Attitudes and Constraints to Agroforestry in Different Countries: Examples from South Africa and USA

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Attitudes and Constraints to Agroforestry in
Different Countries Examples from South Africa
and USA

• Mike Jacobson
• Penn State

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Talk outline

• Different ecologies, cultures, and economies
• Similar evolution in transition to agroforestry
• Focus on intensive agriculture/forestry
• Different reasons for agroforestry
• USA sustainable agriculture/specialty products
• RSA soil fertility, food production, livelihoods
• Are adoption issues similar or different?
• Community input in agroforestry design

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Factors influencing adoption

• Preferences (objectives/motivations)
• Resource endowments (feasibility)
• Market incentives (conditions)
• Biophysical (conditions)
• Risk and uncertainty (undermine)
• Key variables Credit, savings, prices, markets,
  plot characteristics

Pattanayak, et al 2003
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Limpopo study participants

• Grouped by rainfall
• 260 farmers interviewed
• Very low lt 500 mm
• Low 500-600 mm
• Medium 601-800 mm
• High gt 800mm

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High rainfall areas

• Most productive areas in country
• Contrast white and black farmers
• Commercial activity
• Mostly exotic fruit and nuts
• Diversity of crops nothing dominant
• Not as much intercropping
• Economic/marketing issues
• Not learning/knowledge

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Medium/low rainfall

• Exotic trees around farmstead
• Indigenous trees around farms
• -homegardens important
• Mostly interested in fruit trees (60)
• Intercropping common 1 ha plots
• Less marketing issues

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Low and very low

• Cattle minimal tree crops
• Fodder trees
• Fencing
• Issues
• Management
• Inputs (drought relief funds)
• Tenure (in chiefs hands)
• Fodder trees

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Summary - RSA

• Is some agroforestry happening
• Rainfall dependent
• Distinguish trees around homes/farms
• Mostly for food (irony crops replaced trees)
• Exotic fruit trees preferred
• Role of women important
• Strong interest, but constraints
• Water, inputs (all)
• Marketing/pests/theft (higher rainfall)

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In USA Agroforestry is..
Alley Cropping
Silvopasture
Forest Farming
Putting the right plant, in the right
location, for the right reason.
Riparian Forest Buffers
Windbreaks
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Where Is Agroforestry Applied?
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Pennsylvania Land Use Trends

• Top five in nation for land use change due to
  development
• Rapid loss of open space
• Regional rural economic decline
• Loss of biodiversity
• Fragmentation
• Water resource degradation

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Methods Mail Survey

• 500 Mail Surveys sent to
• 250 Woodland Owner Association (WOA) members
• 250 Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable
  Agriculture (PASA
• 55 response rate

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Demographics

• Age
• Forest landowners older
• Occupation
• Retired vs. farmer
• Education
• College degree

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Agroforestry Adoption Potential


Significantly different at .05 level
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Interest in Agroforestry
Significantly different between PASA and WOA
at .05 level Significantly different between
PASA,WOA, male and female at .05 level
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Cluster 1 Woodland Manager

• Interest in Agroforestry
• Crop Tree Management
• Non- Timber Forest Products
• Benefits
• Environmental Preservation
• Supplemental Income
• Obstacles
• Biophysical Compatibility
• Access to Information

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Cluster 2 Progressive Livestock Manager

• Interest in Agroforestry
• Silvopasture
• Windbreaks, Riparian Buffers
• NTFP, CTM
• Benefits
• Environmental (Production and Conservation)
• Obstacles
• Access to Information (Technical, Marketing)
• Economic Compatibility

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Cluster 3 Progressive Land Manager

• Interest in Agroforestry
• NTFP, Patio Gardens
• CTM
• Windbreaks, Riparian Buffers
• Benefits
• Environmental Conservation
• Obstacles
• Access to Information
• Biophysical Compatibility

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Cluster 4 Recreational Land Manager

• Interest in Agroforestry
• No Interest in Agroforestry
• Crop Tree Management
• NTFP / Patio Gardens
• Benefits
• Wildlife Habitat
• Economic
• Obstacles
• Feasibility
• Compatibility

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Similarities between countries

• Skepticism, but interest
• Production and (livestock farmers) income-
  oriented (higher rainfall)
• Markets/prices
• Risk/uncertainty
• Environmental (progressive/recreation landowners)
  and subsistence- based (lower rainfall)
• Resources/feasibility
• Information/knowledge

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Implications

• Key factors
• Biophysical factors
• Objectives
• Risks
• Incentives
• Environmental
• Livelihood needs
• Outreach approaches for different situations