While the potential of agroforestry products to contribute to rural livelihoods is well-recognize... more While the potential of agroforestry products to contribute to rural livelihoods is well-recognized, the quantification of their yields, incomes, and value for domestic consumption (VDC) and knowledge about their relationships with biodiversity are still scarce. This information is crucial for choosing the best strategy for growing cocoa in tropical landscapes while conserving biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem services. We analyzed the contribution of cocoa agroforestry farming to the incomes and domestic consumption of small farmers’ families in 179 cocoa agroforestry systems (CAFS) (254 ha) in five Central American countries. The two hypotheses were: (1) agroforestry products are as important as cocoa in contributing to livelihoods, (2) the typology of CAFS determines the relationships between socioeconomic indicators and yield, biodiversity, and structure of the shade canopy, as well as the relationships between plant species richness and cocoa yield. We quantified the yields of agroforestry products and their contribution to net income, cash flow, and family benefits and developed a typology of CAFS production to evaluate relationships for each CAFS cluster. The main agroforestry products other than cocoa were bananas, oranges, peach palm, other fruits, and timber, which generated modest cash incomes but high VDC at low cash costs, thus contributing to family savings and food security. Timber volumes and harvest rates were low but significant increase was deemed feasible. The contribution of the set of agroforestry products to family benefits was similar or higher than cocoa, depending on the typology of the CAFS. Intensified highly diverse-dense CAFS demonstrated remarkably higher yields, net income, cash flow, and family benefits, and had more synergetic relationships than extensive CAFS and traditional highly diverse-dense CAFS, which showed more trade-offs. Our findings point to intensified highly diverse-dense CAFS as feasible for farming within a land-sparing strategy. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms that could regulate synergies or trade-offs to improve this type of intensification.
Evaluación de la rentabilidad de plantaciones forestales en América tropical Anssi Ahtikoski1, Ju... more Evaluación de la rentabilidad de plantaciones forestales en América tropical Anssi Ahtikoski1, Justine Kent2 1 Economista forestal. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales de Finlandia. anssi.ahtikoski@metla.fi 2 Economista forestal. Proyecto CATIE Finnfor. kjustine@catie.ac.cr Resumen Se presenta un protocolo para evaluar la rentabilidad de plantaciones forestales en América tropical, considerando un ejemplo hipotético basado en dos artículos publicados que son un buen ejemplo de cómo estructurar un análisis financiero para plantaciones forestales. Del estudio de Griess y Knoke (2011) se consideró información sobre la preparación del sitio y costos de siembra (año 0), costos de gestión y materiales (años 1, 2, 3, 4 y 5) y los costos de gestión anual y materiales (años 6-25). Del estudio Bermejo et al. (2004), se consideró el crecimiento subyacente y los resultados de rendimiento. El protocolo considera la información necesaria para el análisis financiero; define las actividades rel...
In Guatemala, the community and industrial forest concessions in the Maya Biosphere Reserve were ... more In Guatemala, the community and industrial forest concessions in the Maya Biosphere Reserve were created as an innovative way to manage natural resource goods and services in a sustainable way while promoting the stabilisation and well-being of local communities. This case study shares experiences from different periods, including the initiation of the process from 1992 to 1994, its expansion through 2001–2002, its evolution through the period 2011–2012, and reflections about future prospects. The concessionary model was created and institutionalised as a means of stopping the advance in the agricultural frontier while promoting economic and social development based on the sustainable management of natural resources. It provided an avenue for reconciling the preservationist and productive views of conservation in a region subject to social conflicts and migratory dynamics. Despite more than 20 years of the successful implementation of this model, achieving sustainability and guarant...
While the potential of agroforestry products to contribute to rural livelihoods is well-recognize... more While the potential of agroforestry products to contribute to rural livelihoods is well-recognized, the quantification of their yields, incomes, and value for domestic consumption (VDC) and knowledge about their relationships with biodiversity are still scarce. This information is crucial for choosing the best strategy for growing cocoa in tropical landscapes while conserving biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem services. We analyzed the contribution of cocoa agroforestry farming to the incomes and domestic consumption of small farmers’ families in 179 cocoa agroforestry systems (CAFS) (254 ha) in five Central American countries. The two hypotheses were: (1) agroforestry products are as important as cocoa in contributing to livelihoods, (2) the typology of CAFS determines the relationships between socioeconomic indicators and yield, biodiversity, and structure of the shade canopy, as well as the relationships between plant species richness and cocoa yield. We quantified the yields of agroforestry products and their contribution to net income, cash flow, and family benefits and developed a typology of CAFS production to evaluate relationships for each CAFS cluster. The main agroforestry products other than cocoa were bananas, oranges, peach palm, other fruits, and timber, which generated modest cash incomes but high VDC at low cash costs, thus contributing to family savings and food security. Timber volumes and harvest rates were low but significant increase was deemed feasible. The contribution of the set of agroforestry products to family benefits was similar or higher than cocoa, depending on the typology of the CAFS. Intensified highly diverse-dense CAFS demonstrated remarkably higher yields, net income, cash flow, and family benefits, and had more synergetic relationships than extensive CAFS and traditional highly diverse-dense CAFS, which showed more trade-offs. Our findings point to intensified highly diverse-dense CAFS as feasible for farming within a land-sparing strategy. Further research is needed to better understand the mechanisms that could regulate synergies or trade-offs to improve this type of intensification.
Evaluación de la rentabilidad de plantaciones forestales en América tropical Anssi Ahtikoski1, Ju... more Evaluación de la rentabilidad de plantaciones forestales en América tropical Anssi Ahtikoski1, Justine Kent2 1 Economista forestal. Instituto de Investigaciones Forestales de Finlandia. anssi.ahtikoski@metla.fi 2 Economista forestal. Proyecto CATIE Finnfor. kjustine@catie.ac.cr Resumen Se presenta un protocolo para evaluar la rentabilidad de plantaciones forestales en América tropical, considerando un ejemplo hipotético basado en dos artículos publicados que son un buen ejemplo de cómo estructurar un análisis financiero para plantaciones forestales. Del estudio de Griess y Knoke (2011) se consideró información sobre la preparación del sitio y costos de siembra (año 0), costos de gestión y materiales (años 1, 2, 3, 4 y 5) y los costos de gestión anual y materiales (años 6-25). Del estudio Bermejo et al. (2004), se consideró el crecimiento subyacente y los resultados de rendimiento. El protocolo considera la información necesaria para el análisis financiero; define las actividades rel...
In Guatemala, the community and industrial forest concessions in the Maya Biosphere Reserve were ... more In Guatemala, the community and industrial forest concessions in the Maya Biosphere Reserve were created as an innovative way to manage natural resource goods and services in a sustainable way while promoting the stabilisation and well-being of local communities. This case study shares experiences from different periods, including the initiation of the process from 1992 to 1994, its expansion through 2001–2002, its evolution through the period 2011–2012, and reflections about future prospects. The concessionary model was created and institutionalised as a means of stopping the advance in the agricultural frontier while promoting economic and social development based on the sustainable management of natural resources. It provided an avenue for reconciling the preservationist and productive views of conservation in a region subject to social conflicts and migratory dynamics. Despite more than 20 years of the successful implementation of this model, achieving sustainability and guarant...
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