The Monday panel discussions highlighted how important it is for agroforesters to tell compelling stories. Most of the panelists realised this, and rather than talking in abstract terms, they frequently referred to particular projects or experiences. This is one of the best ways of engaging policy-makers and the public.
It was a lively session and reactions were largely positive. Eric Tollens, who sits on the World Agroforestry Centre's board of trustees, regretted that there hadn't been more discussion about the scientific challenges facing Agroforestry. But he agreed with Roger Leakey, one of the speakers from the floor, that agroforestry has a big PR problem. "It still isn't recognized as being vital to food security and issues like climate change," he said.