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Agroforestry as a means of ensuring poverty alleviation and contributing to food security

Mon, 10/24/2011 - 00:44 — De-Registered User
Agroforestry has the potential to provide numerous benefits including; maintenance of soil fertility, reduction of soil erosion, conservation of water, carbon capture, biodiversity conservation, poverty reduction and contribution to food security - this is according to Mr. Martin Juvanov of GIZ. He was speaking during the GIZ session at Tropentag 2011 on the topic “agricultural research for development of sustainable land use based on agroforestry systems in semi arid areas in Bolivia”. He started by explaining that land degradation and impact of climate change is a major challenge in Bolivia. He also referred to more frequent and more intense natural desasters like water scacity, drought in semi-arid regions, increase of hailstorms, flush floods, lanslides in highlands, increasing food insecurity, higher temperatures, and shorter growing season for farmers as major indicators of climate change impacts in Bolivia. Technical and structural challenge Mr. Juvanov also discussed some technical and structural challenges facing people in Bolivia as; 1. Non-sustainble use of natural resources 2. Reduction of productivity 3. Increasing of poverty among people 4. Insufficient exchange/flow of information and knowledge and 5. Inssuficient intersectional cordination Set up of GIZ technical cooperation in Bolivia He gave an overview of the work and involvment of GIZ in Bolivia citing their major roles as; 1. Implementation of national sector programmes 2. Contribution of GIZ Agriculture Programme (PROAGRO) in Integrated Watershed Management, Irrigation and Sustainable Management of Natural Resources and 3. Promotion of agricultural and agroforestry systems Long term experiences of GIZ experts Mr. Juvanov noted some of the long term experiences by GIZ staff working in Bolivia as follows; 1. Facilitating the conservation of local biodiversity 2. Increasing the incomes of small-scale farmers 3. Supporting locally adapted and profitable land use practices 4. Strengthening exchange between local and sectoral institutions and 5. Facilitating capacity building in organisations through the implementation of development projects in Bolivia GIZ in partnership with Agrecol Andes Foundation He indicated that GIZ is in partnership with Agrecol Andes Foundation in Bolivia for implementation of projects and activities namely; 1. Promotion of ecological agriculture 2. Promotion of the community's participation for their sustainable development 3. Offer of high-quality services in the management of agro-ecological knowledge and 4. Excellent inter-institutional network (research organisations, universities, associations, NGOs and social stakeholders) The aims of the cooperation with Agrecol were stated as; 1. To promote cooperation with research, development and application of agro-forestry and integrated water management. 2. To exchange knowledge and expertise so as to promote the development and adoption of innovative technologies and 3. To enhance the application and acceptance of agro-forestry concepts in arid and semi-arid regions. Why research in Agroforestry? Mr. Juvanov underscored the importance of doing research in agroforestry stating some of the reasons as; 1. Facilitating a process oriented and farmer participatory involvement in research 2. Facilitating sustainable agroforestry solutions to the problems of land degradation, poverty and food insecurity and 3. Setting of networks and initiating policy dialogue. Lessons learnt According to Mr. Juvanov, major lessons learnt from the projects and partnerships in Bolivia include; 1. Knowledge and information sharing 2. Joint learning from successes and failures 3. Involvement of important sectoral stakeholders 4. Farmer oriented research and extension approaches and 5. Promotion of local institutional capacity In concluding his presentation, Mr. Juvanov highlighted the key aspects of coporation work as; capacity building, vocational training, implementation/research, dissemination, lobby and advocacy.
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