Page 143 - Agroforestry system - book inner (final corrected) - 9.-3-21_Neat

National level e-symposium on “Agroforestry system for augmenting livestock
productivity and empowering resource poor rural farmers”

many local varieties of crop/tree species. Urbanization and land fragmentation has exhausted many of these
natural varieties.

Socio-economic transformation triggered by globalization and market driven lifestyle has prompted
people to do away with traditional agricultural practices which are ‘labour intensive and time consuming’.
The shift towards development oriented non-agricultural land use practices has started manifesting its far
reaching consequences in all spectrum of human life such as escalated rates of landslides, soil and water
conservation, poor drainage, massive soil erosion and associated loss of soil fertility. Need of the hour is
to hold lessons from the advantages of homesteads as invaluable sustainable farming system that integrates
diverse crop forms to meet the multitude of benefits to mankind.

Conclusions

The traditional homegardens are characterized by multistrata composition often mimic the natural forest
in structure and composition. They are ecologically sound, economically viable, socially acceptable and
culturally pragmatic systems influencing livelihood and nutritional security of millions people in the tropics.
The favorable biophysical environment promotes high level of association and comlementarity among the
various components that guarantee sustainability of homegardens. The high floristic diversity attached to
these systems has evolved through preferential selection followed over generations. Apart from the multitude
of direct benefits, the array of ecosystems services rendered by the homegardens distinguishes them as robust
land use system. Their resilience and adaptation potential to climate change and associated climatic extremes
are tremendous.
Despite all these multifarious advantages, homegardens are yet to receive recognition that they deserve
neither at the policy level nor at scientific front. Moreover, this time-tested agrarian tradition appears to
fade out under the pressure of urbanization and globalization. Influx of monoculture, land fragmentation,
alternative market avenue for homegarden products and fast changing socio-economic and cultural equations
have put serious threats on the future of these wonderful systems. Unless concerted efforts are attempted at
regional and policy levels, these unique systems will wither away shortly.

References
Abebe, T., Wiersum, K.F., Bongers, F. and F. Sterck. 2006. Diversity and dynamics in homegardens of
southern Ethiopia. In: Kumar B.M. and Nair P.K.R. (eds), Tropical homegardens: A time-tested example
of sustainable agroforestry. pp 123–142. Springer Science, Dordrecht.
Albuquerque, U.P., Andrade, L.H.C. Caballero, J. 2005. Structure and floristic of homegardens in Northeastern
Brazil. Journal of Arid Environments 62 (2005) 491–506
Altieri, M.A., 1999. The ecological role of biodiversity in agroecosystems. Agriculture, Ecosystems &
Environment 74, 19–31.
Asfaw, Z. and Woldu, Z. 1997. Crop associations of homegardens in Welayta and Gurage in southern Ethiopia.
Sinet (an Ethiopian J Sci) 20: 73–90.
Calvet-Mir. L, Gómez-Baggethun, E. and Reyes-García, V. 2012. Beyond food production: Ecosystem
services provided by home gardens. A case study in Vall Fosca, Catalan Pyrenees, Northeastern Spain.
Ecological Economics. Volume 74, February 2012, Pages 153–160.

124 Institute of Animal Nutrition, Centre for Animal Production Studies, TANUVAS
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development