A letter in the Guardian Weekly by Brian Sims from the UK outlines how growing fertilizer trees such as Faidherbia albida is among many strategies practised by smallholder farmers in developing countries.

The letter is in response to an article that appeared in the 24 August 2012 issue of the Guardian: Trees breathing new life into French agriculture which discusses how agroforestry is undergoing resurgence in parts of France as farmers look for ways to improve soil health and boost their incomes.

Sims writes, “Faidherbia not only fixes atmospheric nitrogen, but also draws up essential nutrients. These are returned to the soil as organic matter when the tree that has provided shade throughout the dry season sheds its leaves. It not only fertilises the next crop but also offers no competition for light or water as other tree species do”.

He argues that agroforestry needs to incorporate conservation practices in order to be sustainable in the long-term and reduce dependence on mineral fertilizers, destruction of soil biota and soil erosion.

“This sort of conservation agriculture is desperately needed throughout the world.”

Sims recalls the comments of a farmer he worked with in Central America to establish trees along the contours of his field. “He said that the family had more food and could eat better but, for him, one of the joys was to sit in the shade of the trees that we had planted to watch and listen to the birds that enjoyed the insects, seeds and nesting sites provided.”

Read the full letter to the Guardian

Read more about conservation agriculture and the use of the fertiliser tree, Faidherbia albida, on the  World Agroforestry Centre website, and the Evergreen Agriculture website