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Agroforestry Campaign Begins...

Diane Rodden
Mar 18, 2015
2 min read

Agroforestry or agro-sylviculture is a land use management system in which trees or shrubs are grown around or among crops or pastureland. It combines agricultural and forestry technologies to create more diverse, productive, profitable, healthy, and sustainable land-use systems.

Agroforestry systems can be advantageous over conventional agricultural, and forest production methods. They can offer increased productivity, economic benefits, and more diversity in the ecological goods and services provided.Biodiversity in agroforestry systems is typically higher than in conventional agricultural systems. With two or more interacting plant species in a given land area, it creates a more complex habitat that can support a wider variety of birds, insects, and other animals. Depending upon the application, impacts of agroforestry can include:

Reducing poverty through increased production of wood and other tree products for home consumption and sale
Contributing to food security by restoring the soil fertility for food crops
Cleaner water through reduced nutrient and soil runoff
Countering global warming and the risk of hunger by increasing the number of drought-resistant trees and the subsequent production of fruits, nuts and edible oils
Reducing deforestation and pressure on woodlands by providing farm-grown fuelwood
Reducing or eliminating the need for toxic chemicals (insecticides, herbicides, etc.)
Through more diverse farm outputs, improved human nutrition
In situations where people have limited access to mainstream medicines, providing growing space for medicinal plants
Increased crop stability
Multifunctional site use i.e crop production and animal grazing.
Typically more drought resistant.
Stabilises depleted soils from erosion
Bioremediation