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

8World Agroforestry into the FutureOur partners include farmers and farmingcommunities, national and internationalresearch organizations, government agencies,development organizations, NGOs,advanced research laboratories and otherCGIAR centres. Successful managementof agroforestry research, developmentand educational programmes hinges onthe balance and coordination of availableexpertise to achieve synergy.In forging partnerships with such institutions,we are able to bring together andfocus a critical mass of relevant disciplinesand resources to design effective agroforestrystrategies, programmes and activities.We need to span the continuum from analysisof research needs through technologydevelopment, testing, adoption and implementationof agroforestry innovations. And,in doing so, tap into opportunities providedby institutions and organizations that haveknowledge, experience, mandates andresources that complement those of theCentre. We must continue to promote localparticipation in advancing agroforestryscience and practice, thereby incorporatingindigenous knowledge and expertise intoour work, and vigorously ensure the scalingup and long-term sustainability of agroforestryas a science and a practice.In conclusionIn the study by John Bene and his colleagues(1977) – upon which the creation of aglobal centre dedicated to agroforestry wasbased – it is written:“A new front should be opened on thewar against hunger, inadequate shelterand environmental degradation. Thiswar can be fought with weapons thathave been in the arsenal of rural peoplesince time immemorial, and noradical change in their lifestyle will berequired… Beyond question, agroforestrycan greatly improve life for peoplein the developing world, and do sowithin a reasonably short time.”A quarter-century ago, when this Centrewas created, the world was a very differentplace in many respects. Then, as now,about a billion people lived in desperatepoverty and there was food insecurity forhundreds of millions in the developingworld. But one thing that has changedsince then is that the global communityis many times wealthier than it was, andhas the benefit of the intervening decadesof development experience. Perhaps mostimportant of all it has united behind a setof definitive goals, with explicit measurabletargets to hold us accountable for solvingeach problem. They enable us to focustogether on what is really important in ourworld today: to eliminate hunger and desperatepoverty, the most complex, demandingproblems that the human communityfaces. Clearly, there is a tremendous responsibilitythat scientists and developmentprofessionals must bear. We have considerablefreedom in choosing the problems onwhich we work, including the very complexintellectual challenges that tax ourintelligence and creativity. This is a specialprivilege. The issue is what we do with thatprivilege, with that special opportunity tomake a difference. I only hope that in another25 years our efforts will be judged tohave been adequate to that task.ReferencesBene, J.G., H.W. Beall and A. Côté 1977. Trees,food and people: land management in thetropics. International Development ResearchCentre (IDRC), Ottawa, Canada.Dixon, J., A. Gulliver, D. Gibbon and M. Hall(eds) 2001. Farming Systems and Poverty:improving farmers’ livelihoods in a changingworld. Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations, Rome, Italy.http://www.fao.org/documents/show_cdr.asp?url_file=//docrep/003/y1860e/y1860e00.htmBread for the World Institute 2003. Agriculturein the Global Economy. Bread for theWorld Institute, Washington, DC, USA.164 pp.Garrity, D.P. 2004. Agroforestry and the achievementof the Millennium DevelopmentGoals. Agroforestry Systems 61: 5–17.InterAcademy Council of Scientific Societies2004. Realizing the Promise and Potentialof African Agriculture. http://www.interacademycouncil.net/CMS/Reports/AfricanAgriculture/PDFs.aspx?returnID=6959UN Millennium Project 2005. Halving Hunger:It Can be Done. Task Force on HungerReport. http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/reports/tf_hunger.htmWorld Bank 2004. Sustaining Forest: A DevelopmentStrategy. World Bank, Washington,DC. Appendix 2 p A-3 http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?show=Softcvr%20W%2FComp%20Media:Sale:0821357557:20.00World Agroforestry Centre 2005. Trees ofChange: A Vision for an AgroforestryTransformation in the Developing World.ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya.