March 2011: The Secretariat of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has published the latest issue of its UNCCD News publication. Issue 2.6 focuses on the issues of agroforestry and UNCCD activities related to assessing the economics of desertification, land degradation and drought.

On agroforestry, an interview with Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), discusses synergies between the mandate of ICRAF and that of the UNCCD. Garrity also describes an example of intercropping in Niger, and informs that UNCCD Executive Secretary Luc Gnacadja and he have started to discuss an agenda by which the World Agroforestry Centre can engage more deeply with UNCCD processes. Garrity also stresses the benefits of agroforestry, calling for “reinventing” agriculture in a sustainable and affordable way, “so we can reduce its emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) and adapt it to climate change.” He highlights the value of integrating trees into food-crop systems for food productivity, soil health and climate change in some of the world’s poorest countries.

Executive Secretary Gnacadja highlights that “evergreen agriculture” involves the deliberate planting of a particular tree species to shade, fertilize and help water crops of sorghum, millet and maize, which he writes is providing a host of benefits to rural livelihoods. Gnacadja also recalls that the theme for the 2nd UNCCD Scientific Conference in 2012 is “The economic assessment of desertification, sustainable land management and resilience of arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid areas,” and calls attention to article in Issue 2.6 regarding a UNCCD initiative related to the assessment of the economics of desertification, land degradation and drought. The article regarding this initiative indicates that a partnership meeting convened from 14-15 December 2010, in Bonn, Germany, organized by the UNCCD and the CCD Project of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the technical cooperation arm of Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. [Publication: UNCCD News, Issue 2.6]