The land use in arid and semi-arid climates of the world including dry woodlands and savannas has the challenge of providing food for important populations of humans and livestock. But ecophysiological factors including growth resources like water limit the agroecosystem productivity, while social factors such as increasing human population, high demand for wood biofuel, insecure land tenure and unaffordable farm inputs put even more pressure on farmers’ ability to get sufficient food and income for supporting their needs. While it is necessary to meet the global development agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially food security and eradication of poverty, the use of un-adapted agriculture practices have resulted in loss of tree cover, overgrazing, reduced soil health and desertification. At the same time, from oasis and homegardens to agroforestry parklands, using bocages, windbreaks or live fences, farmer communities have developed various agroforestry systems and techniques for adapting to such a difficult environment. In this session, we will explore what can be learned from local traditional systems, farmers’ innovations and scientific research to conceive agroforestry systems able to boost productivity and improve food security and nutrition while reducing disaster risk and providing ecosystem services in these arid climatic regions of the world.
CIFOR-ICRAF Speaker
Presentations
Agroforestry innovations in dryland area of Africa: results of 40 years of research-action in North Cameroon and Dallol Dosso in Niger
Régis Peltier, CIRAD, France
Inverted phenology of Faidherbia albida paced with the dynamics of the water table
Olivier Roupsard, CIRAD, Senegal
Analysis of the future climatic conditions of the olive sector in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al-Hoceima region, Morocco
Romane Hamon, Université Laval, Canada
Productivity and drought resistance of maize intercropped with G. sepium and pigeonpea
Anthony Kimaro, ICRAF, Tanzania (United Republic of Tanzania)
Agroforestry for forage production and soil improvement in desert areas of Kuwait
M Anisul Islam, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait
