Tropentag 2019 - Student blog - Forests & agroforestry

Agroforestry and fruit diversity enhance food and nutrition security

Louisa Wong — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 07:38:54 +0000

During the first day of the Science Forum, we have 2 sessions of “knowledge share fair” for scientists to present and discuss their studies in digital format and a cozy setting with morning coffee and hot buns served. When I came into the room, there were already a few people crowded in front of a “poster”. Katja Kehlenbeck works for ICRAF- Would Agroforestry Centre in their Nairobi office in Kenya, and she was telling us how their newly developed model “Fruit tree portfolios” can identify local specific fruit tree sets, which help the Kenyan farmers to reintroduce fruit trees into their farms according to seedling availability and seasons. Katja was presenting in the knowledge share fair during SF 2013

Population density and human pressure on forest are not correlated says Mr. Joachim Schmerbeck from Teri University, India

De-Registered User — Wed, 26 Sep 2012 07:21:27 +0000

The Forestry session of the Tropentag 2012 was moderated by Mr. Johannes Dietz from the World Agroforestry centre (ICRAF), Kenya. There were four presentations in the session of which Mr. Joachim Schmerbeck was the first speaker. He presented the findings of his research on the topic can development interventions reduce human pressure on forest? a case study from a long term observation in India. He explained that various researchers have tried over the years to determine the relationship between population and forest degradation in an area with some concluding that there is no relationship while others reported a positive relationship. The objective of his research was to determine this relationship by using long term observation. The study lasted for 21 years in the Kadavakurichi area in Tamil Nadu. In 1991, it was found that 1,707 people entered the forest on the seven days of survey, most of them for grazing, hunting, collection of fuel wood, manure and medicines. A total of 22,918 heads of livestock entered the forest of which almost 50% were from outside the study area. In 2012 the observation changed from what was found in 1991. 37% less people were found entering the forest. The main change was found among people collecting fuel wood and other products while there were almost no changes in number of people entering the forest for grazing. Mr. Schmerbeck concluded that,

Tropical agroforestry: learning from the past, projecting the future

De-Registered User — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:48:31 +0000

The tropics are home to the largest share of the world's biodiversity. At the same time, they are regions where persistent poverty, population increase and climate change pose major threats to the food security of the local populations. Therefore, there are in great need of sustainable modes of land-use, which maintain diversity at all levels. This is achieved at best through multi-crop prodction systems, hence forests and agroforestry could not be missing from the international discourse for development on the margin. This year's Tropentag covered the topic through numerous posters and oral presentations, with interesting contributions from both theory and practice. Julia Szulecka from the Technische Universität Dresden, traced the development of historically changing assumptions, concepts, values and practices that constitute our way of viewing plantation forestry. By doing so, she drew a direct correlation between the evolution of meanings and associations related to forest plantations and the development of plantation-related policies. Julia Szulecka, Technische Universität Dresden