Key messages
To address land degradation, climate change, and livestock feed gaps in semi-arid Malawi, the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project in partnership with the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), initiated the spillover of validated climate-smart feed and forage technologies, with a focus on Gliricidia sepium agroforestry practices. Over 2-3 December 2024, a workshop was held in Dowa District, Malawi, to improve training participants’ knowledge on the selected technologies as well as enhance partnerships and collaboration to accelerate the spillover process. This workshop report outlines the rationale for the training, details how the event was planned and implemented, and provides an overview of the participants. It concludes with a summary of the key findings and proposes recommendations to guide the way forward.
To address land degradation, climate change, and livestock feed gaps in semi-arid Tanzania the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) project, in partnership with the Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), initiated the spillover of validated climate-smart feed and forage technologies, with a focus on Gliricidia sepium agroforestry practices. On the 5th of December 2024, a workshop was held in Dodoma, Tanzania, to improve training participants’ knowledge on the selected technologies as well as enhance partnerships and collaboration to accelerate the spillover process. This workshop report highlights the need for the training and provides information on the participants and how the workshop was planned and conducted. The report concludes with the key challenges raised and proposed actions for the way forward.
Increasing demand for food and non-food products by a growing population accompanied by shrinking area of agricultural land—with 17% abandoned or underutilized—has challenged sustainable agricultural development in Nepal. Yet agriculture, which occupies 24.2% of the land area, contributes 23.9% to GDP, engaging two-thirds of the population. Agricultural practices often combine forestry activities across landscapes, forming agroforestry systems. Application of an innovative, climate-smart agroforestry (CSAF) approach to agricultural landscapes can produce a wide range of ecosystem goods and services. A wide range of policy instruments have made clear provisions for utilizing abandoned and marginal land through agroforestry practices that contribute to climate and livelihood goals. However, abandonment of agricultural land is ever-increasing owing to low productivity, out-migration and lack of labor, off-farm income sources and enhanced purchasing power, unscientific land management policies, rugged terrain and harsh climatic conditions, invasive plants and land fragmentation. We recommend policy and institutional reforms through the development of a national roadmap based on a nexus approach to support land-sector policies and priorities, such as strengthening climate and agricultural information services; conservation and sustainable use of agrobiodiversity through site-specific crops in CSAF; development of value chains of CSAF products in partnership with the larger private sector; subsidies and safety nets for resource-poor smallholding and marginalized farmers; building capacity in CSAF technologies and practices; provision of infrastructure and other facilities for commercial CSAF; establishing CSAF as wildlife corridors; and research into the full set of ecosystem services, including carbon and ecotourism, provided by CSAF. This will not only support the agri-food sector but also contribute to climate, livelihood and development goals. This chapter presents the authors’ perspectives on the key challenges facing the agricultural sector and, particularly, the agroforestry sub-sector, and recommends ways for maximizing economic, social and environmental benefits from a CSAF approach.
Crop diversity – the variety of plants used in agriculture – is a prerequisite for future food and nutrition security. Only by safeguarding crop diversity in perpetuity, and making it available for use by researchers, plant breeders, and farmers, can we adapt agriculture to the climate crisis, improve livelihoods and feed everyone adequately.
The study was conducted in the localities of Buyo, Duekoué, and Gueyo in western Côte d’Ivoire, within agroforestry systems that combine cocoa trees with Irvingia gabonensis. The aim was to enhance cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire by associating it with I. gabonensis to achieve sustainable production. To achieve this goal, plots with radii of 10 and 20 m around I. gabonensis trees were established to assess diameter, height, morphological characteristics of fruits and seeds, biomass, and carbon stock. The results showed uniformity in the morphological characteristics of I. gabonensis, fruit production, biomass, and carbon stock across all localities, except for height. The vigor and pod yield of cocoa trees near I. gabonensis were reduced, likely due to lower cocoa density in its vicinity. However, its presence in cocoa plantations increased biomass production and carbon stock. I. gabonensis also stabilized the incidence of rotted and gnawed pods. Therefore, integrating I. gabonensis into agroforestry plots could be beneficial, provided that cocoa density around it is reduced to minimize its impact on cocoa vigor and yield.
Agroforestri merupakan solusi pengelolaan lahan yang berkontribusi terhadap mitigasi dan adaptasi perubahan iklim, mulai dari skala kebun hingga bentang lahan. Sistem ini banyak dipraktikkan oleh petani swadaya berdasarkan konteks lokal dan strategi penghidupan mereka. Untuk meningkatkan adopsi agroforestri cerdas iklim, diperlukan pendekatan partisipatif melalui penyuluhan yang mencakup perancangan bersama (co-design), pembangunan, dan pendampingan. Proses co-design memungkinkan integrasi perspektif dan preferensi petani dalam pengelolaan lahan. Namun, kapasitas penyuluh lapangan masih terbatas dan membutuhkan alat bantu untuk memperkuat efektivitas transfer pengetahuan dan replikasi praktik agroforestri yang adaptif terhadap iklim.
The aim of this handbook is to build farmers’ knowledge and capacity for enhanced adaptive capacity through agricultural and tree-based value chains in the EP of Rwanda. The Green Climate Fund has provided financial resources to the Transforming Eastern Province through Adaptation (TREPA) project, whose aims include enhancing the climate resilience of agricultural value chains and commodities. Diversification and value addition are considered effective adaptation strategies to protect the most vulnerable population against climate shocks (Mulwa and Visser 2020). The most important climate shocks in the EP include droughts, floods, pests and diseases.
With a GDP of approximately USD 116 billion in 2024 and a real GDP growth rate of 5%, Kenya stands as one of East Africa’s largest and most diversified economies. The country’s economic foundation is built on agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and services, with natural resources playing a vital role in sustaining livelihoods. However, Kenya faces pressing environmental challenges, including deforestation, water scarcity, land degradation, pollution, and the growing impacts of climate change. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events threaten economic stability and social well-being, particularly in climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, energy, and water resources. Addressing these challenges through sustainable policies and climate adaptation strategies will be crucial for ensuring long-term resilience and economic sustainability.
Empowering women is essential for the success and sustainability of land restoration efforts in Cameroon, a country with rich ecological diversity but facing significant environmental challenges. This study examines how gender-sensitive approaches are integrated into restoration projects across the Bimodal Humid Forest, Western Highland, and Sudano-Sahelian zones, aiming to enhance researcher and practitioner engagement in gender inclusion. Despite women’s central roles in agriculture and natural resource management, they are often excluded from decision-making, limiting their ability to fully contribute to restoration. While women actively participate in agroforestry and tree planting, systemic barriers—such as restricted land access, limited resources, and leadership roles—hinder their involvement. Some projects have made progress in incorporating gender perspectives, but implementation remains limited. This study emphasizes the importance of gender-responsive project design to create more inclusive, effective, and sustainable land restoration initiatives.