International Programs

International Centre for Research in Agroforestry

ICRAF has a global mandate for agroforestry research, with teams in 20 countries around the tropics. In the last four years, it has initiated a program to domesticate some of the many indigenous trees that local people use for food, medicines, and other products. /RRBL

The International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) is an autonomous, non-profit international research organization supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). ICRAF’s mission is to mitigate deforestation, land depletion and rural poverty through improved agroforestry systems. It seeks to achieve this by integrating woody perennials within farming systems to increase their productivity, profitability, sustainability, diversity of farm products and conservation of natural resources.

ICRAF characterizes farming and land-use systems and conducts ethnobotanical studies which focus on the criteria farmers use to select species for specific purposes. These studies allow an overview of local knowledge on aspects such as tree management, culture problems, propagation, uses and services. Within these activities, ICRAF has developed a methodology to select multi-purpose tree species which merit domestication. This has been carried out in the humid and semi-arid lowlands of West Africa, the Miombo woodlands of the southern African plateau, and western Amazonia. Domestication experiments are being initiated with the selected priority species.

The ICRAF Germplasm Resources Unit is responsible for the collection, documentation and conservation of germplasm of these priority species, as well as the exchange of germplasm for research purposes. ICRAF also investigates the interactions between trees and crops in agroforestry, improves agroforestry systems and assesses the impact of agroforestry on the social and economic welfare of farmers and on the environment.

In addition to its research activities, ICRAF organizes seminars and conferences, conducts training courses, maintains databases and produces a range of publications. For more information on the Agroforestree Database,Tree Seed Suppliers Directory and Agroforestry Today, see the Multimedia section of this Handbook.

© Dr. Anne-Marie Izac, Director of Research Division, ICRAF House, United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, P.O. Box 30677, Nairobi, Kenya;
Tel. +254.2.521450, Fax +254.2.521001,
E-mail a.izac@cgiar.org,
Website http://www.cgiar.org/icraf/

‘Perhaps nowhere in the world are trees so threatened – or so valuable – as they are in the harsh and dry Sahel of West Africa ...
However, many trees and shrubs are well adapted to the extremely harsh climatic conditions in these semi-arid tropics, and resource-poor farmers depend heavily on them for valuable products and services – not least of which are the food and nutritional security they have always afforded. Trees also provide valuable shade, help improve soils and check erosion. Farmers cut and burn trees and shrubs to clear lands for agriculture. Because of population pressure, farmers are reducing their fallow periods to a point where the soil can no longer recover its fertility between cropping cycles, and the traditional agroforestry – or parklands – system, with scattered trees being protected and managed in cropping land, is now threatened by the overexploitation of tree and shrub resources. The entire region is suffering extensive deforestation, especially around large urban areas, and the spectre of desertification is one that cannot be ignored.

Prosopis africana, one of the most valuable agroforestry tree species in the region, is seriously at risk in the face of the mounting need for its products and for land, both for grazing and for cropping.’

Tchoundjeu, Z., J. Weber and L. Guarino. 1997. Prosopis africana in the Sahel – the last stand? Agroforestry Today 9(2):18-20.

Edinburgh Centre for Tropical Forests

ECTF provides customers with a very broad range of expertise within a single organization. It undertakes a very wide range of research and development projects, from strategic research to reforestation projects, promoting carbon offsets and developing tree planting manuals for illiterate farmers. /RRBL

The Edinburgh Centre for Tropical Forests (ECTF) is a consortium that brings together the Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, LTS International Ltd., Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, UK Forestry Commission, and University of Edinburgh. Established in 1991, ECTF has conducted research, training and consultancy activities in over 80 countries. Its mission is to conserve and protect tropical forest ecosystems and biodiversity through sustainable management for the benefit of local people, developing nations and the international community. The member organizations work with international development agencies, governments, research and development institutions, NGOs and local communities and the private sector.

ECTF offers services in project planning and implementation, consultancy and project review. Areas of expertise fall into six general areas: (1) Forest Management: forest industry and marketing, tree improvement, silviculture, tree physiology, mycorrhizal fungi, insect pests and molecular diversity; (2) Agroforestry: rural development forestry, crop production and protection, soil management and land rehabilitation, horticulture, analysis of rural markets and marketing; (3) Biodiversity and Conservation: plant taxonomy, biodiversity assessment and prospecting, protected area planning and management, community forestry; (4) Social and Community Development: participatory learning and action, socio-economic modeling, resource economics, indigenous technology enhancement; (5) Global Environmental Studies: pollution and climate change, policy and institutional development, environmental assessments, remote sensing and GIS; (6) Education and Training: graduate and post-graduate courses in forestry, resource management, agroforestry, biodiversity, taxonomy, agriculture and related areas.

In association with the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Management, ECTF offers advice, analysis, monitoring, evaluation and management services to commercial companies wishing to offset carbon emissions through the establishment of trees in forestry or agroforestry systems.

© Ms. Kerry Mckay, Marketing and Administration Assistant, Edinburgh Centre for Tropical Forests, Pentlands Science Park,
Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0PH, UK;
Tel. +44.131.4400400, Fax +44.131.4404141,
E-mail mail@ectf-ed.org.uk,
Website http://www.nmw.ac.uk/ectf/

The term ‘carbon offset’ refers to the practice of creating tree plantations or maintaining natural forest as ‘sinks’ to absorb carbon produced by burning of fossil fuels.

‘Socio-economic agroforestry models are under development by the holistics systems group at Edinburgh. These involve modelling system choice expressed in a matrix of activity, constraint and motivation using a multiple objective approach. Results can be scaled up from individual farm households to regional scales by interfacing socio-economic models with biophysical models in a GIS framework.’

Fawcett, R.H., K. Nkowani and C.J.N Smith. 1997. Multiple objective socio-economic models of agroforestry systems. Agroforestry Forum 8(2):42-45.

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische
Zusammenarbeit

Among GTZ’s agroforestry efforts is a project on management of Argan woodlands (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels, Sapotaceae) in the Souss Plain of Morocco. Notoriously,difficult to regenerate, the Argan tree provides good timber, forage and, above all, seeds rich in edible argan oil. For more information, see page 36 of this Handbook. /GJM

Founded in 1975, GTZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit) is the development agency responsible for technical cooperation of the German government. It is involved in some 2200 projects in more than 140 countries of Africa, Asia, Latin America and Central Europe. Approximately 1500 GTZ expatriates and more than 4800 locally contracted staff work together in projects oriented towards economic, social, institutional, infrastructure, and human-resource development. The primary goal of these projects is to help improve people’s prospects for life and conserve the natural resources on which human life depends. GTZ aims to assist people in developing countries and their institutions to become independent of external aid.

Within GTZ, the Division of Forest Resources Management and Conservation of Nature is responsible for several bilateral programs that have a particular emphasis on biodiversity and non-cultivated plant resources. The Biodiversity Program funds pilot activities that focus on the implementation of the Biodiversity Convention within development cooperation. The Flanking Program for Tropical Ecology aims to increase the ecological sustainability of development projects. It provides funds for applied and interdisciplinary studies that are linked to GTZ projects and that fall within one of the following fields: soil fertility; ecology and plant protection; tropical forests; biodiversity, species and biotope conservation; and ecological economics. It also funds environmental education programs of local NGOs in partnership with either a German development organization or German NGO.

GTZ is involved in many agroforestry projects, including the ‘Project for Agroforestry Development in Rural Communities of Northwest Argentina’, initiated in 1992. The Project aims to improve the quality of life for small-scale farmers and indigenous peoples in the provinces of Jujuy and Salta. It promotes increased use of trees in farming systems to improve productivity and food security, and improved management of natural forests. The Project is one of the seven participating institutions in the Chaco Agroforestry Network. The Municipality and Environment Programme finances and gives technical assistance to local governments willing to undertake small projects with agricultural communities. For education and outreach, the Project produces a range of books, leaflets, tapes and videos. Desarrollo Agroforestal y Comunidad Campesina, published six times a year, features articles from throughout Latin America on progress and experiences in rural development, gender studies and agroforestry.

© GTZ, P.O. Box 5180, D 65726 Eschborn, Germany; Website http://www.gtz.de

© Dr. Claus Bätke, Tropical Ecology Support Program, Tel. +49.6196.794203,
Fax +49.6196.796190,
E-mail toeb@gtz.de or claus.baetke@gtz.de

© Dr. Burghard Rauschelbach, Implementing
the Convention on Biodiversity,
Tel. +49.6196.791356, Fax +49.6196.797151,
E-mail burghard.rauschelbach@gtz.de

© Dr. Cornelis van Tuyll, Division of Forest Resources, Tel. +49.6196.791425,
Fax +49.6196.797123,
E-mail cornelis.tuyll@gtz.de

© Mr. Chris van Dam, Proyecto Desarrollo Agroforestal, Casilla de Correo 559, 4400 Salta, Argentina; Tel./Fax +54.87.311354,
E-mail gtz@ciunsa.edu.ar

‘The paradigm that dominates forage and meat production on marginal lands eliminates possibilities for agroforestry, because good fattening of cattle cannot happen in managed natural forest. And it deforests precisely the Prosopis thorn forest that is most appropriate for an ecologically coherent system, closing forever the agroforestry option.’

Morello, J. 1995. Puede haber hoy desarrollo rural sostenible en Argentina? Desarrollo Agroforestal y Comunidad Campesina 17:2-6.

United States National Agroforestry Center

Currently, the change to more complex systems with non-linear configuration of trees in the landscape is more common in the tropics than in the temperate zone.

Will this change as carbon accounting and low input systems find a greater niche in temperate agriculture? The US NAC will be in the forefront of those providing an answer. /RRBL

The United States National Agroforestry Center (US NAC) seeks to accelerate the development and application of agroforestry technologies to attain economically, environmentally and socially sustainable ecosystems. The Center, a partnership of the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), acts as a contact point, clearinghouse and catalyst. It comprises three program areas: Technology Transfer and Application, Research and Development, and International Exchange.

The Center strives to stimulate innovation, build partnerships, develop concepts and leverage resources. It is part of a network which promotes agroforestry research and provides education and training. The Center has initiated a number of special projects to address specific needs. For example, the ‘Working Trees for Communities’ project is applying agroforestry technologies in communities living at the rural/urban interface and addresses other off-farm issues.

Although most of the Center’s activities are focused on the United States, the NAC International Agroforestry Program provides technical assistance and facilitates exchange between practitioners and scientists in the United States and overseas, through a partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The program focuses on the conservation of natural resources, environmental enhancement, and supply of natural resource products from agroforestry systems to households in both rural and urban settings. The goals of the program are to: (1) advance the science and practice of agroforestry in the United States and partner countries through technology exchange; (2) contribute to sustainable development through training practitioners in application of agroforestry technologies; and (3) develop working partnerships with organizations involved in application of agroforestry technologies worldwide. Liaison activities with the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) provide access to a network of natural resource professionals engaged in agroforestry research and training all over the world. A greater effort to link professionals interested in agroforestry in temperate zones is being made through the Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA), and the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations (IUFRO).

NAC publishes a quarterly newsletter, Inside Agroforestry, which reports on current news and events. It also produces a range of tools on agroforestry technologies, including videos, manuals and technical notes.

Dr. Sarah Workman, International Agroforestry Coordinator, National Agroforestry Center, USDA Forest Service, East Campus – UNL, Lincoln, Nebraska 68583-0822, USA;
Tel. +1.402.4375178,
Fax +1.402.4375712,
E-mail sworkman/rmrs_lincoln@fs.fed.us,
Website http://www.unl.edu/nac

 

‘Windbreaks are a good example of an agroforestry technology that sustainably provides both production and conservation attributes, while producing wood products, wildlife habitat, and increasing crop yields. Strategically located and properly designed, they can increase livestock weight gain by as much as 10 percent, while at the same time those same livestock will require significantly less feed. And, during severe weather years, tree windbreaks have increased crop productivity by as much as 33 percent. Alfalfa yields have increased by 12 percent and native tall grass yields by 100 percent! Furthermore, windbreaks can cut heating and cooling costs for homes by as much as 30 percent.

Yes, windbreaks, as well as other tree and shrub planting combinations, have an important role to play in today’s integrated agricultural systems. In the future, these systems will help reduce human impact on resources, while at the same time provide sufficient supplies of high quality food and fiber.

Trees and shrubs planted as windbreaks provide wind erosion control, improve crop yield, and enhance the quality of many wind-sensitive crops. Finally, windbreaks add beauty to the landscape and increase the value of the land - all contributing to a healthier, more pleasant sustainable ecosystem.'

National Agroforestry Center. 1995. Windbreaks in sustainable agriculture systems. Inside Agroforestry Fall:1-2.

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
Village and Farm Forestry Project

Although I am not personally familiar with agroforestry projects in Bangladesh, I am impressed with the sheer numbers of farmers, nurseries and NGOs involved in the VFFP. /RRBL

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) – established in 1961 by the Government of Switzerland as a specialized Directorate within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – provides technical and financial assistance as well as humanitarian aid to developing countries. SDC encourages developing countries to improve the living conditions of their populations and to accomplish development by their own efforts. It provides support bilaterally in some 50 countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America, as well as multilaterally through the specialized organizations of the United Nations as well as the Regional Development Banks and Fund.

Active in Bangladesh since 1972, SDC has developed a wide ranging and fruitful program of cooperation. In 1987, the SDC established the Village and Farm Forestry Project (VFFP) with the collaboration of ten local NGOs. Its objective is to help rural people in Bangladesh solve chronic problems such as low cash income, shortage of fuelwood and lack of sufficient fodder for farm animals. The VFFP encourages tree planting on private small holdings, including khetland (cropland) and bariland (homesteads). A key innovation is the concept of the ‘core farmer’ or ‘tree walla’, which refers to a villager who establishes a tree nursery with assistance from VFFP. The core farmer encourages villagers to plant trees, acts as an extension agent providing information, technical advice and motivation, and also monitors the project. To date, about 600,000 farmers have participated in the project, establishing 2400 tree nurseries.

Research activities focus on identifying the most appropriate species for different types of land and developing better agroforestry management practices. A network, set up in response to the interest expressed in replicating this work elsewhere, allows some 60 NGOs to receive training and advice, enabling them to begin their own projects. The Project produces technical manuals based on the experience gained from its work.

© Dr. Arifur Rahman Siddiqui, SDC-VFFP Coordination Office, House: 17, Road:
12, Pisciculture Housing Society,
Mohammadpur, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh;
Tel./Fax +880.2.810191,
E-mail sdcvffp@citechco.net

© Mr. Paul Egger, Head, Agricultural Services,
Swiss Development Cooperation,
Eigerstrasse 73, Bern CH-3003, Switzerland;
Tel. +41.31.613446,
Fax +41.31.613505

‘This TW [tree walla] was formerly a smuggler. He started out with a nursery of 8 decimals [0.08 acre], expanded to 26 decimals [0.26 acre] in the second year, and this year has started developing a much larger nursery on 110 decimals [1.1 acre] of land which he has leased for 3 years at a rent of 14,000 taka [US$300]. So far this year he has sold 38,000 taka [US$800] worth of seedlings but he plans to plant 100,000 seedlings in his new nursery this year. For this he will hire 5 labourers. His top selling species are mahogany, mango, guava, betelnut and jackfruit.

At his new nursery site he has constructed a gazebo to provide his customers with a shady place to sit... His 7 year old daughter is his constant companion in the nursery and is said to be an expert grafter.’

VFFP-SDC. 1995. Information Day on the Village and Farm Forestry Programme. Proceedings of a Workshop held on 25 January 1994. Dhaka, Village And Farm Forestry Project, Swiss Development Cooperation.