Science-based agroforestry and the Millenium Development Goals

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations (UN) are at the heart of the global development agenda. This chapter examines the role of agroforestry research for development in light of the MDGs. It reviews how agroforestry is materially assisting to achieve the goals. And it discusses how the agroforestry science agenda can be realigned to further increase its effectiveness in helping developing countries to meet their MDG targets. Promising agroforestry pathways to increase on-farm food production and income contribute to the first MDG, which aims to cut the number of hungry and desperately poor by at least half by 2015. Such pathways include fertilizer tree systems for smallhold - ers, and expanded tree cropping and improved tree product processing and marketing. These advances can also help address lack of enterprise opportunities on small-scale farms and child malnutrition. The rate of return to investment in research on tree crops has been shown to be quite high (88%). But enterprise development and enhancement of tree product marketing have been badly neglected. Tree domestication, and the commercial processing and marketing of tree products and services is a new frontier for agroforestry research for development. A major role is also emerging in the domain of environmental services, particularly the development of mechanisms to reward the rural poor for the watershed protection, biodiversity conservation, and carbon sequestration that they provide to society. Agroforestry research for development is contributing to virtually all of the MDGs. But recognition for that role must be won by ensuring that more developing countries have national agroforestry strategies, and that agroforestry is a recognized part of their development agenda

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