Growing Acacia albida as a permanent tree crop, on farmlands with cereals, vegetables and coffee underneath or in between, is an indigenous agroforestry system in the Hararghe highlands of Eastern Ethiopia. However, there is practically no systematic record or data on the merits and benefits of this practice.The paper presents the results of an investigation into the effects of the presence of A. albida on farmlands on the yield of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench). Twenty seven plot pairs each consisting of one plot underneath the A. albida foliage cover and the other in the open, away from the tree-on farmers' fields, in a 40 km radius around the Alemaya College of Agriculture, were sampled and the yield components analyzed. A statistically significant increase in crops yields by 56% on average was found for the crops under the tree canopies compared to those away from the trees. This increase was caused by the improvement in 1000 grain weight and number of grains of plants under the tree, indicating that the trees enhanced the fertility status of the soil and improved its physical conditions in terms of crop growth.Additional benefits from the A. albida trees include supply of fuelwood and fodder. Quantitative estimates of these outputs as well as their monetary values are presented in the paper. However, in order to realize these benefits to a discernible extent, higher stand densitites of the tree than at present are required.Based on an enquiry about the farmers attitude towards A. albida, the prospects for an extension of this promising agroforestry technique are discussed against the background of the state and trends of development of agriculture in the area. It is surmised that despite some shortcomings like the relatively slow and highly variable growth of A. albida and a conflict with the spreading cultivation of Ch'at (Catha edulis Forsk.), the prospects of extension of this technique are good. It is recommended that its propagation should be incorporated into the programmes of the extension agencies of the various governmental agencies concerned with land use.
De árboles y personas. ¿Qué funciona en el desarrollo, trabajo y medio ambiente en la Amazonia brasileña? De árvores e pessoas. O que funciona para o desenvolvimento, trabalho e meio ambiente na Amazônia brasileira?
The bioeconomy has gained traction among the broader discourses on sustainable development, ecological transition, and the circular economy. Governments in the Global North and international institutions maintain that the bioeconomy can gradually replace fossil-based raw materials and nonrenewable resources with biomass and biological renewables. The Global South has increasingly adopted the approach, but with important variations across mega-biodiverse regions. In these regions, the bioeconomy must encourage economic activities that preserve biodiversity and strengthen local communities, promoting their well-being and cultural diversity. This paper argues that conventional research methods and indicators are not fit for this purpose. We therefore propose an alternative method and indicators and present an initial validation of the approach with an application to the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) value chain in the Brazilian Amazon. By applying a bottom-up approach to evaluation that considers the perspective of the individuals and communities involved, the proposed methodology captures relevant dimensions of the value chain—including trade-offs—-while identifying bottlenecks and the role of institutions. It also allows for verification of the achievement of the objectives of the socio-biodiversity bioeconomy in this model. The application to the case study finds that the managed pirarucu fisheries are a viable value chain associated with improved fish stocks and lower than average forest loss. Socio-economic benefits include the generation of reasonable income and greater participation by women. Income remains a complement to other sources of livelihood, however, and attractiveness to local communities is an issue. Positive outcomes are owed largely to local knowledge, collective action, and the role played by meta-organizations, while negative ones such as overfishing have resulted from institutional failures. Conventional analysis would likely not have considered these factors and missed these policy lessons. This corroborates the view that alternative methods and indicators are needed for the socio-biodiversity bioeconomy. While the application to the case study suggests the method and the indicators are conceptually suitable, we identify a number of shortcomings regarding the identification of interventions, attribution, and monitoring of the sustainability of the model.
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