World Agroforestry Centre researchers and partners will gather in Nairobi from 3-7 September for the Agroforestry Science Forum, an annual assembly that provides an opportunity to share and discuss the latest research results, explore new ideas and network.
This year’s Forum will also feature invited talks by globally renowned personalities discussing issues related to livelihoods and environmental health, particularly for rural smallholder farmers who make up the majority of the developing world’s populace. Among the keynote speakers will be Paul J. Ferraro, Professor of Economics at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University, who will speak on ‘Quantifying the impact of policies in the environment–poverty nexus.’ Juliana Santilli, a Brazilian lawyer and public prosecutor, will tackle the topic of ‘Agrobiodiversity, farmer rights and agroforestry,’ and Lou Munden, co-founder of The Munden Project, will deliver a lecture on ‘Financing a green transformation of agriculture in developing countries.’
Another key attraction at this year’s Forum will be the launch, by Professor Roger Leakey, of his new book Living with the Trees of Life: Towards the Transformation of Tropical Agriculture. The Kenyan-born biologist will launch the book with a special lecture on Monday afternoon.
The Science Forum this year is themed “Co-investing in trees.” Participants will discuss how trees on farms make a good investment and how to further promote co-investment in agroforestry with ‘the right trees at the right place.’ In plenary and smaller discussion groups, a rich engagement is anticipated on diverse topics, including:
- How trees pay back through goods and services
- Under what conditions farmers co-invest in trees
- How agroecosystems respond to the farmers’ co-investments in trees
- Opportunities for co-investment by beneficiaries of environmental services
- How green investment in trees supports national economies and development targets
- How investment in trees relates to international negotiations and global conventions.
Numerous livelihood and environmental benefits continue to be enjoyed through the application of agroforestry, a knowledge-based system of growing working trees on farms. As expected, research that generates new knowledge and insights will form the core of the discussions at the Science Forum.
