An article on the website of the Lugar Center argues that hunger and malnutrition can be beaten by 2030 through better linking agriculture and nutrition, especially with agroforestry.

“Our bet is on agroforestry as the best link between agriculture and nutrition,” says Former US Senator Richard G Lugar, citing research by scientists from the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) that found children living closer to forested areas had better diets and consumed more fruits and vegetables than those who lived in deforested areas.

An estimated 34 million children under the age of 5 suffer from severe acute malnutrition and 161 million under 5 are stunted which leads to lingering health issues, cognitive impairment and reduced productivity in adulthood.

While approaches such as biofortification, improving smallholder productivity and encouraging the establishment of kitchen gardens are receiving attention for their ability to improve nutrition, agroforestry is not. Its role in food security has been “undervalued and underfunded,” says Lugar.

“There needs to be greater focus on the value of integrating trees into farming operations as tools to improve productivity, protect the soil and increase farm income and resiliency.”

In Africa, agroforestry holds enormous potential for smallholder farmers. It can improve incomes and farm yield as well as help to build resilience. Trees produce products that supplement farm income and which provide additional nutrients and diversified diets. They also help to protect crops, prevent erosion, retain more water and some trees increase soil fertility.

Lugar says the US needs to increase its investment in agroforestry to help eliminate hunger and malnutrition, and he provides suggested interventions.

Read the full story: Agroforestry: Our Bet for Beating Hunger and Malnutrition

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