Agroforestry for healthy ecosystems: constraints, improvement strategies and extension in Pakistan

Abstract

Globally, forest ecosystems are shrinking and their health is declining due to a range of biotic and abiotic factors. Forest ecosystems in Pakistan are no exception and the country faces a crisis as its growing population (> 208 million) places increasing pressure on the country's food production systems and forest resources. Effective food systems that enhance productivity, increase economic outputs, improve ecological outcomes and maintain social acceptance are needed. Agroforestry, a traditional land management system in Pakistan, offers the opportunity to meet these goals. Planting trees on private farmland provides clear ownership of any timber resource and well managed systems have great potential both to boost agriculture and reduce wood shortages. Concerted extension efforts have been made to introduce and promote innovative agroforestry practices in Pakistan, but the success of these efforts depends on many factors. This paper reviews some of the current constraints to agroforestry promotion in Pakistan, including attitudes of the extension staff, poor or weak research-extension coordination, lack of trained personnel, lack of farmer response to advice, tree species limitations, and market mechanism as well as wood price challenges. Establishing model agroforestry farms at the village level can be a productive extension approach, but successful extension programming requires partners to share both an appreciation of the problem and a vision of successful outcomes. Successful promotion also requires appropriate choice of message, messenger, target audience and effective use of appropriate communication tools. Remedial measures to streamline the existing systems and devise future sustainable strategies and approaches are suggested to promote agroforestry in Pakistan.

Agroforestry and the environment

“…In addition, drawing up management plans could remove the limitation for expanding agroforestry in arable lands which is currently restricted to a tree density of 100 trees per hectare which does not consider the higher initial tree density needed to ensure adequate tree production. Actually, as Baig et al (2021) mention in their work on identifying constrains, improvement strategies and extension for agroforestry in Pakistan, it is important to work with individual farmers to identify the most appropriate agroforestry practices for each farm. Policy could stimulate innovation in agroforestry through effective knowledge transfer based on the bottom up involvement of stakeholders and multi-actor approaches.…”

“…Due to the huge potential benefits that the different agroforestry practices have, it is important that policy makers, farmers and researchers make a common effort to identify the obstacles and knowledge needs, improve knowledge transfer and promote sustainable agroforestry practices. A successful promotion of agroforestry requires the appropriate choice of message, messenger, target audience and communication tools (Baig et al 2021).…”

Smallholder Farmers’ Perception on Ecological Impacts of Agroforestry: Evidence from Northern Irrigated Plain, Pakistan

“…Northern irrigated plain have a high potential of supporting AF system as in this region mostly farmer plants Tamarix aphylla, Acacia modesta, Acacia nilotica, Prosopis cineraria and Zizyphus spp. and Dalbergia sissoo (Sheesham) trees on the boundaries of agricultural fields as shelter belts to protect crops from fast winds and soil erosion, in addition to utilized for fodder and fuel wood [30,31].…”

Analyzing influencing factors to scale up agroforestry systems in Colombia: A comparative ex-ante assessment of cacao farming and cattle ranching in two regions

“…Research shows the crucial role of service delivery mechanisms for AFS scaling-up, including participatory and farmer-centered research and extension approaches that facilitate cooperation between farmers, extensionists, and researchers. These approaches enable co-learning among AFS actors, helping to identify the most important knowledge gaps, thus prioritizing extension services and communication strategies, while a variety of technical options could be developed with fine-scale variations that adequately integrate trees, crops, and/or livestock within the farming systems considering the local circumstances (Franzel et al 2004 ; Calle et al 2013 ; Coe et al 2014 ; Guteta and Abegaz 2016 ; Reij and Garrity 2016 ; Baig et al 2020 ). An adequate institutional context is also relevant to scale up AFS, which implies not only the building of local institutional capacities or establishment of strategic partnerships (Franzel et al 2004 ; Calle et al, 2013 ; Macke et al 2021 ) but also institutional buy-in to influence the public policy agenda (Calle et al 2013 ; Chavan et al 2015 ; Reij and Garrity 2016 ).…”

“…An adequate institutional context is also relevant to scale up AFS, which implies not only the building of local institutional capacities or establishment of strategic partnerships (Franzel et al 2004 ; Calle et al, 2013 ; Macke et al 2021 ) but also institutional buy-in to influence the public policy agenda (Calle et al 2013 ; Chavan et al 2015 ; Reij and Garrity 2016 ). In addition, enabling economic and market conditions are needed to effectively scale up AFS (Baig et al 2020 ), potentially including the development of certification programs or marketing strategies that help farmers to eliminate middle men or obtain premium prices (Guteta and Abegaz 2016 ; Reij and Garrity 2016 ; Pandit et al 2019 ).…”