Agroforestry has been incorporated in education and training programs at an unprecedented level since 1982. A survey of educational institutions conducted by ICRAF in 1987 revealed that agroforestry is found as an option for specialization in undergraduate as well as in postgraduate M.Sc, diploma programs in forestry, agriculture, natural resources, and others. Courses and special seminars in agroforestry are organized in degree programs. Full undergraduate and postgraduate programs in agroforestry are being formulated and implementation started in quite a few universities, and many students are choosing agroforestry-oriented research projects for their dissertations. A good setting for higher degree training in agroforestry requires, however, staffing from combined faculties of at least agriculture, animal science and forestry; faculty commitment to a farming systems approach; and inter-departmental cooperation in teaching and research. It was difficult to asses whether these and other elements are present in existing programs where agroforestry has been incorporated. Emerging trends indicate that traditional forestry programs are broadening the scope of the discipline (from forests to integrated land-use systems) while agriculturists are recognizing that trees play important roles as soil improvers and protectors, fodder, food, fuel and other domestic and commercial purposes. New institutional structures are evolving to allow for educational programs with coursework and research projects spanning many disciplines. Nondegree training in agroforestry has seen an upsurge of activities equal, if not larger, to that in education. Attempts are being made by different institutions worldwide to inventory training opportunities; still the collection and dissemination of information is difficult. Efforts are needed at the international, regional, and national levels, to address training issues that if addressed collectively can improve the quality and effectiveness of human resource development efforts. ICRAF’s approach to promote agroforestry research through education and training is an example of an action program currently under application.
Tag: Training
Batu Rural Resource Centre: A community based approach to deliver agroforestry technologies to rural farmers
Batu RRC (geographical location: Lat. 07°56’27”; Long. 038°43’16”; elevation 1642 m.) situated at Jido Kombolcha Woreda, was established early March 2015 and inaugurated by the Australian ambassador to Ethiopia, H.E. Mark Sawers on 31 March 2016. The centre has facilities such as seedling production area (with shade net), soil and manure storage area, area for demonstration plots, fruit tree mother blocks, training hall, library, store, reliable water connection and working spaces. Batu RRC is run by landless farmers registered as a cooperative named “Magarissa”.
Farming trees, banishing hunger: how an agroforestry programme is helping smallholders in Malawi to grow more food and improve their livelihoods
This booklet tells the story of Malawi’s Agroforestry Food Security Programme. Funded by Irish Aid and coordinated by the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), in partnership with a consortium of national institutions, the four-year programme will enable at least 200,000 families – or around .3 million of the poorest people in Malawi – to increase their food production and enhance their nutrition. At the same time, the programme will do much to improve soil fertility and restore degraded farmland. All of this will be done by encouraging farmers to use the agroforestry technologies developed by the World Agroforestry Centre and its partners over more than a decade of research in Southern Africa. During recent years, thousands of farming families – some of their stories are told here – have dramatically increased their welfare, and that of their land, by planting trees which capture atmospheric nitrogen, and by incorporating into their small farms a range of trees which yield fruit, firewood and livestock fodder. The benefits of these agroforestry technologies are clear; the task now is to promote their use throughout Malawi. This is precisely what the Agroforestry Food Security Programme is doing. During 2007, the programme supported almost 90,000 smallholder farmers by providing seeds, seedlings, nursery materials and training. This is just a beginning. These farmers will receive further support over the coming years, ensuring that they become self-sufficient and confident enough to share their skills with their neighbours. The World Agroforestry Centre and its national partners in Malawi would like to express their thanks to Irish Aid for its strong commitment to adopting science-based solutions to tackle hunger and poverty. Irish Aid’s faith in developing perennial solutions to perennial problems is exemplary, and its support, amounting to at least US$ 4 million over four years, should make hunger a thing of the past for a significant number of people in Malawi
COCOA futures: an innovative programme of research and training is transforming the lives of cocoa growers in Indonesia and beyond
Cocoa provides a living for over 6.5 million smallholder families, a significant source of revenue for a small number of tropical countries, and the key ingredient that sustains the chocolate industry. To keep pace with growing demand, annual cocoa production must rise by 1 million tonnes over the next decade. If that’s to happen, millions of hectares of old and unproductive cocoa gardens will have to be rehabilitated.
East Africa Regional Stakeholder Engagement: Co-design workshop
The project builds on the recent revolution in quality and accessibility of Earth Observation (EO) data, which presents a major opportunity for IFAD. Recent advancements in the use of satellite data, as well as analysis capabilities, allow for accurate characterisation of a wide range of agricultural landscapes and production management systems.
Identification and selection of communities in preparation for the InPaC-S workshops in Mbale, Uganda. Activity Report
In a previous field activity, Busiu and Busoba Sub Counties in Mbale districts were identified as potential project implementation sites under the Marketplace/EmbrapaFunded project. Following this site selection exercise, there was need for partners from ICRAF-Nairobi to share ideas on the suitability of these sites in addition to streamlining stakeholder selection.
Implementation of three activities in Somalia. Report
The IGAD BMP implemented by ICRAF has successfully supported three project activities in Ras Kamboni, Somalia. The three activities are honey value chain development, rainwater harvesting and training and capacity building on natural resource management. The report provides the achievements and next steps for each of the three activities.
Farmer Community of Practice Workshops in Kitui, Machakos, Makueni Counties in Kenya, December 2017. Report
This report highlights the objectives and co-learning with ~400 farmers that took place in December 2017 in the three action counties: Kitui, Makueni and Machakos.
Regreening Africa: Joint Reflection and Learning Missions Synthesis Report
The purpose of this document is to provide a synthesis of the findings across the country level reflective missions with a focus on the innovative process methodology employed.
Lead farmer training: Maize and tree planned comparisons measurements in Kenya. Training Report
The main objectives of the training were threefold: 1) Introduce lead farmers to the data collection methods; 2) Train farmers specifically on the tree and maize measurements; and 3) Outline the data collection plan and timeline.