Agri-food production depends on biodiversity and the ecosystem services that support soil fertility, water regulation, pollination, and other processes essential to agri-food systems.
Agroforestry integrates trees with crops and/or livestock to strengthen these ecological functions, enabling production while conserving and restoring natural resources.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, agroforestry represents an opportunity to drive the transition toward more productive, diverse, and inclusive agri-food systems, contributing to rural livelihoods and the sustainability and resilience of landscapes.
Key Messages
1. Nature that produces
Biodiversity and ecosystem services support agri-food production through pollination, soil fertility, and water regulation. More than 75% of major food crops depend, at least in part, on pollinators.
2. Natural capital under pressure
About 75% of the soils in Latin America and the Caribbean show some degree of degradation; the region has lost 16.7% of its forests since 1990; and the abundance of wild vertebrates has fallen by 95% since 1970—evidence of the growing pressure on biodiversity and the ecosystems that sustain agri-food production.
3. Interactions strengthen the system
Agroforestry integrates trees, crops, and/or livestock to create interactions that improve the use of light, water, and nutrients, thereby strengthening the ecological processes that sustain agri-food production.
4. Restoration is also production
Agroforestry allows for production while restoring the soil’s ecological functions, promoting biodiversity, and strengthening the resilience of production systems. Long-term trials in the region show sustained improvements in soil organic carbon and confirm agroforestry’s potential to restore degraded lands.
5. One system, multiple functions and benefits
Agroforestry integrates food, timber, fibers, and other products into a single system, while improving soil health, regulating water, and promoting biodiversity. In Guatemala, the Kuxur Rum system increased corn and bean production by more than 40%; in Ecuador, agroforestry systems combining cacao and coffee were associated with up to a 20% increase in household income.
6. Diversity that protects
Agroforestry diversifies species, products, and income streams, reducing vulnerability to droughts, pests, diseases, and market fluctuations. This combination strengthens the climate and economic resilience of production systems and rural livelihoods.
7. Value built over time
Unlike short-cycle systems, agroforestry accumulates benefits as trees grow, soil recovers, and ecological interactions strengthen, gradually increasing the system’s resilience and productivity.
8. From the farm to the landscape
The benefits of agroforestry extend beyond the farm: they benefit farmers, communities, and biodiversity through greater ecological connectivity, water regulation, and increased landscape resilience, with positive effects for multiple stakeholders.
9. Farmers drive change
Agroforestry requires knowledge, learning, and ongoing support to design and manage more complex systems. Strengthening farmers’ capacities through participatory approaches, such as Field Schools, is key to its adoption and long-term success.
10. Policies that drive change
Public policies are key to scaling up agroforestry. Appropriate incentives, financing, technical assistance, innovation, markets, and secure land tenure create the conditions for more producers to adopt sustainable systems.
11. An investment with long-term return
Agroforestry is a strategic investment to restore and strengthen the productive base, sustain livelihoods and ecosystem services over the long term, and help reverse soil degradation, which causes an estimated USD 60 billion per year in annual losses in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Featured Resources
Explore platforms, tools, and courses developed by FAO to build capacity, access specialized information, and support the implementation of agroforestry practices, ecosystem restoration, and biodiversity conservation in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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PROEZA Project: Rural paraguayan woman transforms her family’s future with agroforestry model
15/10/2024
PROEZA Paraguay project is making progress in supporting participating rural and Indigenous families through an integrated sustainable development strategy...
Contact information
FAO Forestry Officer for Latin America and the Caribbean
Governance, Forest Management, and Landscape Management Specialist
Monitoring for Improved Production Specialist
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Access recordings and materials from FAO-organized events. Explore knowledge, experiences and good practices shared by specialists and sector stakeholders to strengthen agroforestry systems.