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At a
glance
The World Agroforestry Centre
(ICRAF) founded in 1978- has invigorated the ancient practice of growing trees
on farms, using innovative science for development to transform lives and
landscapes. Our
research focuses on four global themes: Land and people, Environmental services,
Strengthening institutions and Trees & Markets. The Centres headquarters
are based in the Kenyan capital ofNairobi, with
regional centres throughout the developing world in more than 20 countries
across Africa, Asia and South
America.
The World Agroforestry
Centre
For millennia, farmers throughout the tropics have
nurtured trees on their farms and in the farming landscape for the many benefits
they provide. Neither the concept nor the practice is
new.
The World Agroforestry Centre has transformed this
ancient practice into a youthful science
and the application of scientific methods to
agroforestry is making a major difference to
lives
and landscapes.
We were founded in 1978 as the International Council for
Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF)
In 1992, we became an international research centre when
we joined the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
We also expanded our operations into Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Over the last decade we have assumed a strong leadership
role in agroforestry research and development worldwide.To more accurately
reflect that role, in 2002 we changed
our name from ICRAF to the World Agroforestry Centre.
We work with poor farmers and our partners to conduct
research for development.Our mission is to change the way millions of poor
farmers throughout the tropics manage their very limited resources. We are
developing and scaling up the use of agroforestry practices, and addressing the
urgent issue of policy reform.
Our longer-term goal is to provide tens of millions of
poor farmers with sustainable ways to improve their livelihoods, and as they do
so, to help protect the global environment.
Our headquarters are in Nairobi, Kenya and we operate in over 20
countries throughout the tropics.We are governed by a board of trustees
comprising leading professionals from countries of the South and
North.
Our regional
focus
We have three large regional
programs
East and Central
Africa
Southern Africa
Southeast
Asia
And four smaller regional
programmes
Sahel
African Humid
Tropics
Latin
America
South Asia
Our
global research & development themes
Our regional activities are coordinated through four
global cross-cutting themes, led from our
Nairobi
headquarters
Land and People
We are seeking to understand the basis for sound land
management and to quantify the
long term consequences of management practices on small
scale agriculture. This is
helping devise strategic principles that will lead to
locally relevant land management
options.
Trees and
Markets
We are addressing key problems faced by tropical
agroforestry products; low quality,
reliance on only a few species and poor marketing. We
are conserving genetic resources
and expanding tree
domestication.
Environmental
Services
We are strengthening the potential of smallholder
agroforestry systems to generate global environmental benefits, particularly in
watershed protection, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation
and adaption.
Strengthening
Institutions
We are strengthening the capacity of institutions to
effectively participate in generating and
applying innovations in agroforestry and integrated
natural resource management for improved
farmer livelihoods.We work in active collaboration with
over 400 different institutions. These
include:
Our sister international research
centres
Regional organizations and
networks
National research organizations in
agricultural,
forestry, natural resources and policy
development
Universities in the South and the
North
International and local
non-governmental
organizations
Farmer groups
Selected private sector
organizations.
The impact of our work has been achieved through these
partnerships, and they are
essential to its future scaling up.We convene two CGIAR
system-wide programmes that
comprise large research consortia involving
international and national institutions as well as farmers
groups.
Hosting
global and Eco-regional solutions
Alternatives to
Slash-and-Burn
ASB works on two interlinked global problems: the
environmental effects of forest destruction and persistent rural poverty in the
tropics. It has shown that with appropriate policy and institutional support, a
middle path of development exists that balances environmental and development
needs involving smallholder tree-based systems and community based forest
resource management.
African Highlands
Initiative
AHI grew out of concern about the declining productivity
of land and growing populations in the highlands of eastern and central
Africa. Its focus is restoring soil fertility
in the highlands, particularly in high-potential areas that have been seriously
degraded over time.
Our support network
We are members of the Consultative Group on
International Agriculture Research. The
CGIAR
includes more than 55 public- and private-sector
investors supporting a network of
international
agricultural research centres, mostly located in
developing countries.
Our work is funded by a wide range of donors, including
national aid and development agencies,
international organizations such as the World Bank and
private foundations.
Our ten largest national donors are Sweden, Canada, USA, the EU, the Netherlands, UK,
Denmark,
Switzerland and Norway.
Most funding is provided for specific research
and
development projects.
Contact us at:
The World Agroforestry
Centre
P.O.Box
30677
Nairobi,
00100
Kenya
Phone +(254) 20 722 4
000
Fax + (254) 20 722 4
001
Via USA phone (1-650)
833-6645
Via USA fax (1-650)
833-6646
Email:
icraf@cgiar.org
Web: www.worldagroforestcentre.org
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