by Ranell Martin M. Dedicatoria, KMU-SEARCA
24-October-2008 SEARCA News Release
This three-in-one practice called “agroforestry” combines trees, agri-crops, and animals together in one space.
Source: www.fao.org
This practice is good news for small farmers because it gives them more income than when they use their land for a single crop or animal only. Agroforestry provides farmers with a variety of products and services. The wide range of edible crops has a potential to address the nutrition needs of people. There is also improved distribution of labor due to differing labor requirements for every cycle.
Agroforestry may be the future to go for sustainable land use, according to Dr. Dennis P. Garrity.1 At present, Southeast Asia has the richest tropical rainforests in the world, containing more than half of all species. However, trees are disappearing because of pressure from increasing number of people. Agroforestry would be a good solution.
Calderon (1999) defines agroforestry as “a land use management system involving trees, crops, and livestock which are sustainably managed in the same unit of land sequentially or simultaneously.” In simple terms, it combines both the principles of agriculture and forestry.
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1 Director-General, World Agroforestry Centre
