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

190World Agroforestry into the Futureprovide essential nutrients means thatagroforestry interventions can help breakthe vicious cycle of impoverishment–malnutrition–AIDS. Medicinal plants andtrees frequently provide the only source ofsymptomatic relief available to the poor.The specific needs of a new clientele createdby the epidemic, with high dependencyratio households and unique compositions,must be taken into account when designingagroforestry interventions. Efforts shouldbe made to ensure that basic agriculturalskills are passed on to the younger generation,and that local knowledge, includingbiodiversity and gender-specific skills, arepreserved. If a strategy can be developedthat can respond effectively to these needs,a significant contribution will be madeto preventing and mitigating the consequencesof HIV/AIDS within agroforestrycommunities.AcknowledgementsWe wish to acknowledge many contributionsfrom colleagues at FAO and theWorld Agroforestry Centre who have supportedour individual and joint effortsto address the links between HIV/AIDS,forestry and agroforestry. At FAO, wethank Tage Michaelsen for his belief in,and his strong support of, our endeavours.The continued support of El Hadji Sene,Manuel Paveri and Hosny El Lakany, ForestryDepartment, FAO and other colleaguesin Rome, Harare and Accra should also beacknowledged. At the World AgroforestryCentre, we thank Paul Thangata, AggreyAgumya and Joyce Mitti for their contributions,and Olu Ajayi for the labour data.We appreciate the many helpful commentsprovided by Scott Drimie.ReferencesAjayi, O. 2003. Labour and financial analysisof agroforestry and conventional maizeproduction systems. Paper presented tothe Department of Agricultural Economics,Faculty of Agriculture, University ofZimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe.Ayaji, O.C., S. Franzel, E. Kunashula and F.Kwesiga 2003. Adoption of improvedfallow technology for soil fertility managementin Zambia: empirical studies andemerging issues. Agroforestry Systems59: 317–326.Barany, M., D. Kayambazinthu, A. Sitoe andC. Holding Anyonge 2005. HIV/AIDSand the miombo woodlands of Mozambiqueand Malawi: an exploratory study.Synthesis report. Forestry Working Paper,Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations, Rome, Italy.Baryoh, A. 2000. Socio-economic impact ofHIV/AIDS on women and children inEthiopia. United Nations DevelopmentProgramme: Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Unpublished.Boukari, I., N.W. Shier, X.E. Fernandez, R.J.Frisch, B.A. Watkins, L. Pawloski and A.D.Fly 2001. Calcium analysis of selectedwestern African foods. Journal of FoodComposition and Analysis 14(1): 37–42.Cavendish, W. 2000. Empirical regularitiesin the poverty–environment relationshipof rural households: evidence fromZimbabwe. World Development 28(11):1979–2003.Demeke, M. 1993. The potential impact ofHIV/AIDS on the rural sector of Ethiopia.Unpublished manuscript, Addis AbabaUniversity, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.Dery, B.B., R. Otsyina and C. Ng’atigwa 1999.Indigenous knowledge of medicinal treesand setting priorities for their domesticationin Shinyanga Region, Tanzania. WorldAgroforestry Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.Drimie, S. 2002. The Impact of HIV/AIDS onLand: Case studies from Kenya, Lesothoand South Africa. Synthesis report preparedfor the Food and Agriculture of theUnited Nations Southern African RegionalOffice. Human Sciences Research Council,Pretoria, South Africa.FAO 2002. Living well with HIV/AIDS. A manualon nutritional care and support forpeople living with HIV/AIDS. Food andAgricultural Organization of the UnitedNations, Rome, Italy.FAO 2004a. AIDS: a threat to rural Africa. Foodand Agriculture Organization of the UnitedNations. http://www.fao.org/FOCUS/E/aids/aids1-e.htmFAO 2004b. HIV/AIDS and food security. Foodand Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations. http://www.fao.org/hivaids/impacts/nutrition_en.htmFAO/UNAIDS 2003. Addressing the impact ofHIV/AIDS on ministries of agriculture:Focus on eastern and southern Africa.Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnited Nations, Rome, Italy.Franzel, S., D. Phiri and F.R. Kwesiga 2002.Assessing the adoption potential of improvedtree fallows in eastern Zambia. In:Franzel, S. and S.J. Scherr (eds) Trees onthe Farm: Assessing the Adoption Potentialof Agroforestry Practices in Africa. CABInternational, Wallingford, UK.Kayambazinthu, D, M. Barany, R. Mumba andC. Holding Anyonge 2005. Miombowoodlands and HIV/AIDS interactions:Malawi country report. Forestry WorkingPaper, Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations, Rome, Italy.Kolberg, S. and C. Holding Anyonge 2002. Joint agricultureand forestry sector mission report toMalawi. Food and Agriculture Organizationof the United Nations, Rome, Italy.Leakey, R.R.B. 1996. Definition of Agroforestryrevisited. Agroforestry Today 8(1): 5–7.