Human and Institutional Dimensions of Agroforestry

Valdivia, Corinne; Gold, Mike; Zabek, Lisa; Arbuckle, J. Gordon; Flora, C. B.

doi:10.2134/2009.northamericanagroforestry.2ed.c13

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…In a North American setting, Valdivia et al . (2009) summarized studies that found that on-farm diversification of enterprises or income sources was an important livelihood strategy for many farmers and many agroforestry practices could fulfill this strategy.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility and sustainability of agroforestry in temperate industrialized agriculture: preliminary insights from California

Brodt

Fontana

Archer

2019

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

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Intensive use of external inputs in specialized industrial farming systems has created significant socio-ecological externalities, including water and air pollution from nutrients and pesticides, soil erosion and depletion of carbon stocks, biodiversity loss and rising production costs. Ecological intensification is a strategy for reducing reliance on inputs by intentionally designing agroecosystems to harness biological processes and ecological relationships for the sustainable functioning of the system. Incorporating perennials and diversifying systems are two avenues for achieving ecological intensification, and both are characteristics of agroforestry. This preliminary report uses examples of agroforestry in the US state of California as a proof of concept to explore the agronomic and economic feasibility and sustainability benefits of agroforestry in intensive irrigated and temperate farming systems. An exploratory study of farmers experimenting with agroforestry systems and other agricultural professionals identified eight different variants of agroforestry systems being practiced on prime agricultural land in California, ranging from simple use of winter cover crops in orchards to multi-storied cropping systems with integrated grazing. Respondents noted benefits of reduced inputs and production costs, and better nutrient cycling, soil health and pest control. Trade-offs and challenges included increases in labor requirements and management complexity. Knowledge gaps included lack of guidance in biophysical systems design, lack of clarity about economic tradeoffs, and lack of information about ecosystem services benefits. In light of interviewees’ responses, we discuss the constraints and factors needed to foster the successful expansion of agroforestry systems in California and other regions characterized by industrialized farming.

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Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Feasibility and sustainability of agroforestry in temperate industrialized agriculture: preliminary insights from California

Brodt

Fontana

Archer

2019

Renew. Agric. Food Syst.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Research shows that aesthetics provided by practices such as vegetative buffers are preferred by rural residents [109]. There are also opportunities for recreation, including bird watching, nature hikes, and hunting [110].…”

Section: Benefits Of Agroforestrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Agroforestry—The Next Step in Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture

2016

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Agriculture faces the unprecedented task of feeding a world population of 9 billion people by 2050 while simultaneously avoiding harmful environmental and social effects. One effort to meet this challenge has been organic farming, with outcomes that are generally positive. However, a number of challenges remain. Organic yields lag behind those in conventional agriculture, and greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching remain somewhat problematic. In this paper, we examine current organic and conventional agriculture systems and suggest that agroforestry, which is the intentional combination of trees and shrubs with crops or livestock, could be the next step in sustainable agriculture. By implementing systems that mimic nature's functions, agroforestry has the potential to remain productive while supporting a range of ecosystem services. In this paper, we outline the common practices and products of agroforestry as well as beneficial environmental and social effects. We address barriers to agroforestry and explore potential options to alter policies and increase adoption by farmers. We conclude that agroforestry is one of the best land use strategies to contribute to food security while simultaneously limiting environmental degradation.

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“…To stop abandonment of rural areas, public and private support needs to be enhanced (Olper et al 2014). Agroforestry is one of the activities that could help to stimulate rural areas by providing additional employment and financial revenue in a sustainable way (Mercer et al 2014;Valdivia et al 2009;Rancane et al 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Farmers’ reasoning behind the uptake of agroforestry practices: evidence from multiple case-studies across Europe

Rois-Díaz

Lovrić

et al. 2017

Agroforest Syst

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Potential benefits and costs of agroforestry practices have been analysed by experts, but few studies have captured farmers' perspectives on why agroforestry might be adopted on a European scale. This study provides answers to this question, through an analysis of 183 farmer interviews in 14 case study systems in eight European countries. The study systems included high natural and cultural value agroforestry systems, silvoarable systems, high value tree systems, and silvopasture systems, as well as systems where no agroforestry practices were occurring. A mixed method approach combining quantitative and qualitative approaches was taken throughout the interviews. Narrative thematic data analysis was performed. Data collection proceeded until no new themes emerged. Within a given case study, i.e. the different systems in different European regions, this sampling was performed both for farmers who practice agroforestry and farmers who did not. Results point to a great diversity of agroforestry practices, although many of the farmers are not aware of the term or concept of agroforestry, despite implementing the practice in their own farms. While only a few farmers mentioned eligibility for direct payments in the CAP as the main reason to remove trees from their land, to avoid the reduction of the funded area, the tradition in the family or the region, learning from others, and increasing the diversification of products play the most important role in adopting or not agroforestry systems.

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Human and Institutional Dimensions of Agroforestry

Cited by 5 publications

References 39 publications

Feasibility and sustainability of agroforestry in temperate industrialized agriculture: preliminary insights from California

Feasibility and sustainability of agroforestry in temperate industrialized agriculture: preliminary insights from California

Agroforestry—The Next Step in Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture

Farmers’ reasoning behind the uptake of agroforestry practices: evidence from multiple case-studies across Europe

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