Congress Declaration

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The 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry Declaration
Agroforestry: The future of land use

We, the 1200 participants from 96 countries who gathered in Nairobi, Kenya for the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry, 24-27 August 2009 recognize the significant progress made in the development of agroforestry as a science-based land-use discipline during the past three decades. The demonstrable role of agroforestry in sustaining crop yields, diversifying farm production, realizing ecosystem services and ensuring environmental integrity is leading to improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers. There is a global consensus that integration of trees into farms, grazing lands, and other production landscapes helps to promote social, economic, cultural, ecological and environmental benefits. With these developments in agroforestry we are now better positioned than ever before to capture the promise of multi-functional agriculture to make a difference in the lives of millions of people.

Recent studies have shown that more than 1 billion hectares of agricultural land have more that 10% tree cover. Of this, 160 million hectares have more than 50% tree cover. Agricultural ecosystems can be further improved through agroforestry to ensure environmental restoration, greater farm productivity, and realization of ecological services, including climate change mitigation and adaptation for improved rural livelihoods.

The participants of this Congress believe that widespread scaling-up of agroforestry innovations during the next decade will greatly facilitate the success of global commitments and conventions, such as the UN Millennium Development Goals, Convention on Biological Diversity, Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Convention to Combat Desertification. Agroforestry will achieve progress by building on past accomplishments and by engaging more stakeholders, including foresters, farmers, policy makers, local communities, indigenous peoples, civil society institutions, the media, the private sector, scientists and the public.

We, the participants of the 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry:

-  RECOGNIZE that agroforestry, as a delivery mechanism for multifunctional agriculture, has evolved in ways that can effectively target and help to alleviate the persistent challenges of inter-alia: poverty, ill health, malnutrition and hunger, energy insecurity, land degradation, climate change and loss of biodiversity
-  ACKNOWLEDGE the contributions made by time-tested agroforestry systems, knowledge and culture of local communities
-  Are AWARE of the wide-ranging agroforestry innovations being tested and validated with farmers in many parts of the world
-  Are CONSCIOUS of the need for accelerated adoption of agroforestry innovations for positive and equitable impacts on the livelihoods of smallholder farmers
-  Are ENCOURAGED by the inclusion of agroforestry in education curricula around the world and the relevant development of human and institutional capacity
-  Are INSPIRED by recent policy developments at global and national scales that recognize agroforestry and the need to ensure farmers' and local communities rights to knowledge, tree tenure and land
-  APPEAL to the international funding community and governments, and environmental financing mechanisms to recognize the national, regional and global importance of agroforestry.

We therefore unanimously propose:

1. Vigorous development of cross-sectoral policy and institutional frameworks that support agroforestry at regional and national levels in the context of development strategies and multilateral environmental agreements
2. Enhanced public and private investment on agroforestry initiatives, including research, education and development
3. Accelerated development of methodologies for measuring, valuing and monitoring ecosystem services provided by agroforestry
4. Enhanced research and development in tree domestication, genetic improvement, use of biotic resources and value adding to agroforestry products at all levels
5. Expansion of choices available for women and vulnerable groups to further increase their access to land and tree-based products and services
6. Concerted efforts to popularize the deployment of agroforestry through an integrated, interdisciplinary, multi-institutional and multi-stakeholders approach
7. Improved communication about the benefits of agroforestry for social, economic, cultural, ecological and environmental sustainability
8. Increased recognition of agroforestry as an important area of investment for land rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation and improved food and nutritional security.

Nairobi, Kenya
27 August 2009