AGROFORESTRY – A FAILED PHENOMENON ?

Mazhar M. Chinoy

Agroforestry - the notion of growing woody plants, trees and shrubs side by side with
agricultural crops and livestock on the same land has been in practice for thousands of years. In
ancient times, the availability of crops for food, and wood for fuel and building, was critical to
the survival of man. Today, the reasons for the resurrection of this concept are no different. Sharp
rural development and sustained pressure on land in many areas of the world to produce food for
the masses, fuel to create energy and materials to build, heal or earn livelihood, have accelerated
in agroforestry

The concept is more so significant for Pakistan where only 25,000 sq kms - a mere 3% of the
land is covered by forests - and when this small percentage churns out nearly 26 million tonnes
of fuel wood every year, the specter of deforestation assumes scary proportions for the future.
Thus, the criticality to build and develop forests is needed to serve the trident aims of adding to
the meager environmentally-impacted forest-to-land ratio of the country as well as to ensure
continued supply of fuel wood to energy-deficient Pakistan, and to fill out the small farmers’
income by this complement to crops

During the early 80s, the first move was made to set agroforestry on its way in Pakistan when a
Farm and Energy project was initiated. With natural forests on the wane and wood an
increasingly precious commodity, there were obvious socio-economic benefits to the farmers to
plant fast-growing trees like Eucalyptus and Poplar, motivating them to share land space with
their regular crops.
The benefits of agroforestry are impeccable. These trees would provide commercially valuable
products like wood, paper, fruits and woody floral products. Moreover, the tree and shrubs would
add on to environmental health, natural beauty and importantly, increased land prices for the
farmers
Aside from that, tree leaves and branches provide shade, reducing evaporation and water losses
from the soil and transpiration from plants. The soil temperature is regulated in both excessive
heat and cold, and when leaves and twigs fall from trees, they add organic matter to the soil,
enriching it and reducing the use of chemical fertilizers, in turn saving the farmer on input cost.
Trees also cushion against the wind, reducing wind erosion, blowing dust and pesticide drift.
Subterranean networks of tree roots hold soil in place, reducing water erosion.
Ingredients for a very successful venture indeed, and at the onset, the program was greatly
successful in maintaining farmer interest But twenty years after the first program was launched
in Pakistan, there have been setbacks
Farmer interest in agroforestry has gone astray. Limited options available in fast-growing woody
tree species has dampened farmer enthusiasm through the years. The forest department has been
encouraging plantation of trees like Eucalyptus primarily because they are quick to grow and
being salt-absorbent are excellent in helping the farmer control salinity in saline soils. However,
the tree works the wrong way in case of non-saline soils where it over-absorbs regular water and
fertilizer, depriving adjacent crops of these precious nutrients.
Also, more effort needs to be put in by the GOP to spread the good word on the economic and
environmental benefits and sustained prosperity due agroforestry for the poor, cash-strapped
farmer. There appears to be little collective organization, convergence or spirit between the
forestry and the agriculture departments in jointly driving home the concept to supplement
resources so badly needed by Pakistan

Overtly prescribed forest sector policies exist but without any practice of even the most basic
tenets so outlined. While thousands of plant lings are distributed annually by the forestry
department, not even a small fraction of these are ever apparent - a clear statement that agro
forestry is not mere practice but a defined, hitherto elusive, mindset.