Advantages and limitations of agroforestry | Experts’ Opinions

Agroforestry is an old practice, but how does it work in the world’s current reality? The concept is defined as the deliberate integration of woody vegetation within agricultural activities. Although the roots of agroforestry can be traced back to ancient agriculture, the rising challenges related to climate change and food insecurity have made the practice grow in popularity today. Agroforestry leads to higher biomass production than treeless farmlands, which leads to more sustainable agriculture. While it offers advantages such as improved biodiversity, carbon capture, erosion control, and improved soil health, it also brings several challenges. To learn about these, read this article.

DevelopmentAid: What are the advantages and limitations of agroforestry?

“The advantages are that agroforestry systems offer several technical benefits for ecosystems. One of the primary advantages is enhanced soil structure and fertility. Trees contribute to nutrient cycling by drawing nutrients from deeper soil layers, which become available to crops when leaves and organic matter decompose. This reduces reliance on synthetic fertilizers. Agroforestry also improves water management through enhanced infiltration and reduced surface runoff, minimizing soil erosion and improving groundwater recharge. The integration of tree species increases biodiversity and promotes pest control by creating habitats for natural predators, reducing the need for chemical pesticides. Furthermore, agroforestry systems can sequester significant amounts of carbon, contributing to climate change mitigation by capturing atmospheric CO2 in biomass and soil organic matter.

The disadvantages of agroforestry are that, despite these benefits, agroforestry presents some technical challenges. One major issue is resource competition between trees and crops. Trees can compete with crops for light, water, and nutrients, which could reduce agricultural productivity if not properly managed. The design and management of agroforestry systems require specialized knowledge, particularly regarding tree-crop interactions, species selection, and spacing, which can be a barrier for widespread adoption. Another disadvantage is the extended time horizon needed to realize economic returns, as trees may take years to mature and provide valuable products such as timber or fruits. Additionally, the initial costs of establishing an agroforestry system, including planting and management, can be high, making it less attractive to farmers with limited capital or access to long-term financing.”

“Agroforestry has many advantages, particularly for small island developing states (SIDS) in the Caribbean region. Agroforestry supports biodiversity and improved forest cover and thus is efficient for climate change adaptation. Utilizing it serves as a contributor to food security and overall sustainability. Agroforestry is also useful for supporting economic livelihoods as small farmers can adopt technologies to support their livelihood while maintaining the forest cover in a sustainable manner, which includes the use of timber and non-timber forest products for art, craft, and furniture making, which supports industries such as food security, agriculture, manufacturing, and eco-tourism. Finally, agroforestry is useful for climate change adaptation and mitigation as trees sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thus reducing greenhouse gases. On the other hand, agroforestry also has some limitations. For the enforcement of environmental management, there has to be heavy investment in the compliance to land-use management policies by forest communities to enable long-term planning, and patience from farmers. This will require continued enforcement, investment in social and behavior change, social marketing, and awareness of sustainable forest management practices. There will be a need for buy-in from all parties involved, given that trees in agroforestry systems take time to reach maturity and provide significant benefits, requiring long-term planning and patience from small-scale farmers who are not at times patient due to their existing socio-economic status. In addition, there is a need for continued monitoring by agriculture-based organizations as agroforestry systems may be susceptible to pests and diseases that affect both trees and crops, requiring integrated pest management strategies.”

“Agroforestry provides key benefits such as:

• Improving biodiversity: In coffee plantations in Kenya, we are seeing the positive impact of agroforestry on local plants and animals after nearly 10 years of project implementation. By planting native trees in deforested areas, efforts are being made to restore biodiversity in landscapes that have been degraded by agricultural expansion.
• Improving soil structure: Agroforestry is particularly important for coffee and cocoa production in countries with steep slopes such as Colombia and Ghana. This altitude exposes farmers to soil erosion and landslides, making yield reliability extremely precarious. In this case, it is appropriate to plant trees that are particularly adapted to slopes that can provide essential nutrients to the soil, while strengthening the structure of thin soils to prevent degradation, erosion and landslides.

See also: Top 10 cocoa-producers and the issue of child labor in the industry

• Conserve water sources: Trees are essential for conserving water for growing grapes. Wine production in France is increasingly threatened by climate change, which is depleting groundwater sources and soil nutrients. Through agroforestry, we can plant tree species that keep water underground, while improving soil quality, contributing to nutrient cycling, and preventing erosion from further degrading the land.
• Support local livelihoods: Beyond the impact on the landscape, we combine our agroforestry projects with unique economic initiatives to support local livelihoods – including profitable opportunities through tree nurseries, fish farming, and beekeeping. We also plant specific trees that help farmers to diversify their income, such as popular fruit trees.

On the other hand, agroforestry has some disadvantages/limitations:

• Profitability and delayed return on investment: Although trees are profitable because they produce positive net values over time, the break-even point for some agroforestry systems does not occur for several years. One of the main disadvantages of agroforestry is its lower potential profitability than full-acre farming. The initial transition to agroforestry can be resource-intensive and temporarily reduce the profitability of a farm.
• Impact on crop yield: The potential competition of the selected species with each other and with crops, particularly for water, nutrients or sunlight. In some cases, trees can negatively impact the yield of field crops. Contributing factors include shading, which can limit the amount of sunlight available to crops, and increased competition for nutrients and water. In addition, trees can inadvertently create habitats for plant pests, which could pose new pest management challenges for producers.
• Reduced flexibility: Agroforestry systems introduce a degree of rigidity into farm management decisions. Because trees are planted as perennials, they require a long-term commitment. This limits the ability of farmers to quickly adapt their practices in response to changing market conditions.
• Complex management and knowledge: Agroforestry requires specific knowledge, tools and expertise to be effective. It is inherently more complex than monoculture and farmers must understand how animal and plant species interact as they attempt to manage the unique growth patterns and nutritional needs of both. The need for specialized knowledge to select compatible plant species, understand their life cycles, and implement effective intercropping strategies can be a significant barrier to the adoption and effective management of agroforestry systems, as can the requirements for pest and disease management.”

“Agroforestry is a science and practice that offers multiple benefits to farmers and the natural environment. Ideally, it can be practiced at a farmer’s home-garden level, and its prime advantages in a home garden agroforestry context are:

• To increase the livelihoods of small farmers at the home garden level through diversifying farming and forestry systems.
• To maintain but preferably increase environmental sustainability and climate resilience for improved sustainable production through the application of sound ecological processes.
• To improve the health and welfare of rural households by increasing food security and nutrition, and by the processing and marketing of fresh vegetables, fruits, and medicinal plants.
• To contribute to climate change mitigation through capturing more carbon from the ai,r resulting in reduced carbon emissions.
• To improve biodiversity, to enhance soil enrichment through nutrient recycling, and provide protection against wind and water erosion.

The disadvantages of agroforestry implementation at the home garden level are:

• Agroforestry is not an instant recipe for success: good planting material, soil conservation measures, and fertilization remain necessary.
• Technical know-how by the farmer is imperative to implement it successfully and sustainably in combination with a more medium to long-term mindset based on sustainable home garden agroforestry principles.

“Agroforestry has proven to be a game-changer worldwide, from North America to Africa, particularly because it creates favorable microclimates. By incorporating trees into their farming systems, farmers can reduce the impact of extreme temperatures, conserve soil moisture, and boost crop resilience. One successful example is the Farmer Natural Regeneration (FMNR), which is highly promoted in the Sahel region and has empowered farmers to restore degraded lands by encouraging the growth of native trees. These trees help to create microclimates that improve crop growth conditions for millet and sorghum, leading to better yields and enhanced food security. However, agroforestry presents challenges when applied to specific crops, such as cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire, the world’s leading cocoa producer. Traditional monoculture cocoa farming has contributed to deforestation, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. As farmers focus on increasing yields, forested areas have been cleared, exacerbating climate change and threatening the long-term sustainability of cacao farming.”

“Agroforestry is about planting trees within the agriculture space (crops and livestock), creating ecological and economic interactions within farming systems. One key incentive is the diversity of their uses in developing countries; fruit trees have been known to address food security among rural households, while providing income for women, who trade the fruits in local markets. Some tree species have medicinal properties and in rural areas, have been known to address several preventable and communicable diseases. Another opportunity is the setting up of an agroforestry tree nursery which could be an economic enterprise for rural women, as the majority of tree nurseries are managed by rural women, thereby providing an edge to the economic empowerment of women versus other land uses given the unequal distribution of benefits between men and women. Integrating Agroforestry in farming systems conserves soils against soil erosion, especially in mountainous and hilly terrains, thereby maintaining the soil structure, reducing runof,f and enhancing water retention. Some of the disadvantages may include the limited land acreage of the majority of smallholder farmers, which may not allow room to integrate an agroforestry tree establishment on the available land. For smallholder farmers who own less than two acres of land, it has been advised that agroforestry trees be planted at the edge of their land, although some find this a little challenging, as the majority of the farmers don’t see the immediate transitions of agroforestry trees into money that can meet household needs.”

“Agroforestry is a concept whereby trees and shrubs are integrated with crops or animal production systems to obtain environmental, economic, and social benefits in an ecologically sustainable way. This concept is based on agroecological technologies and provides many benefits, mainly:

• Environmentally friendly production technology
• Sustainable farm and social systems
• Improved natural resource management
• Biodiversity conservation

However, it can also cause harm, as planting shrubs and trees with a few non-native species impoverishes local biodiversity, transforms entire ecosystems, and causes social conflict between nature and agriculture, which affects food and economic/financial sustenance. This occurs because agroforestry only partially fulfills (in practice) the concept of agroecology. Agroecological technologies are based on the concept of ecosystem building, where the biotic subsystem is characterized by diversified populations sharing the same habitat(s). However, two different populations cannot occupy the same niche at the same time. This rule governs all interactions between species. The food web works through these interactions and is therefore affected by this rule. This is the most crucial point for agroecologists to maintain a balanced food web cycle in order to ensure appropriate plant nutrition. Although agroforestry practices improve biodiversity, they simultaneously impoverish it by using a limited number of species.”

DevelopmentAid: What are some successful case studies of agroforestry implementation, and what lessons can be learned from these to guide future efforts?

“One notable example of successful agroforestry is the EverGreen Agriculture Project in sub-Saharan Africa. In countries like Malawi, Niger, and Zambia, farmers integrated nitrogen-fixing trees such as Faidherbia albida into their farming systems. These trees improved soil fertility by capturing nitrogen from the air and releasing it into the soil, significantly boosting maize yields. This approach also enhanced drought resilience, as the deep roots of trees improved water infiltration and retention in the soil. A key lesson from this case is that selecting tree species that complement local crops and ecological conditions can optimize productivity and sustainability. Another successful case is the Hillside Agroforestry Project in the Philippines, where farmers planted trees on steep slopes to combat soil erosion while intercropping with fruits and vegetables. The trees stabilized the soil and reduced landslides, while the multi-layered cropping system increased food production. The project’s success highlights the importance of agroforestry in preventing land degradation in vulnerable regions. Additionally, it underscores the value of agroforestry as a tool for enhancing both environmental sustainability and local food security. In Costa Rica, shade-grown coffee systems demonstrate how agroforestry can generate economic and ecological benefits. By incorporating shade trees, farmers improved the coffee quality while enhancing biodiversity and creating a microclimate that reduced the need for chemical inputs. This approach has proven to be commercially viable and ecologically beneficial.”

“In Jamaica, agroforestry practices play a significant role in promoting sustainable agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and climate resilience. All successful case studies of agroforestry implementation in Jamaica were undertaken under the guidance of government-led agencies in partnership with international development agencies, local civil society actors, and community groups such as farmer-based organizations (FBOs). The Forestry Department is the Executive Agency charged with managing and conserving Jamaica’s forest resources, particularly those found on public land. The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) in Jamaica utilizes the Farmer Field School methodology to promote climate-smart innovations in agroforestry and intercropping to optimize land use and sustainable land management practices. RADA has partnered with governmental and non-governmental organizations to implement agroforestry projects that enhance farmers’ capacity for climate-smart farming methods, improve landscape resilience, and boost the economic livelihoods of farmers through the development of long-term sustainable fruit trees.”

“Here are some successful case studies of agroforestry implementation, and the lessons that can be learned from them to guide future efforts.

• The Green Wall in Sahelian Africa. Dryland degradation is estimated to cost between USD 6.3 and 10.6 trillion per year, and 50 million people could be displaced in the next 10 years because of it. Eleven sub-Saharan countries of the Great Green Wall (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan) have implemented land restoration and sustainable management activities in the Sahara and the Sahel to mitigate, adapt to and build resilience to climate change, combat desertification, preserve biodiversity and ensure sustainable development.

See also: Great Green Wall – Africa’s remedy for climate change?

• An agroforestry model in the Brazilian Amazon. Farmers in Tomé-Açu, in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, have developed a farmer-managed agroforestry model, SAFTA, which combines market-oriented agroforestry systems with local agribusiness, adding value to agroforestry products and encouraging exports to national and global markets. This model consists of a transitional agroforestry system that combines short-term annual crops, medium-term perennial crops, and tree species used to produce timber and fruit, which is a long-term crop.
• TerraFund for AFR100. Since its inception in 2021, this program has funded and worked with the top 100 restoration champions across 27 African countries. The program is now ready to invest in other non-profits and for-profit companies. Locally-led organizations restoring land in three landscapes are eligible for this opportunity: Lake Kivu and Rusizi River Basin in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda, Cocoa Belt in Ghana, Great Rift Valley in Kenya.”

“Agroforestry at the home garden level can yield sustainable returns to farmers while preserving the environment. I can confirm this based on my experience as a development practitioner implementing various projects and programs with international non-governmental organizations in countries in South and Southeast Asia (Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Thailand). It is essential to design and roll-out an appropriate process for this to make it effective on the ground through home garden space planning and suitable training and demonstrations of best practices, led by a leading farmer, with other farmers applying the practice after this experiential learning.”

“One promising example is the promotion of moringa, often called the “miracle tree”, in agroforestry. Moringa has emerged as an ideal candidate for agroforestry systems thanks to its resilience and many uses. Moringa thrives in tropical and subtropical climates, and its growing popularity across Africa highlights its potential benefits for both farmers and the environment. In countries like Burkina Faso, Senegal, and Mali, moringa has been incorporated into agroforestry to combat soil degradation, improve yields, and diversify incomes. Farmers often plant moringa alongside crops like millet and sorghum, benefiting from its ability to improve soil health. Additionally, rich in vitamins and minerals, moringa leaves offer essential nutrition to communities. But it is not just about nutrition. The seeds and leaves of moringa also provide valuable commercial opportunities, making it a cornerstone of sustainable farming with wide-reaching benefits for both health and livelihoods.”

“The fruits from trees such as mango, jackfruit, avocado, soursop, and others have been used as food for the majority of the rural households to improve nutrition and thereby address food security concerns of women and children in the community. Furthermore, some of these fruit trees are a source of income for rural women who trade fruits in their local markets and roadside markets or sell them to city traders. This represents the economic empowerment of women who use agroforestry nursery bed establishment as a source of income. Therefore, integrating these trees into agriculture land use will address food security and increase income among rural households.”

“One emerging sustainable agroforestry approach by small-scale farmers in West Africa, relevant in this era of climate change, is the Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) approach. This approach incorporates natural resource management practices by pruning shrubs to become trees. In an era of climate uncertainty resulting in prolonged dry seasons in West Africa, nurturing and transplanting tree species have become more expensive, with very poor survival rates. The benefits of the FMNR approach are numerous and can be categorized into four broad areas: support services (conservation of biodiversity, protection of land cover, biological pest control, carbon sink, nutrient cycling, and pollination), the provision of services (increased access to natural genetic materials, including wild food/fruits, medicinal products, fuel, and building materials; provision of shade and shelter for animals), protection services (erosion control, protection of water quality, and water retention in the soil), and cultural services (maintenance of native habitat, spiritual and religious values, recreation, aesthetic landscape, and tourism). The major challenges of the FMNR approach include frequent bushfires and the invasion of reptiles like snakes due to the conducive environment. A key lesson from the FMNR approach is that developing FMNR activities within the context of the cultural and religious practices of participating communities enhances the adoption and sustainability of the practice.”

See also: Food for thought: the role of healthy nutrition in the economic development of low-income countries | Experts’ Opinions

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