Environmental conservation and food security in developing countries: bridging the disconnect

In many developing countries, environmental issues are sacrificed for immediate food production requirements because of perceived tradeoff between the two. Some production systems exist however that offers opportunities for achieving the two seemingly divergent objectives because they have the characteristics to produce joint outputs; food production and environmental conservation, but their adoption in farming communities is socially sub optimal despite proven technological success. Using natural resource economic framework, this study highlights the reason for the adoption of such technologies taking agroforestry technologies as the case study, and uses externality theory to provide environmental economic logic for developing incentives to internalize environmental services “produced” to enhance their adoption and unlock their potential to satisfy both food production and delivery of environmental services for the benefit of the wider public. Taking agroforestry as the case study, this paper examines environmental conservation through sustainable agricultural development lens and, concludes by outlining strategies for achieving this, taking cognizance of the socio-economic context of farmers in low income countries.

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