NAAC_3-2C Social Impact

Mapping U.S. agroforestry practices can help to identify “hot spots” of agroforestry application, regions that lack such applications, and also provide socio-economic and geographical factors correlated with rates of adoption. Such information is valuable for the development of sound policies that can support higher rates of adoption. At present, agroforestry mapping in the U.S. is in an early stage of development. The first maps of U.S. agroforestry practice adoption were created based on data from the 2017 U.S. Census of Agriculture. Mapping findings, current limitations, and perspectives for further research are presented. Results show that the highest rates of agroforestry practices adoption in the U.S. are found in the following states: Oregon, Hawaii, California, Pennsylvania, and Washington. USDA SARE funded agroforestry projects and the agencies most often mentioned by implementing farmers as promoting agroforestry were mapped to search for potential correlations between funded projects, promoting agencies and general adoption rates in a given area. Even though USDA SARE agroforestry projects and active agroforestry agents tend to cluster, there is no clear evidence of correlation with the general trend of agroforestry practices adoption in the country. More data and more research are needed to look into the reasons behind active agroforestry networks and actual agroforestry adoption.

Olga Romanova, Center for Agroforestry at University of Missouri

Additional authors:
Dr. Michael Gold, University of Missouri
Dr. Damon Hall, University of Missouri
Dr. Mary Hendrickson, University of Missouri

Rural America is facing the dual challenges of flagging economic vitality, exacerbated by the pandemic, and climate change, which is already starting to affect rural livelihoods. But these challenges also offer opportunities to rebuild resilient rural communities through strategic federal investment in climate solutions, including agroforestry. The World Resources Institute has conducted an analysis of the benefits that investments in agroforestry and other climate solutions could have for rural job creation and economic activity, including benefits to underserved communities. The analysis uses an input-output model informed by information from practitioners and peer-reviewed research to demonstrate the economic potential from agroforestry and other solutions for rural communities in every state. Based on these findings, a new WRI publication will recommend readily available federal policy mechanisms that can deploy these investments efficiently to accelerate both economic recovery and climate change mitigation efforts in Rural America.

Alexander Rudee, World Resources Institute

Additional authors:
Devashree Saha, World Resources Institute
Tom Cyrs, World Resources Institute
Haley Leslie-Bole, World Resources Institute

While national trends in primary education prioritize science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), is there a role for Nature as teacher? This presentation will examine how Agroforestry can be a transformative vehicle for STEM education. Using real world examples from K-12 schools, participants will learn that the jobs of the future are here today, through restoring ecosystems, building new living systems, and creating the “circular economy”. It is time for a new generation of STEM Agroforestry trained problem solvers, equipped with restorative solutions for long-term ecological and economic sustainability.

Nathan Ayers, Director, We Are The Forest

Xaltepuxtla marginalized community of the Sierra Norte de Puebla, its territory belongs to the Natural Resources Protection Area: “Cuenca Hidrográfica del Río Necaxa”. It supports remnants of the Mesophilic Mountain Forest (MMF), affected by deforestation, and change in land use (agricultural and urban). The main economic activity of the population is the cultivation of ornamentals, characterized by the extraction of root ball plants and the sale of foliage with negative repercussions on the socio-ecosystem. Researchers have re- stablished links between the actors. This process has contributed to resolving conflicts, achieving restoration actions and implementation of agroforestry technologies. The producers have requested, productive diversification projects and alternative systems that affect economic and agri-food development. Further, conserve and take advantage of natural resources in a sustainable way. Responding to this need, the present Community Territorial Planning (OTC) by its acronym in Spanish with an agroforestry approach, was carried out from three methodological phases: 1. Characterization-Diagnosis, 2. Prognosis and 3. Proposals. Participatory workshops were held that considered the history of the community, farm maps, available natural resources; problems and possible solutions, field trips, semi-structured interviews and a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats analysis (SWOT). Result of this intervention and the biophysical analysis (bioproductive systems and agroforestry zoning) cartography generated in a Geographic Information System (GIS) verified in the field, change trigger projects were identified. The detailed characterization of the biophysical environment allowed to identify limitations and potentialities of each one of the Land Use Management Units (bioproductive systems), the basis for the design of intervention strategies with agroforestry technologies, in particular the increase in warehouses. of carbon, restoration of degraded systems and social welfare to producers through changetriggering projects. All the surface under study must be developed with Agroforestry Systems with native species of high importance value. The agroforestry technologies recommended for Xaltepuxtla are, for the forest zone, the enrichment of acahuales, scattered trees and living fences; the area dedicated to traditional ornamental systems (living barriers, trees on boundaries, windbreaks and living fences), areas dedicated to agriculture and livestock (crops in alleys, pastures in alleys, trees in boundaries and living fences), finally the urban area (family gardens, living fences and trees on the edge). Productive projects have been developed with the actors to achieve productive reconversion in the short, medium, and long term.

Maria Edna M. Edna Álvarez-Sánchez, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo Guadalupe M. Valencia, Trejo Universidad Autónoma Chapingo

Addtional authors:
Guadalupe M. Valencia Trejo, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo
Jesús. D. Gómez Díaz†, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo