If low and declining agricultural productivity of smallholder producers is not addressed through regenerative and climate-resilient interventions, there will be ruinous impacts on food security, poverty, health and nutrition. Diversified agroforestry production and sustainable agricultural practices make farmers more resilient to weather and market shocks and address key threats to biodiversity and ecosystem services. Existing training materials on agroforestry have some key gaps that this project seeks to address. Current resources are often either very general and rudimentary, or they focus on specific cropping systems or species. They do not adequately address the interdisciplinary needs for foresters and agronomists to implement agroforestry activities in restorative land-use systems. The resources developed under this project will provide specific recommendations and best practices based on the experience and evidence-based approach of working directly with smallholder farmers and extension agents, with attention to, for example, system planning and design, species selection considerations and integration, and detailed, step-by-step instruction on converting and managing degraded land into diverse perennial systems that will mature and change over time. Notably, these resources are adaptive and responsive to various landscapes and farmer needs. The guide will also include regenerative and climate adapted approaches to permaculture, integrated pest management, soil and water conservation, soil fertility management, livestock fodder production and use, and carbon sequestration and storage. Together, these approaches complement and enhance agroforestry for ecosystem restoration and climate change adaptation.  

TREES’ Forest Garden Approach (FGA) educates smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa about agroforestry, aiding in ecosystem restoration and agricultural diversification. Through training and support from TREES technicians, farmers transition from growing one or two staple crops to 24 crops, enhancing resilience to extreme weather and market fluctuations. This approach leads to improved nutrition and increased income as farmers sustainably cultivate diverse horticulture and staple crops. 

Highlighted activities

This targeted support will build directly on FAO’s 2022 Agroforestry Capacity Needs Assessment and the initiatives of Best Practices Task Force of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to update existing training and extension materials, already endorsed by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), ensuring they are responsive to current gaps and needs for practitioners and smallholder farmers. The targeted support will develop training materials to promote the adoption of best practices and allow for large-scale dissemination through the training of trainers and online learning. As agroforestry is at the intersection of agronomy and forestry, there is a critical learning opportunity to consolidate best practices and equip practitioners to provide extension services for interventions that are agroecologically and economically viable for smallholder farmers.  

Additionally, it will promote outreach to and collect inputs from national counterparts and local communities in close alignment with the 10 Restoration Principles on the UN Decade. Through the Training Course Launch event, the targeted support will work to build regional momentum for collaboration and dissemination of best practices to relevant public and non-governmental stakeholders. 

Leading and partner organizations

• Trees for the Future (TREES) 
• African Union Commission (AU)