Agroforestry: a productivity and resilience booster
Who are we? One of the 15 CGIAR research centres employing about 500 scientists and other staff. We generate knowledge about the diverse roles that trees play in agricultural landscapes We use this research to advance policies and practices that benefit the poor and the environment. 2
We seek answers to this challenge: by 2050, we need to Double world food production on ~ the same amount of land Make farms, fields and landscapes more resistant to extreme weather, while massively reducing GHG emissions. 3
Global forest cover
Prevalence of trees on farms
The full view shows that trees
and people cohabit everywhere. Global population density
There s a reason for that. Trees work.
What is Agroforestry?
agroof Liagre F., personal communication
Why?
% of sunlight used by photosynthesis Agroforestry 0 10 20 30 40 100 80 60 40 20 0 20 40 60 80 100 Forestry 0 0 20 40 60 80 100 Agriculture 0 Light intercepted : Walnut : Wheat : Walnut Wheat 0.73 Not used 0.66 10 Year 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
Drought protection of trees Forestry: most roots close to surface Agroforestry: most roots at depth Root density: meters of rootlets /m3 of soil Root density: meters of rootlets /m3 of soil Depth (cm) Depth (cm)
Poitou-Charente (France) 160 Ha farm: Agroforestry: 62 Ha wheat & walnut/wild cherry, 7090 trees Ha-1 Forestry: 10 Ha walnut, 200 trees Ha-1 Both planted 38 years ago agroof Liagre F., personal communication
Poitou-Charente (France) Impact on income: Woody biomass identical in AF and forest plots (2014) Wheat yield ~ identical in AF and conventional plots for first 25 years - except in drought years, when AF yield higher than conventional yield AF plots converted to hay pastures now. Timber harvest starting from 2014 value ~ 2,000,000 Impact on soil: Soil organic carbon in AF plot doubled in 25 years. Less erosion, higher water percolation in AF plot
Then... Zinder, Niger, 1980s
... and now. Zinder, Niger, today. These 5 million hectares of new agroforest parklands are yielding 500,000 tonnes more than before. (Reij, 2012)
Key concept: the Land Equivalency Ratio
Willow alley cropping (Wakelyns, UK)
Wakelyns bottom line
It works even on rented land Whitehall farm, Cambs. (UK) 100 Ha cereal farm 15 year tenancy Fruit apple alleys set up 27 m alleys mean 24m cereal alleys (machinery) and 3m for pollinators Established to combat high wind erosion; boost biodiversity; use nutrients from deeper soil column; use more sunlight and water 92% of the area brings yearly crop income, 8% bring high fruit income
Whitehall s bottom line
LERs greater than 1, even in the EU Graves et al. (2007b)
The key agroforestry input: skill. Proportion of farmers Agroforestry Monocrop Total biomass yield
Selected yields by farm size Smallest ¼ of all farms Largest ¼ of all farms FAO, State of Food and Agriculture 2014
agroof
2009/2010 season; data from 6 Malawian districts Farmer plot management Sampling Frequency Mean (Kg/Ha) Standard error Maize without fertiliser 36 1322 220.33 Maize with fertiliser 213 1736 118.95 Maize with fertiliser trees 72 3053 359.8 3071 264.31 Maize with fertiliser trees & fertiliser 135 Mwalwanda, A.B., O. Ajayi, F.K. Akinnifesi, T. Beedy, Sileshi G, and G. Chiundu 2010 13
Oil palm, Brazil Oil palms intercropped with annuals for first 3-4 years (cassava, maize, short-cycle legumes) Mixed with other trees : Fruit: cacao, açaí (euterpe oleracea), banana Timber, N-fixing trees Intense management, slash-andmulch Planted in early 2008 Plot 1 (81 plants/ha) Plot 2 (99 pl/ha) Plot 3 (99 pl/ha) Monocrop (143 pl/ha) 8 tons ha-1 yr-1 6.4 tons ha-1 yr-1 8.7 tons ha-1 yr-1 5 tons ha-1 yr-1
Sumatra (Indonesia) Rubber plantation Improved germplasm jungle rubber garden Farm/plantation size 1,000 15,000 Ha 3 5 Ha Income after costs Ha-1 Yr -1 (USD) ~ 800 ~ 3,000 N of value chains 1 > 10 Biodiversity ratio (compared to biodiversity of undisturbed local land) ~ 2% ~ 60% Phytosanitation use High Low to nil Social costs Medium to high Low to nil Environmental costs Very high Low Leakey, 2012
Climate change
Mitigation? Adaptation? Improved adaptive capacity of the society [A] Improved agricultural productivity [A] Enhanced ecosystem services and goods availability [A] Biodiversity conservation [A] Improved carbon sink management [M] Improved livelihood [A] Diminished release of GHG to the Atmosphere [M] Minimized deforestation and forest degradation [M] Sustainable forest management [M] Better landscape management [M] [A] Soil and water conservation [A] Agroforestry [M] [A] Afforestation and reforestation [M] Reduced loss of soil carbon stock [M] Enhances carbon sinks [M]
Ag and LULUCF emissions: huge 30.9% 5) Including agricultural waste burning and savannah burning (non-co2). CO2 emissions and/or removals from agricultural soils are not estimated in this database. 6) Data include CO2 emissions from deforestation, CO2 emissions from decay (decomposition) of above-ground biomass that remains after logging and deforestation, and CO2 from peat fires and decay of drained peat soils. Chapter 9 reports emissions from deforestation only. IPCC AR4 GHG emissions by sector in 2004 [Figure 1.3b].
Trees = locked up carbon
Huge mitigation potential EU-28 total emissions (excl. LULUCF), mln T CO2-eq. Aertsens et al. estimate: 1400 mln T/year Source: European Environmental Agency European agroforestry s potential amounts to 1/3rd of European Union emissions!
Encouraging farmers?
Mapping soil organic carbon Mapping SOC Stocks using high resolution (QuickBird) satellite image A landscape level SOC stocks mapping can be made using medium resolution satellite imagery such as ASTER and Landsat SOC stocks in the mid Yala, western Kenya. The effect of cloud is masked as no data
95% correlation between sat and lab
Adaptation
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C3/C4 plant productivity versus T Wheat Maize T (C)
Microclimatic effect of canopy shade Lower T extends the crops grain-filling period. Source: CIMMYT
Environmental services
Reduced nitrogen leaching Kg / ha / Yr Average nitrate leaching Agroforestry Agriculture Forestry Source : INRA Restinclières, France
Soil biota density under crops and agroforestry Number per m2 (Barrios et al 2012)
Pest control
The present is win-lose Natural resources Inputs Outputs
The future can be win-win. Natural resources Inputs Outputs
More info? Certainly! EURAF, the European Agroforestry Federation www.agroforestry.eu www.eurafwiki.eu Global agroforestry research: the World Agroforestry Centre www.worldagroforestry.org European agroforestry projects Agforward: www.agforward.eu Agrofe: www.agrofe.eu SAFE: www1.montpellier.inra.fr/safe/ Encouraging agroforestry through the CAP: Gerry Lawson, EURAF VP etc., gerrylawson2@gmail.com
Thank you! p.worms@cgiar.org Mobile +32 495 24 46 11 Land +32 2 351 6829 www.worldagroforestrycentre.org 53
Agriculture: the silent giant Agriculture & forestry is only 4.8 % of global GDP But 30% 50% 66% 75% of global GHG emissions of global employment of global land use of global freshwater use!