The challenge of HIV/AIDS: Where does agroforestry fit in? - World ...

Keywords:Educational impact, sustainability, rural development,farmers of the future, environmental policy, responsiveentrepreneurship, integrated approachesChapter 16Capacity building in agroforestry in Africa andSoutheast AsiaO.A. Chivinge, University of ZimbabweAbstractSince its formation in 1978, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (now the WorldAgroforestry Centre) has generated a lot of general knowledge on agroforestry. The need to advancethis knowledge for specific geographical locations led to the formation of the African Network forAgroforestry Education (ANAFE) in 1993 and the Southeast Asian Network for Agroforestry Education(SEANAFE) in 1999. Since then these networks have built condsiderable human capacity and developedregion-specific material. Many lecturers in agriculture, natural resource management and forestryhave been trained in aspects of agroforestry through short-term training programmes and workshopsorganized by ANAFE and SEANAFE. Capacity building has taken the form of training of trainers, curriculadevelopment, writing teaching materials, postgraduate scholarships for thesis research, staff andstudent exchange programmes, student attachment, establishment of demonstration plots, farmers ofthe future (FoF) programme (aimed at young school children), short courses and workshops for policymakers, farmers and education–research and extension links. As a result of these efforts, many universitiesand colleges are now teaching agroforestry either as part of a course or as a full course at diploma,undergraduate and postgraduate levels. However, there are still many challenges to capacity buildingand dissemination of technologies that need to be met in order to have adequate human resources tohelp reduce poverty and food insecurity, improve people’s livelihoods and reduce malnutrition. Theseinclude more capacity building, continuous review of curricula, establishing agroforestry courses in allinstitutions offering agriculture and natural resource management, securing more financial resources,and linking education with research and development to continuously build capacity in agroforestry.IntroductionAgroforestry can and does play a major role in haltingand even reversing the decline in agricultural production.It can also help to increase food security, reducepoverty and malnutrition, improve health and reduceland degradation. Agroforestry education thereforerepresents a direct pathway to reducing Africa’s povertyand increasing fertility and agricultural production(Kung’u and Temu 2004). In their 2002 paper, Chivingeet al. emphasized the need and role of agroforestry capacitybuilding at the regional level, while the situationat continental level is given by Temu et al. (2003).Since the formation of ICRAF in 1987, much useful andrelevant knowledge and information on agroforestryhas been developed. However, there were limitationsto how this information could reach relevant stakeholdersaround the world. Hence in April 1993 the