A healthy viable multifunctional landscape has the capability of supporting sustainable agricultural productivity, providing agroforestry and forest products (timber, fuel wood, fruits, medicine, fertilizer, gum etc.) for the sustenance of mankind while providing other environmental services. However these products are increasingly becoming unavailable due to declining soil fertility, climatic extremes, and high costs of inputs. Identifying low-cost, sustainable ways to attain food security and sustainable environment for millions of smallholder farmers in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) remains a major developmental challenge.

1. Forestry Research Institute of Ghana IUFRO 2019, Curitiba, 29 Sept – 6 Oct, 2019
Sustainable land management for improved livelihoods and
environmental sustainability: The role of agroforestry
Ofori, D.A.1, Kouame, C2., Jeremias Mowo3 and Jamnadass, R3, Akpalu, S1., Graudal, L3.
1. CSIR-Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, Box UP63, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
2. World Agroforestry Centre, ICRAF-WCA, Abidjan, Cote Divoire
3. World Agroforestry Centre, Box 30677 – 00100 Nairobi, Kenya
•Corresponding - dofori@csir-forig.org.gh or dofori12@gmail.com

2. Forestry Research Institute of Ghana
Introduction
Land degradation affects the value of land
which is often determined by its capacity to
provide goods, such as food, fuel and fibre etc
Loss of productive lands leads to worsening
food insecurity and increasing vulnerability to
disease

3. Forestry Research Institute of Ghana
Introduction
Currently, one third of the population in Sub
Saharan Africa is at risk from widespread
hunger and malnutrition and some countries
need emergency food aids
In theory, this can be reached by doubling
agricultural land, which would have strong
implications for the natural environment
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Multi-functional landscapes for
provisioning of goods and services
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impacts of landscape degradation

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DO WE WANT
TO REACH
THESE LEVEL?

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Products and services being lost
due to landscape degradation
Allanblackia
Prunus africana
Calliandra
Tectona grandis
Faidherbia albida
Nutrition
and health
Soil
health
& food
security
Combating
diseases,
industrial
produce
Shade,
energy
Livestock
Varieties of fruits
Income,
Livelihood,
Envt
services

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When population exceeds available
resources, crisis occurs
Death
Diseases
conflicts

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Agroforestry for landscape restoration

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Agroforestry and land management
Science-based
solutions to problems faced
by farmers
Environment,
Biodiversity
Farmers and
Production
systems Leveraging Benefits
Benefits and rewards
Improved on-farm productivity
Building assets
Generating income
Livelihood options
Reduced pressure on natural
habitats
Landscape connectivity
Habitat restoration
Ecosystem resilience
Rio Earth summit 1992,
identified AF as one way
of rehabilitating
degraded lands

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Biological
Diversity
Climate
Change
Combating
Desertificati
on
Trees and
Agroforestry
AF responds to 3 Key Conventions

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AF as a “safety net”
during periods of
crop failure
Diversified diet portfolios for Africa:- year round consumption of nutritious food,
an AF approach for addressing food and nutrition gaps

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Case study 1: Agroforestry for climate
change adaptation and mitigation - Kenya
 Model adopted was
community mobilization,
water harvesting, market
linkages
 Each household has a water
pan: 300 water pans in 2000
ha
 Zai beds constructed to
harvest rain water
 Able to grow food crops,
fodder, fruits, fodder, fertilizer
trees, timber
 Biogas for energy
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Case study 2: Reclaiming degraded lands in the
dry savannah – Shinyanga, Tanzania
• Severe desertification up to 1980s
• Adoption of traditional enclosure
system
• Ngitili: Community based
regeneration of woodlands and
grazing lands.
• Indigenous silvo-pastoral technology
• 500,000ha in 934 villages
• Increased fodder ; 4-8 tons/ha
• Increased milk production
• Shortage of firewood and water
reduced
• Reduced soil erosion
1980’s
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Diversification of income sources

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Case study 3: Farmer-managed natural
regeneration - Ghana
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T1
T2
T3
T4

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Case study 4: Malawi National Agroforestry
Food Security Programme

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Impact of fertilizer trees on maize yield
_______________________________________
Plot management Yield (t/ha)
Maize only 1.30
Maize + fertilizer trees 3.05
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2011 Survey of farms in six districts (Mzimba, Lilongwe, Mulanje, Salima, Thyolo
and Machinga)

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Case study 5:No shade vrs. shaded cocoa -
Ghana
Die back, short lifespan Healthy cocoa, long lifespan
Maintains biodiversity
Improves infiltration of water
Reduced soil erosion

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What to consider?
Right tree
 Different species
 Varieties
 Species mixtures
Right people
 Fit in livelihood strategy
 Tree planting habit
 Group membership
 Comparative advantage
Right place
 Climatic requirements
 Ecological suitability
 Market access
 Comparative advantage
 Landscape role
 Farm niche

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High quality seeds and seedlings

31. Forestry Research Institute of GhanaICRAF Science Forum,
Medium term seed storage

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RRC - Seed and
seedling
distribution
satellite
nursery
Farmer’s
fields
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
Local commercial
nursery
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
satellite
nursery
Goal is to ensure
proper exchange and
delivery of germplasm
to farmers
Farmer’s
fields
satellite
nursery
Capacity building of small holder farmers & extension

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Sustainable market

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What do stakeholders need?
Methods, tools, concepts, materials
Robust evidence/results underpinned by
good science
Priority tree species
Actionable knowledge
Capacity for partners built and mobilized
Up and out-scalable results
Networking
Enabling policies

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Key messages
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•Agroforestry is indeed a tool for forest
landscape restoration
•It contributes immensely towards biodiversity
conservation.
•It serves as a buffer to environmental
catastrophes, increases communities resilience
to shocks and climate change impacts
•Contributes to food security and poverty
alleviation
•Contributes to sustained and diverse sources
of income

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THANK YOU