The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released the first in a series of working papers on agroforestry.
The guide, titled "Advancing Agroforestry on the Policy Agenda," is aimed at decision makers, NGOs and government agencies to promote the integration of agroforestry into national strategies.
5 February 2013: The Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) has released the first in a series of working papers on agroforestry. The guide, titled “Advancing Agroforestry on the Policy Agenda,” is aimed at decision makers, NGOs and government agencies to promote the integration of agroforestry into national strategies.
The guide outlines the conditions for, and barriers to, agroforestry development, as well as key drivers that can improve success. It provides ten tracks for policy action that include: raising awareness of agroforestry systems to farmers; reforming forestry and agriculture regulations; and clarifying land policy regulations.
The guide also documents a series of case studies and opportunities offered by agroforestry, for example through participation in REDD+, and landscape regeneration on degraded lands. These case studies relate to a variety of experiences in developed and developing countries including: fruit trees and cocoa in Cameroon; timber harvesting in Central America; the Grain for Green policy in China; improved fallow in Zambia; arabic gum development in Niger; and agricultural policy in France. The guide will be used and discussed in the current learning event on agroforestry.
The learning event on agroforestry is taking place from 5-26 February 2013, and is jointly organized by the FAO’s Mitigation of Climate Change in Agriculture Programme, the World Agroforestry Center (ICRAF) and other international partners. The learning initiative will seek to create a community of practice on climate change mitigation in agriculture. The online event aims to: facilitate the exchange of knowledge on agroforestry and its role and potential for climate change mitigation, adaptation and food security; gather recommendations for agroforestry policy mechanisms, practices and strategic decision making, with specific considerations regarding the implementation of the Agroforestry Guide; and contribute to the background document of the International Conference on Forests for Food Security and Nutrition. [FAO Press Release] [Publication: Advancing Agroforestry on the Policy Agenda: A Guide for Policy-Makers] [FAO Learning Event on Agroforestry]