Biodiversity beyond borders
This episode focuses on the love that drives successful action to protect and restore the planet and the ecosystems that sustain us all.
Small-scale farmers are struggling with mounting challenges, from climate change to food insecurity and biodiversity loss. Agroforestry – the practice of integrating trees and shrubs with crops and livestock – offers a sustainable way forward.
An agroforestry system can increase soil health, crop diversity and productivity, bolster resilience against extreme weather, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide habitats for biodiversity. For farmers, agroforestry isn’t just good for the environment – it’s good for business and resilience. Diversified crops mean more income streams, access to payment for environmental services and improved food security.
Through agroforestry, it is estimated that the annual income from higher yields alone could rise by US$100–300 per hectare, while diversified earnings from timber, fruits and other products may add US$200–2,000 per hectare over time.
A new IFAD report provides key insights on maximizing the impact and sustainability of IFAD’s 120 ongoing and future agroforestry projects. From 2012 to 2022, 21 per cent of IFAD-supported projects incorporated agroforestry practices, up from just 2 per cent in the previous decade.
These projects have been implemented across diverse ecosystems, including tropical forests, drylands and mountainous regions, with a significant 26 per cent in fragile settings where resilience-building is paramount. While barriers to entry remain, IFAD is enabling small-scale farmers to overcome them.
Agroforestry systems must align with local needs while being supported by robust technical expertise. However, many small-scale farmers face challenges such as a lack of agroforestry experts, inadequate access to quality seedling and poor species selection that does not meet their specific needs or interests.
The CHARM II project in the Philippines responded to an early challenge when the agroforestry models introduced through farmer field schools did not fully adapt to local conditions, such as varying altitude levels.
The project addressed these gaps by involving local communities in selecting tree species that suited their environment and met their income and nutrition needs. This participatory approach resulted in the planting of 1.5 million seedlings, with an impressive survival rate of over 90 per cent.
For many farmers, the short-term, high-investment costs present a significant barrier to adopting agroforestry. This challenge is further compounded by the long wait – often several years – required for trees to mature and yield returns.
Without financial incentives or risk mitigation mechanisms during the initial transition period, small-scale farmers often struggle to justify the upfront expenses, despite studies indicating a potential long-term return of up to US$1.52 for every US dollar invested.
In Sri Lanka, public-private-producer partnerships (the 4Ps) enabled cost-sharing and allowed farmers to co-finance their initial investments. Intercropping rubber with fruits, maize and cereals in the first three years also provided extra income, supporting 98 per cent of participants overall in improving their income.
Limited access to markets and value chains also prevents farmers from fully capitalizing on their agroforestry products.
In Brazil, the PSA project addressed these issues by establishing community-based processing units and organizing agroecological market fairs. These initiatives established direct supply chains that provided higher monetary returns for farmers while supporting sustainable, locally rooted practices.
In Sao Tome and Principe, strengthened partnerships with organic cocoa value chains increased farmers’ incomes by 34 per cent. This success prompted government interest in making the country 100 per cent organic, boosting its agricultural economy.
Despite safeguarding the conservation of natural resources, rural communities are not always compensated for their hard work. Payment for ecosystem services (PES) and carbon credit schemes can provide farmers with extra income.
The IFAD-supported Upper Tana Water Fund in Kenya established an innovative model to channel public and private resources towards agroforestry practices in upstream areas. On top of increasing farmers’ income by US$3 million from increased yields, KenGen – the country’s main electricity producer – increased its annual revenue by over US$600,000 due to reduced sediment concentration in the watershed.
A supportive enabling environment is essential for agroforestry to thrive. However, challenges such as insecure land tenure, lack of coordination among farmers and limited awareness of agroforestry benefits continue to hinder progress.
In Burkina Faso, the Neer Tamba project tackled land tenure issues by introducing a Land Negotiation Guide written in local languages. This participatory approach allowed communities to secure equitable land tenure agreements, fostering a sense of ownership and laying the groundwork for sustainable agroforestry investments.
Investing in farmer and community organizations can also create a more collaborative environment. In Liberia, the TCEP program built on the traditional Kuu system – community-based farmer groups – to strengthen collective organization, improve market access and enhance extension services. Some groups even created revolving funds to help members invest in their farms, fostering sustainability and local ownership.
Agroforestry is more than just an environmental solution – it is a catalyst for transforming rural communities. In the future, investing in well-designed agroforestry systems will be crucial for building resilience, boosting biodiversity and improving food security and economic stability.