Sustainable Agricultural Production…

… as Component in Halting Deforestation

Two Sides of One Coin?

• Agriculture and Forestry seen as Two

Opposing Camps. Need this be so??

• Agriculture benefits from the environmental

sustainability dimension of forests, but yet

encroaches into forest land for more territory

How we practice agriculture matters

Recent rapid clearance of upland forest for bananas in Xishuangbanna

Credit: Rhett Harrison

~ Ten years ago, a

forest;

… today, maize fields in

NW Vietnam

A Growing World Population

• Unprecedented growth, especially in SSA and South Asia??

• It is estimated that the population of the world will reach 9.2 billion by the year 2050.

• This has several implications and challenges for both forests and agriculture.

– More people, more food!!

– To produce more food, LAND ….. Forests ….

Increasing Deforestation

• Deforestation – an ongoing phenomenon from multiple

sources

• Agriculture - a major contributor to both deforestation and Climate

Change.

– It is said to contribute significantly to deforestation

– produces a third of the GHG emissions towards CC.

• Agriculture should therefore be central in the challenge of fixing

deforestation and climate change.

• A need for both Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable Forestry

Sustainable Agriculture

• A form of agriculture that incorporates and mimics the sustainability character of forests, and ensures agricultural production in a sustainable manner

– Tree incorporation as a central ingredient

– Integrated soil fertility management

• At all scales – not limited to smallholder agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture / Forestry Nexus

Sustainable

Agriculture

Sustainable

Forest

Management

People,

Communities

Environment

Benefit Sharing

Sustainable Agriculture Approaches – some

cases

• Silvo-pastoral systems

• Evergreen agriculture

• Mangrove / aquaculture systems

• Mixed systems of crop / livestock / tree integration

• Agroforestry

• Conservation farming

• Agroecology systems

• Etc., etc.

Agroecological Production

Systems that Produce Food &

Ecosystem Services

Sustainable Intensification

Different dimensions:

• Ecological

• Genetic

• Socio-economic

Inputs needed:

Requires appropriate use of both organic and inorganic resources,

• Fertilizers

• Pesticides, herbicides, etc.

• Organic manure, etc.

Conclusion

• Sustainable Agriculture is a key requirement for halting

deforestation

• We need to increase the awareness of the decisive role

that SLM plays in battling deforestation and climate

change.

• “Mosaic landscape approaches that increase

productivity, deliver on ecosystem services, save

biodiversity, reduce emissions, and protect livelihoods

are at the core of what is needed.” (Paula Caballero, Global

Director of the Climate Program, WRI)

• Community engagement is key!!

Sustainable Agriculture / Forestry Nexus

Sustainable Agriculture

Sustainable Forest

Management

People, Communities

Environment

Benefit Sharing

Key questions

Some key questions to address

1. What is needed to change in agricultural production to meet growing food

demands in a sustainable way while helping to halt deforestation and

increase forested area?

2. Which mixed systems (integration of crop, livestock, pastures and trees)

have shown evidence or potential for upscaling, and in which geographic

areas?

• What lessons can be drawn from such practical experiences?

3. What actions are key to change related current agricultural production

systems to more sustainable agricultural production?

Photo by Neil Palmer,

CIAT.

Thank you!!

A Smiling Future:

.. In Sustainable land use management.

We can make it

happen!!