Page 162 - Area 9 - Relevant Document

14

2. Sustainability

By conserving the production potential of the resource base, mainly
through the beneficial effects of woody perennials on soils, agroforestry
can achieve and indefinitely maintain conservation and fertility goals

Land management system is sustainable. The agroforestry system should
entail a continuous production for the benefit of the farmer.

Consistent with the sound ecological principles

- Employs conservation strategies to ensure long term productivity
even at the exchange of temporary decrease in present
productivity.

- putting some form of incentives into the technology to ensure
adoption of conservation practices especially to farmers who are
operating on subsistence or near subsistence (e.g. incentives of
growing multipurpose trees)

3. Adaptability

The word “adopt” here means “accept” and it may be distinguished from
another commonly used word adapt, which implies “modify” or
“change.” The fact that agroforestry is a relatively new word for an old
set of practices means that, in some cases, agroforestry was already
been accepted by the farming community. However, the implication here
is that improved or new agroforestry technologies that are introduced
into new areas should also conform to local farming practices.

An agroforestry should be culturally acceptable/adoptable and
compatible with established norms and practices. Farmers should have
the technical skills, financial and manpower resources to adopt it.

To ensure adoption, farmers should be involved directly in the
design and demonstration of the technology.

* Characteristics of agroforestry system based on ICRAF Definition

1. the simplest agroforestry system is more complex ecologically
(structurally and functionally) and economically than a mono cropping
system.