Improved agroforestry management

Developing principles, methods and practices for improved tree and agroforestry management

Climate change and rainfall variability as well as land degradation and desertification are among the obstacles to increasing crop yields thereby making life extremely difficult for smallholder farmers.

Our research into improving the management of agroforestry systems includes investigating renewable soil fertility replenishment technologies based on nutrient re-cycling principles as well as strategies for on-farm biodiversity conservation and diversification with linkages to carbon storage and biofuels at the plot and farm levels.

Smallholder Rubber Agroforestry Systems
For more than a decade, the World Agroforestry Centre and partners have been developing and field testing different rubber agroforestry systems under smallholder management. These systems require less input and investment compared to monocultures and they maintain greater biodiversity. They are also flexible and they can be adapted to suit local context and opportunities

Inaforesta
The Inaforesta group is increasing scientific, technical and public understanding of the dynamic relationships between cocoa, companion trees and forest across the world. Through creating a repository of available relevant information and supporting networking between research groups, the aim is to promote better decision making and increase the goods and services provided to the household, the environment and society by companion trees of cocoa.

Improving economic outcomes for smallholders growing teak in Indonesia
The project aims to substantially improve the livelihoods of smallholders growing teak in Indonesia. It expects to increase the returns they receive from teak through improving silvicultural technologies, introducing financing schemes that provide incentives to participate in profitable teak, and improving their access to markets.