Trees offer ‘window of opportunity’ against climate change
No commentsBy Aregu Balleh
Nairobi – While Africans are bracing for the impacts of climate change which they have done little to cause, researchers are turning to a way of both combating the problem and also improving agricultural productivity.
They are relying on something called integrated agroforestry – the idea that trees are a central part of modern farming.
Research revealed at the second World Agroforestry Congress held here recently also showed that, contrary to the common perception that agriculture and forestry are mutually exclusive, nearly half of the farmlands cultivated across the world already have tree cover.
“The study has given us more evidence of the importance of trees on farms – that farms and farmers can play a significant role in addressing climate change challenges , and how agriculture, currently considered part of the problem, needs to be considered part of the solution”, said Dr Dennis Garrity, Exeutive Director of Nairobi’s World Agroforestry Centre.
Trees growing in farming systems are providing farmers with everything from nuts and fruits to windbreaks and erosion control, to fuel for heating and timber for housing, the study showed. The trees also help to combat climate change by absorbing carbon emitted into the atmosphere.
The study also reveals that agroforestry can play a critical role in efforts to promote sustainable agriculture, lessening soil degradation and increasing soil fertility.
“Agriculture is not about maximizing production; it is about optimizing the way agriculture sustains us at local and global level,” said UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner. “For so long trees have been the most ingenious solution to the problems the world has found itself in”.
Kenyan Nobel Laureate Professor Wangari Mathaai was quick to mention her country as an example of those that are paying the price for destroying their forests. Kenya has been hit by yet another serious drought, which many people believe has been caused by deforestation. The drought has affected hydroelectricity generation, she said, causing the rationing of electricity and water.
Dr. Abayneh Derero, a researcher from the Ethiopian Agricultural Research Organization, said that for a country like Ethiopia , where 80 percent of the population is heavily dependent on agriculture, integrating tree growing with farming systems eallows farmers to use their small pieces of land productively.
He said farmers in southern and south-western Ethiopia have traditionally grown trees, and have benefited from doing so. His institution is now involved in a research programme that focuses on ways of replicating the practice to the rest of the country.
Climate change talks due to take place later this year in Copenhagen are expected to consider a new strategy called Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD )which could include payments for carbon captured by trees and soils. Experts are discussing ways to ensure that agroforestry is part of the REDD investment mechanism.
