Sara J. Scherr, Ecoagriculture Partners 2nd World Agroforestry Congress, Nairobi, August 24, 2009

Towards an Integrated Agroforestry Policy Agenda

21st century agricultural policy: Agroforestry can help

• Meet food & fiber demand for 10 billion people (↑50-100% by 2030)

• Reduce rural food insecurity and poverty; secure urban food supply

• Contribute to sustainable energy through biofuels

• Adapt to climate change• Restore degraded resources

critical for production

• Shift from a major source of greenhouse gases, to a net sink

• Contribute to and restore critical ecosystem services

Projected land use for agriculture with existing trends

21st century environmental policy in ag’l regions: Agroforestry can help

Agriculture and land use: 31% of global greenhouse gas emissions

GHG emissions by sector in 2004, Source: IPCC

Impacts of ecosystem degradation on agricultural productivity

Policymakers are paying attention …. Now is the moment!

Climate change and ag

Biofuels and biodiversity

Energy and food systems

Food price crisis & hunger

GMO controversy

Food safety

Consumer movements

Our VisionExpanding Ecoagriculture Potentials

Agricultural Goods and Services

Wild Biodiversity and

Habitat Quality

Figure 4.2 Expanding the Biodiverse Production Possibilities Frontier

Urgency to move towards ‘win-win-win’ solutions

Ecoagriculture landscapes for people, food and nature (thru AF)

Climate action– a potential driver for policy integration & investment

mitigation potential with carbon prices upto $20 and $100 (Source: IPCC)

Carbon in soils Perennials in

farming system Climate-friendly

livestock pdn Restoring

degraded lands & watersheds

Protecting natural forests & grasslands

Feed 10 billion, protect ecosystems? Integrating the policy agendas

1) Help farmers raise production in the context of climate risks

2) Mitigate climate threats by shifting agriculture from major source to net sink of greenhouse gases

3) Restore degraded farm, pasture and forest lands

4) Secure water for agriculture by protecting water quality and watershed functions

5) Support farming communities to be major stewards of biodiversity

Use production systems with ecosystem benefits => agroforestry

* Select crop varieties for shade tolerance, deep-rooting, high- yield polycultures, high biomass

* Diversify with perennial/ minor/ wild crops; polycultures, multi- product marketing; perennial livestock feeds & biofuels

• Use agroecological practices

• Reduce input pollution

• Support farmer innovation systems for diversified systems

Embrace diversity…..

Support and promote ecoagriculture landscape initiatives (agroforestry!)

1) Empower multi-stakeholder landscape action

2) Recognize farmers’ leading role as ecosystem service managers

3) Provide X-sectoral technical support

4) Pursue market development from a landscape perspective

5) Coordinate ag, env & rural dev. policies & programs

Embed ecosystem management in agricultural investments

Private sector investment (through standards, regulations, incentives)

International & regional development Banks & Funds

The New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD—CAADP)

Bilateral donor investment for MDGs on Hunger, Environment

Foundation support (e.g., Gates, AGRA)

Promote “green” agricultural markets and value chains

Minimum regulatory standards

Eco-certification Public procurement Food industry standards

(Sust. Food Lab, Sust Ag Init, Keystone, Roundtables)

Include social standards

Expand payments for ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes

Shift agricultural subsidy systems to ecosystem service payments

Climate offsets with co-benefits for agriculture & ecosystems (e.g., in REDD, AFOLU, CDM)

Voluntary carbon & biodiversity offsets by companies/consumers

PES in GEF portfolio

United Nations: UNEP/UNDP/FAO/IFAD initiatives

Support farmer organizations to lead in ecosystem stewardship

Leadership emerging (IFAP, National Farmers’ Union, Indigenous Peoples Org’s, Landcare Int’l, CKS)

Address tenure and access to agr’l & natural resources

Help smallholders aggregate for market & info in ways that are efficient and inclusive

Align strategies for food sovereignty and urban supply

Research integrating agriculture & ecosystem management is essential

Targeted research initiatives, e.g.: AASTD, DIVERSITAS, CSIRO & USDA Ecosystems, IFOAM, Nat’l Academy Science

CGIAR system research Private sector research National public systems NGO-led research (ag, env) Farmer research networks

Ensure agroforestry research

is incorporated

Yale Univ/World Econ Forum National Environmental Performance Index

Global remote sensing and interpretation capacity (e.g., World Conservation Monitoring Center)

Spatial organization of FAO agriculture data

Google map applications for local landscape management

Landscape Measures Initiative (www.landscapemeasures.org)

Get the data: Integrate monitoring of agriculture, environment, well-being

Communicate the benefits and costs to policymakers

• They don’t care about:o Tons of soil (sorry…!)o Tree growtho Biodiversity indexes

• They do care about:o Increased and stable

food supplyo Food securityo Increased incomeo Reliable, clean watero Wildlife for touristso Human health

Mobilize policy action at the scale required to make a difference …..

Agroforestry Policy Initiative Engage leaders at all levels

who embrace X-sectoral action Have agroforestry champions at

the table for all key policy dialogues (not just AF policy)

Design research to answer policymakers’ questions

Craft core, simple messages of how AF achieves policy goals

Be prepared to quickly provide guidance for implementation

www.ecoagriculture.org

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Thanks….

www.ecoagriculture.org

Agroforestry - the future of global land use …… It really is!