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1st Int. Transborder Conf. of the Timor Island: Timor %u2013 Science without borderDili, 7-8 May 202534Agroforestry Provides Multiple Benefits To Small-Farm-Holders In Timor-LesteMar%u00e7al Gusm%u00e3o1*, Zevacio Fernandes1, Juvencio Dos Santos1, Archontoulis V. Sotirios2 And Kadambot H.M. Siddique31Department of Agronomy and Centre for Climate Change and Biodiversity, National University of Timor Lorosa%u2019e, Timor-Leste2 Department of Agronomy, IOWA State University of Science and Technology, Ames, USA3The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Perth 6001, Australia *Corresponding email: marcalgusmao@gmail.comAbstractOver 75% of subsistence rural farmers in Timor-Leste are challenged by unsustainable land use of slash-and-burn on degraded steep slopes, resulting in land and environmental degradation through soil erosion, poor crop yields, and food insecurity. Several international NGOs have recently delivered agroforestry projects to improve land productivity and farmers%u2019 livelihoods. However, their impact was unknown. The present study aimed at assessing i) the adoption of agroforestry projects by farmers, ii) soil erosion from different land uses of fallow and slash-and-burn, and iii) agronomic response to different land uses in Timor-Leste. The study was conducted in the Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) project site at Saraida, post administrative of Quelicai, municipality of Baucau during the rainy season from December 2021 to April 2022. A total of 35 farmers involved in the project were interviewed and consulted through focus group discussions. In addition, field soil erosion and pot experiments were assessed. Results of the study showed that majority of farmers claimed improved production and outcomes from growing trees, and they wanted to replicate the agroforestry systems showing adoption of the agroforestry into their farm system due to its multiple benefits in terms of soil improvement, the provision of animal feed and fuelwood, and environmental and biodiversity sustainability. Measures of soil loss and plant production confirmed the positive effects of agroforestry, which reduced soil erosion by approximately 15 times less using the fallow system, and increased crop growth and yields with both fallow and slash-and-much agroforestry systems. The current study provided crucial baseline measurements and fundamental guidance for improving future land management of small-farm-holder farmers in Timor-Leste.Keywords: agroforestry, soil erosion, soil cover, soil improvement, crop response, environmental sustainability.