Friday, August 7, 2009 - 8:40 AMOOS 51-3: Getting to yes: Agroforestry acceptance and adoption
Gary Bentrup and Bruce Wight. USDA National Agroforestry Center
Background/Question/Methods Work has already begun that will contribute to our ecological understanding of how and where agroforestry can provide a range of ecosystem services. At the same time, we need to understand and build the socio-economic and political frameworks that ultimately determine its acceptance and adoption by landowners. At the USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC), we are using a participatory action research approach to investigate and develop tools and strategies to promote acceptance and adoption of agroforestry.
Results/Conclusions Results from this effort include a comprehensive planning and design methodology and suite of flexible, user-friendly design tools. Due to each landowner’s unique set of conditions, our planning and design methodology allows each agroforestry plan to be custom-tailored to meet the individual landowner’s needs. GIS-based suitability assessments (e.g. buffer performance and water quality, agroforestry products, and riparian connectivity) are overlaid to provide specific guidance for locating agroforestry practices to obtain multiple objectives. The Conservation Buffers Guidelines book, synthesized from 1400+ research publications, provides illustrated rules-of-thumb for designing linear agroforestry practices and serves to facilitate discussion between resource professionals and landowners. Other tools include a buffer width tool for water quality and a cost-benefit analysis tool for designing the individual practices in a system. The CanVis visual simulation software allows photo-realistic scenarios to be created, enabling landowners to “test-drive” alternatives on the lands. When ideas are communicated through visual simulations, landowners are more willing to actively participate in the design process, increasing ownership and adoption of the final agroforestry plan. Each of these tools was extensively peer-reviewed to ensure scientific validity in addition to being developed with end-user participation to guarantee the tools address the needs, resources, and capabilities of the users. By incorporating ecological, economic and social considerations in agroforestry planning and design, a sustainable future for rural communities can be built.
Results/Conclusions Results from this effort include a comprehensive planning and design methodology and suite of flexible, user-friendly design tools. Due to each landowner’s unique set of conditions, our planning and design methodology allows each agroforestry plan to be custom-tailored to meet the individual landowner’s needs. GIS-based suitability assessments (e.g. buffer performance and water quality, agroforestry products, and riparian connectivity) are overlaid to provide specific guidance for locating agroforestry practices to obtain multiple objectives. The Conservation Buffers Guidelines book, synthesized from 1400+ research publications, provides illustrated rules-of-thumb for designing linear agroforestry practices and serves to facilitate discussion between resource professionals and landowners. Other tools include a buffer width tool for water quality and a cost-benefit analysis tool for designing the individual practices in a system. The CanVis visual simulation software allows photo-realistic scenarios to be created, enabling landowners to “test-drive” alternatives on the lands. When ideas are communicated through visual simulations, landowners are more willing to actively participate in the design process, increasing ownership and adoption of the final agroforestry plan. Each of these tools was extensively peer-reviewed to ensure scientific validity in addition to being developed with end-user participation to guarantee the tools address the needs, resources, and capabilities of the users. By incorporating ecological, economic and social considerations in agroforestry planning and design, a sustainable future for rural communities can be built.