Research questions

Our research questions can be divided into those associated with vulnerability and adaptation and those associated with climate change mitigation.

Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change

1. How will climate change affect water and nutrient availability and seasonal patterns, and how will these changes affect the productivity and stability of agroforestry systems at different scales (trees, farms, landscapes and river basins)?
2. Where are the most vulnerable places and communities where agroforestry can be an effective strategy for climate change adaptation and mitigation?
3. How do agroforestry systems help farmers adapt to climate change, and how can the capacity of small farmers to adapt be improved? What tools and approaches are needed?

Climate change mitigation

1. What are the costs and benefits of agroforestry carbon-sequestration projects in different landscapes and what appropriate incentives can be applied to overcome constraints?
2. What are the appropriate methods for measuring and attributing project impacts including those affecting greenhouse gas sequestration, other environmental services, livelihoods and poverty?
3. What are the conditions regarding policies, institutions, communities and the private sector that enable the wider application of pro-poor carbon-sequestration projects? What models and standards can be employed?
4. What are the trade-offs between different options? What are the best combinations of trees and crops to maximize carbon sequestration and other benefits?