food, fuel and other domestic and commercial purposes. New institutional structures are evolving to allow for educational programs with coursework and research projects spanning many disciplines. Nondegree training in agroforestry has seen an upsurge of activities equal, if not larger, to that in education. Attempts are being made by different institutions worldwide to inventory training opportunities; still the collection and dissemination of information is difficult. Efforts are needed at the international, regional, and national levels, to address training issues that if addressed collectively can improve the quality and effectiveness of human resource development efforts. ICRAF's approach to promote agroforestry research through education and training is an example of an action program currently under application.     

Factors constraining and enabling agroforestry adoption in Viet Nam: a multi-level policy analysis

Agroforestry is known to have multiple economic and environmental benefits. Despite this, the adoption of agroforestry in Viet Nam is limited both in extent and diversity of components and practices. Our study identified gaps for agroforestry adoption in current policies and policy implementation. National policy and provincial instructions and decisions were reviewed and discussed during ten stakeholders’ consultation workshops. The review and workshops concluded that there were no specific national and few provincial specific policies promoting agroforestry. In addition, the segregation of policies into agriculture and forestry, promoted monoculture practices and discouraged the integration of mixed annual and perennial tree species. Completing the forestland allocation process was considered essential for long-term investment on land and providing collateral for loans. More holistic policies, such as a provincial strategy for agroforestry development that would enable flexible integration of agriculture, forestry and livestock were perceived to be more effective and inclusive to poor and non-poor farmers. Specific cross-cutting budget allocation would be necessary for capacity building, upscaling agroforestry models, procurement of high-quality inputs, and establishing post-harvest processing and marketing investments.     

Economic aspects of agroforestry

Agroforestry is analysed by means of economic concepts. The paper is mainly theoretical, since there are little adequate data to test the conceptual framework.Agroforestry needs not be limited to integration of agriculture and forestry on a plot, but may also include integration on a holding. Design and evaluation of agroforestry systems require thorough knowledge of relationships between agriculture and forestry. Complementary and supplementary relationships, mainly resulting from biological factors, were identified, which make agroforestry an efficient system of land use.Agroforestry can be an appropriate technology in areas with fragile ecosystems and subsistence farming. The objectives of participants in an agroforestry programme may not coincide with social objectives, and so do not lead to the socially optimum combination of agriculture and forestry. For that social optimum institutional arrangements will often be required.This paper is s shortened updated version of part of a lecture series on agroforestry, organized by the Departments of Forestry, Agricultural University, Wageningen [29].The author thanks his colleagues C.P. Veer and K.F. Wiersum for helpful comments.     

Agroforestry and the environment

Agroforestry is a traditional land use system that may contribute to the solution of environmental problems in agriculture. Agroforestry is the practice of deliberately integrating woody vegetation (trees or shrubs) with crops and/or animal systems to benefit from the resulting ecological and economic interactions. Recent research indicates that a wider adoption of agroforestry principles and practices is a key means by which the global agri-food sector might achieve more sustainable methods of food and fiber production by producing both economic benefits for farmers and environmental benefits for society. Agroforestry provides numerous provisioning, regulating, cultural and supporting ecosystem services and environmental benefits while promoting eco-intensification based on a more efficient use of the resources. Nevertheless, there is only little published recent information on the contribution of agroforestry to the environment in general and on climate change, carbon sequestration and forest fires in particular. In this special issue a number of articles are included that provide a kaleidoscope of the environmental benefits that agroforestry provides to the environment.

     

Agroforestry: working trees for sequestering carbon on agricultural lands

Agroforestry is an appealing option for sequestering carbon on agricultural lands because it can sequester significant amounts of carbon while leaving the bulk of the land in agricultural production. Simultaneously, it can help landowners and society address many other issues facing these lands, such as economic diversification, biodiversity, and water quality. Nonetheless, agroforestry remains under-recognized as a greenhouse gas mitigation option for agriculture in the US. Reasons for this include the limited information-base and number of tools agroforestry can currently offer as compared to that produced from the decades-worth of investment in agriculture and forestry, and agroforestry’s cross-cutting nature that puts it at the interface of agriculture and forestry where it is not strongly supported or promoted by either. Agroforestry research is beginning to establish the scientific foundation required for building carbon accounting and modeling tools, but more progress is needed before it is readily accepted within agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation programs and, further, incorporated into the broader scope of sustainable agricultural management. Agroforestry needs to become part of the agricultural tool box and not viewed as something separate from it. Government policies and programs driving research direction and investment are being formulated with or without data in order to meet pressing needs. Enhanced communication of agroforestry’s carbon co-benefit, as well as the other benefits afforded by these plantings, will help elevate agroforestry awareness within these discussions. This will be especially crucial in deliberations on such broad sweeping natural resource programs as the US Farm Bill.     

A socio-demographic examination of the perceived benefits of agroforestry

Agroforestry has been suggested to produce an array of ecological and socio-economic benefits that not only reach their adopters, but society as a whole. In spite of strong evidence of the benefits of agroforestry, there is a lack of understanding of the public perceptions of those benefits, which prevents the development of benefit-based promotion strategies of agroforestry products. Thus, this study examines the awareness of these benefits among residents and explores whether perceptions vary across individuals with different socio-demographic characteristics. An on-line platform was used to survey three panels of residents from Missouri, Pennsylvania and Texas. Overall, respondents had a neutral perception of the importance of the ecological and socio-economic benefits that agroforestry farms provide to society when compared to farms employing conventional agricultural practices. These results stress the need to increase public awareness of agroforestry practices and their benefits to more strategically position their products among the final consumer. Gender, education level, and residence location were significantly associated with the perceived ecological benefits produced by agroforestry farms and to a lesser extent with the socio-economic benefits. Results also showed that females and young individuals have a greater awareness of several benefits produced by agroforestry farms. Critical marketing implications to stimulate the purchase of agroforestry products (e.g., berries, nuts) among specific groups of consumers are discussed.     

Agroforestry opportunities for the United States of America

Agriculture in the United States makes intensive use of large portions, of the nation's arable landscape. This landscape is dominated by large fields of annual crops with few perennial buffering communities within them. Agroforestry systems such as riparian buffers, alleycropping, windbreaks, tree/pasture systems, and forest farming provide buffering opportunities within these landscapes. Riparian buffers and alleycropping systems provide two unique opportunities toward sustainable production by reducing nonpoint source pollution while increasing ecological diversity. The major impediment to agroforestry in the United States is a lack of identity. Agroforestry as a practice is not officially recognized by federal and most state agencies and thus does not qualify for cost-share support or funding for research and establishment of demonstrations. A recent white paper, prepared by representatives from government agencies, academic institutions, and nongovernment organizations, identified eight major actions that could provide the support, for making agroforestry an acceptable alternative to nonsustainable agriculture. Ames, Iowa. Project No. 3209.Journal paper no. J-16071 of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiement Station, Ames, Iowa. Project No. 3209.     

一门新兴学科——农用林业

本文介绍了农用林业的含义。作者指出,农用林业能够提高土地利用率、单位面积经济效益和改善环境。它将成为今后世界,特别是发展中国家农林业发展的重要途径之一。农用林业已经成为一门新兴的综合性学科,受到广泛的重视。     

Agroforestry practice and policy in the United States of America

Agroforestry practices and the policies influencing development and adoption within the United States are reviewed. Agroforestry is defined as ‘intensive land-management systems that optimize the benefits from biological interactions created when trees and/or shrubs are deliberately combined with crops and/or livestock’. The five agroforestry systems identified as having importance in the US are tree-agronomic crop systems (alley cropping and intercropping), riparian vegetative buffer strip systems, tree-animal systems (silvopasturing), forest/speciality crop systems (forest farming) and windbreak systems (shelterbelts). A lack of federal policy relating specifically to agroforestry exists. If agroforestry is to achieve its full potential in the United States, adequate financial, institutional and technical support for its development must be provided.     

Agroforestry for soil health

Healthy soil is one of the most critical resources for the health and sustainability of ecosystems, including agroecosystems. Although the agroforestry community has long been convinced of the soil health benefits of agroforestry practices, many of such practices remain to be fully accepted by the mainstream agriculture community. Agroforestry, as a sustainable land management practice, has shown solid evidence of its role in improving soil quality and health based on at least four decades of data gathered from the world over. This thematic issue presents 28 papers that add further to the body of knowledge to reaffirm that agroforestry can improve the major measurable soil metrics that define soil health. Collectively, these papers show that agroforestry has the ability to (1) enrich soil organic carbon better than monocropping systems, (2) improve soil nutrient availability and soil fertility due to the presence of trees in the system, and (3) enhance soil microbial dynamics, which would positively influence soil health. It is imperative that agroforestry, as part of a multifunctional land-use strategy, should receive increased attention in our policy discussion for the future of soil and soil health.     

Farmer’s Perception of and Factors Influencing Agroforestry Practices in the Indus River Basin,Pakistan

Agroforestry practices of farming communities are investigated in southern Punjab province, Pakistan. It is hypothesized that rural people of this areas are more inclined than elsewhere in the province to practice agroforestry due to greater profitability than cropping. A landholder survey revealed that the majority of farmers are inclined to plant trees on their land. Low accessibility of institutional credit is a constraint for both agroforestry farmers (AF) and non-agroforestry farmers. However, among AF respondents only 24% were found to need credit for agroforestry practice, as against nearly 76% for crop production. Mostly farmers were found to have positive perceptions regarding agroforestry practice, because they understand the multiple benefits from growing trees, compared with cropping where farmers face various constraints, including poor access to credit, natural hazards, and little support from local authorities. Further, effort to sensitize farmers that growing trees has multiple benefits compared to only cultivation of field crops can bring about change in farmer’s perceptions and attitudes in the Indus River basin, resulting in motivation for agroforestry adoption.     

Agroforestry and its application in amelioration of saline soils in eastern China coastal region

Some environmental problems, especially soil salinity hinder the regional sustainable development of eastern China coastal region. Salinity mainly comes from tide weave, seawater flooding and seawater intrusion. Over exploitation of groundwater,which is the result of unfitful land use systems, leads to seawater intrusion and salt concentration increase. Agroforestry systems can enrich soil fertility and prevent soil salinization, furthermore help maintain biodiversity and enhance productivity. For the intergrated multiple ecosystems the most critical issue is to select optimum tree species and rationally arrange these plants. The basics of this multiple ecosystem is that different plants will occupy variable ecological niches within an area, both in space and in soil depth.Shelterbelts and trees intercropping with agricultural crops are major types of the multiple ecosystem. Shelterbelts can reduce wind speed and consequently lessen evaporation and erosion of the soil, increase pasture growth by up to 60% on exposed sites, increase crop yields by up to 25%. Besides intercropping with jujube, other agroforestry multiple ecosystem such as forestry plus agriculture,forestry plus agriculture plus fishery, and forestry plus animal husbandry are the most appropriate ways to utilise land resource in this region.     

Role of foresters' perspectives in orienting agroforestry programmes

The foresters' perspectives of agroforestry is an important aspect that can influence strategies concerned with agroforestry uptake by the farmers. Keeping this in view the empirical studies of foresters' perspective of agroforestry have gained considerable importance. Present study, therefore, investigates foresters' perspectives on different aspects related to agroforestry. This study was conducted in Mandi district located in Indian Western Himalayan province of Himachal Pradesh. Not only the traditional forest management but also agroforestry training of foresters has remained oriented towards learning silvi-technical (plantation management and nursery management) rather than extension (social) and agricultural aspects. Consequently, there was a felt need amongst foresters for training in extension and agricultural aspects for effective implementation of agroforestry programmes. This provides a window of opportunity for re-orienting their training curriculum towards learning extension (social) and agricultural besides the silvi-technical skills. For effective implementation of agroforestry programmes the manpower requirement, particularly that of extension specialist and well trained agroforesters, of the department needs to be estimated and strategy should be devised to minimise political interference. The study emphasises a need for interaction between foresters and farmers, mechanism for better co-ordination with other departments and absolving agroforesters of their policing role for effective planning and implementation of agroforestry programmes. There were significant variations in the opinion of forestry staff about the effectiveness of various strategies to meet farmers tree-based needs, increase tree cover in the state and expected plantation survival rate. There were significant variations in the opinion of foresters about the different factors discouraging private tree growing but ‘restriction on felling green trees growing on private land and selling them in the market’ was viewed as the most important factor. “Provision of incentives to the villagers for tree growing on private land” was the major factor from the foresters' perspective that will encourage tree growing on private land. As there was a lack of congruence of foresters' perception on majority of issues pertaining to agroforestry, a need to incorporate the uniform understanding of issues pertaining to agroforestry amongst the foresters was emphasised. This study also identifies a need to investigate the perspectives staff of agriculture, horticulture departments for better planning and execution of agroforestry programmes, and their uptake by the farmers.     

Agroforestry education and training: a contemporary view

Most of the existing agroforestry courses have arisen opportunistically and tend to be based on the form that agroforestry takes, rather than on the way agroforestry practices function. Yet agroforestry research is beginning to supply ideas and information about the core issues (e.g., how woody and non-woody intercrops behave in terms of environmental resource capture, and how this can be influenced by the biology of the plant components and management). Similarly, recent socioeconomic research on agroforestry issues reveals dynamic systems of resource access, use, and control at various levels of human organization over time. It is true also that, because they were undertaken with different objectives in mind, the concepts derived from many decades of research in ecology, agriculture, and forestry still need to be reshaped for agroforestry situations. Likewise, socioeconomic content needs to move towards teaching the dynamics of decision-making, innovation, and change rather than describing static situations. This reshaping process itself offers exciting possibilities for educators who, thereby, could influence the course of research.These issues are briefly discussed in relation to the integration and development of research and teaching, and the needs of students and agroforestry professionals for educational and training courses. A draft proposal for the future of agroforestry at Cornell University is also outlined as a model for implementing such an approach.     

Prospects for easing land tenure conflicts with agroforestry in Mediterranean France: a research approach for intercropped timber orchards

Agroforesty plots offer the opportunity to combine annual agricultural production and long-term wood capitalization. The fallow scheme now in operation in Europe intends to reduce the surplus of agricultural products. Agroforestry management could be a valuable alternative to fallow or to forestry plantations on agricultural land.Agroforestry is attractive to agricultural landowners in Mediterranean France, as agroforestry stands are less costly than forestry plantations, are less prone to fire hazards, provide agricultural returns from intercropping during the first twenty years and have many environmental benefits.An experimental network of on-farm agroforestry plots has been set up since 1988 in the Mediterranean part of France. These plots include grazed paddocks (silvopastoral systems) and ungrazed fields (silvoarable systems). They gained support both from landowners and tenants: the former expect a high value treestock, while the latter have a free use of the space between plantation lines. Plantations have been designed to allow easy mechanical intercropping. First results from two experimental sites are discussed. The growth of the trees in the agroforestry plots is much higher than in the control forestry plots.     

Socioeconomic research in agroforestry: a decade in review

Agroforestry research in academia and government and non-governmental agencies began by focusing on biophysical aspects. As this science represents a series of practices implemented by individual farmers, it requires in-depth social and economic analyses to assess economic feasibility of agroforestry systems, factors influencing the adoption of agroforestry, monitor the relevance and effectiveness of investigations, and guide future research efforts. This study presents literature dealing with socioeconomic issues in agroforestry research from interdisciplinary peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and gray literature from 1992 to 2002. Over 500 publications were analyzed to determine relative dominance of geographical regions, types of analyses, agroforestry technologies, and socioeconomic issues. Trends were examined over time and by region. Overall, the body of literature exhibits an increasing trend toward regional and analytical diversity over time. Some deficiencies of regional and thematic nature were observed, which included underrepresented temperate regions and technologies such as riparian buffers, as well as only a small number of papers dealing with gender and property rights. These suggest opportunities for future investigations.     

Agroforestry research in India: a brief review

India's long tradition of agroforestry has been influenced by numerous religious, social, and economic factors. Several indigenous agroforestry systems, based on peoples' needs and site-specific characteristics, have developed over the years. Agroforestry research was initiated in the country about two decades ago; since then, considerable progress has been achieved. The interactions between and among the tree, crop, grass, and animal components have been studied, and several agroforestry technologies have been developed and tried on farmers' lands. Agroforestry research is now conducted under the auspices of the All India Coordinated Agroforestry Research Project of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at 31 centers distributed over India's tropical and temperate regions. In addition to research, the program includes agroforestry training of farmers, technicians, and scientists at 28 centers throughout the country. Expectations from agroforestry are high in India in both rural and urban areas; these expectations include production benefits that are in harmony with the ecology, environment, traditions, and heritage of the country.     

A Case Study Assessment of Agroforestry

Summary

Finding sustainable land-use systems within the Panama Canal Watershed will be necessary for future management by the Panamanian government. Agroforestry is a land-use option for small-scale farmers living within the Watershed that can help achieve the goals of both conservation and productivity. This case study qualitatively evaluates current agroforestry projects in the Canal Watershed using an analytical framework based on other evaluations of agroforestry systems in Central America. Designated criteria for the analysis include: management objectives, project life span, incentives, technology, economic feasibility, community involvement, and extension. These factors can present obstacles to wide-scale adoption of agroforestry systems by small-scale farmers, thus preventing the realization of associated benefits of agroforestry. The analysis of the three field sites visited in March 1998 is followed by recommendations for expanding agroforestry practices among farmers in the Watershed.     

中国亚热带东部地区的主要农用林业模式

在对我国亚热带东部地区的农用林业进行全面调查研究的基础上,按照国际农用林业研究委员会的农用林业分类系统,并参照有关文献,对该区现有的农用林业模式进行了分类和描述。结果表明,该区的农用林业模式种类丰富,模式的组成成分多种多样。其中有些模式规模较大,历史悠久。已经产生了巨大的社会、生态和经济效益。建议今后要加强对农用林业的研究,不断创立和优化适宜的农用林业模式。为实现农林牧副渔各业发展创造条件。