Agroforestry Value Chains And Market Systems

By linking trees and agriculture, agroforestry enables female and male farmers to generate a diversified income from the production of a variety of agricultural products (Agroforestry Network, 2018). These products can be produced from trees, and from countless combinations of trees or shrubs, agricultural crops and often livestock products as part of the agroforestry system. One agroforestry farm can for example produce mango, coffee, macadamia nuts, timber, honey, beans and fodder for dairy cattle. At the same time agroforestry systems protect and conserve biodiversity, soil, water, wildlife habitats and other natural resources. Apart from increased climate change resilience and mitigation potential, an important benefit for agroforestry farmers is strengthened economic resilience, as agroforestry offers multiple income streams at different times. This policy brief gives an overview of agroforestry value chains and market systems, describes the current market barriers and gives recommendations on how these could be resolved, exemplified in successful case studies.

Read more here