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

138World Agroforestry into the FutureNRM. New topics are being added to theagroforestry curricula that place emphasison indigenous trees and crops, value addition,processing and marketing that arecritical areas for rural communities.Teaching materialdevelopmentTo date, ANAFE has distributed many publicationsto its member institutions, including23 book titles, various course and workshophandouts, and other materials, mostlyused by ICRAF in training courses. Eightfocal institutions have received multiplecopies of publications, books and equipmentto support training. Together with theRegional Land Management Unit (RELMA),the Centre for Agricultural and BiosciencesInternational (CABI) and others, ANAFE hassupplied books, manuals, CD-ROMs andother teaching material in many areas ofagroforestry. In Asia, 46 publications fromSEANAFE, ICRAF and the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations(FAO) have been made available to allSEANAFE member institutions. SEANAFEhas also developed an activities handbook,agroforestry teaching materials for differentlevels, and short-term teaching materialsand brochures, all of which have been distributedto relevant member institutions.Demonstration plotsIn order to capture farmers’ indigenouspractices for part of the curriculum, ANAFEand SEANAFE have funded demonstrationplots at institutions and on farms aroundthe region, providing various technologiesto strengthen teaching and income generation.ANAFE has also held agroforestryfarmers’ field days at colleges, universitiesand on farms. Sixteen institutions inAfrica and Southeast Asia have developedagroforestry demonstration plots, related totheir curricula and specific to local problems.These plots have been set up specificallyto help students, extension staff andfarmers.On-farm demonstration plots can be usedfor both teaching and capacity building forextension services, while Kenyan on-farmagroforestry trials in fertility have beenestablished to benefit farmers (Ngumi etal. 2004). Through such field days, farmershave been exposed to and learned muchabout available agroforestry technologiesthat can result in improved and sustainablecrop production. More farmers are nowemploying the technologies they find appropriatefor their communities and socioeconomiccircumstances. Seventy four percentof the farmers who visited field daysare now using the technologies. This hasresulted in maize grain yields of 1.7–4.8 tha –1 , compared to 1.5 t ha –1 where no agroforestrytechnologies are applied (Ngumi etal. 2004).Institutions use demonstration plots forpractical aspects of their courses and to fulfiltheir mission – to build human capacity inresearch for sustainable economic development,poverty reduction and improved foodsecurity. Some also use them for in-servicetraining and research; conservation and domesticationof high-value trees and shrubs;and for growing herbs as medicinal plants.Postgraduate fellowshipsAs part of capacity building, many postgraduatefellowships have been offered tovarious institutions in member countries.Since the formation of ANAFE 160 postgraduatefellowships covering educators,researchers and development workers havebeen awarded: 136 provided by ANAFE(103 males and 33 females). In SoutheastAsia, in many activities, there is equalrepresentation of men and women. Whilethere are teaching staff at various levelsin agroforestry, there are not yet sufficientnumbers to teach the large number of students,although scientists and developmentspecialists are now available.Agroforestry graduates work with variousorganizations including educational institutions,governments, international organizationsand developmental organizationspromoting agroforestry. Their theses havecontributed significantly to agroforestryscience, knowledge and capacity buildingat various levels, and have contributed toAfrican and Southeast Asian farmers’ improvedagricultural production.Student and staff exchangeANAFE has funded staff and student exchangeprogrammes with many institutionsand ICRAF research institutes. Throughthese human resource exchange programmes,the network has been able tomake capacity available that can be deployedwhere the greatest needs are found(Zoungrana et al. 2004). As a result of theincrease in human resource capacity, manyinstitutions have developed a critical masscapable of delivering agroforestry courses.SEANAFE and ANAFE sponsorship has enabledmany students to do M.Sc. or B.Sc.theses in agroforestry. Staff exchanges alsoallow the networks to share knowledge andskills in curriculum development, trainingof teachers and development of agroforestryteaching materials.Education research extensionlinksThrough the Regional Agroforestry TrainingTeam (RAFTT) meetings, workshops andfield days for farmers at universities, collegesand farms, considerable capacity has been