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

170World Agroforestry into the Futureand economic role and promoting theirconsideration at the policy level and inthe assessment of the world’s forest resources.‘Trees outside forests’ are defined as ‘treesfound on non-forest and non-wood lands’,such as: agricultural lands, urban and settlementareas, roadsides, homegardens,hedgerows, pasture/rangelands and scatteredin the landscape (FAO 2000). Theconcept recognizes the biological characteristicsof trees and their ability to provideenvironmental, social, cultural and economicbenefits.Since 1999, the Food and AgricultureOrganization of the United Nations (FAO)has been working to raise awareness of TOFand to dispel the idea that tree resourcesare only important for small-scale farmersor those that make a limited contribution tosustainable forest resource management.Multiple roles and benefits oftrees outside forestsFood and other essential goodsTOF have been called ‘trees that nourish’,particularly for many poor and landlesspeople who obtain essential productsfrom them (Manu and Halavatau 1995).Many tree species found in African andAsian agroforestry systems (e.g., Borassusaethiopum, Balanites aegyptiaca, Ziziphusmauritiana) are planted for their ability toproduce large quantities of food and othernon-wood forest products (see Box 1).Wood and fuelwood productsIn developing countries, TOF providesa large proportion of the fuelwood fordomestic energy (cooking and heat). Forexample, 50 percent of fuelwood used inThailand, 75–85 percent in Indonesia, Java,Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka andVietnam and 83 percent in Keralla, India(FAO 2001a; Jensen 1995) is harvestedfrom farmland and other non-forest land.In many countries, farmers and smallholdersplant trees (especially valuable timberspecies) as a means of saving for the future(FAO 2001a; Negreros-Castillo and Mize2002).Fodder supplyMany pastoralists use TOF as a source offodder for livestock including cattle, camels,sheep and goats (see Box 2). Recentcase studies from Latin America have highlightedthe importance of trees in livestockproduction, since they provide shade, shelterand supplementary fodder, particularlyin the dry rangelands and low forest coverareas (Sanchez et al. 1998). In the aridparts of sub-Saharan Africa, three-quartersof the 10 000 woody species that grow insilvipastoral systems are thought to be usedas fodder, supplying up to 50 percent oflivestock feed (FAO 2001a), particularly inthe dry season when grass and crop residuesare not available.Sustainability of agriculturalproductionThe most universally recognized roleplayed by trees in agricultural systems isthat of soil conservation and the replenishmentof soil fertility (Chivaura-Mususa et al.2000; Sanchez et al. 1998). In many partsof the world, improved tree-based systems,e.g., shelterbelts, windbreaks, alley cropping,hedgerows and tree cover crops, e.g.,coffee, cacao, coconut, olive and citrushave been integrated within croplands(Huaxin 2001; IRDC 2000; Jensen 1995).The use of such nitrogen-fixing woodyspecies in agroforestry parklands in WestAfrica as Acacia albida, Vitallaria paradoxaBox 1. TOF for foodBorassus aethiopum (Fan palm)The kernel and mesocarp of the fruitcan be eaten raw or roasted and providesnourishing carbohydrate, proteinand minerals. The jelly-like, immaturefruit is delicious, and a decoction of theroots makes a cooling drink for infants.Sprouts grown from the nuts are commonlyeaten as a vegetable, the sap isused to make wine and the leaves aresuitable for weaving roofs and fences.Vitellaria paradoxa (Shea nut tree)The pulp is eaten raw and suppliescarbohydrate, minerals and vitamins.The kernel supplies oil used in cooking,cosmetics, candles, and even forwaterproofing the walls of farmers’homes. In Burkina Faso, annual yields of48–65 kg ha –1 of fresh nuts are common.Some 40 000–75 000 t are exported toEurope and 10 000–15 000 t to Japan,where they are used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticalsand baking.Source: FAO (2001a)Box 2. TOF for fodderA 1989–1990 survey in Bamako, Malifound that home-reared sheep were fed1.8 kg of Pterocarpus erinaceus andKhaya senegalensis leaves each day,and over 1400 t of fresh Pterocarpuserinaceus leaves were sold in Bamakodaily as feed for small ruminants. In SriLanka, leaves of Gliricidia sepium area popular fodder for goats and sheep.Fodder products from trees providecarbohydrates, nitrogen, magnesium,potassium and oligo-elements.