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Opportunities and Challenges of and the wider promotion of . This Promoting Agroforestry for Climate paper shows the importance for addressing Change Mitigation: A Case-Study of land tenure while promoting agroforestry the Mitigation of Climate Change in and connecting small scale farming with (MICCA) Pilot Project in district and national policies on land tenure, agriculture and environmental conservation Tanzania to ensure that climate change mitigation in

agriculture is to be successful in Africa. Janie Rioux1

Introduction

irect emissions from agriculture and

agricultural-induced land use change

is responsible for more than 30% of D yearly greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions

(IPCC 2007). Agriculture through Summary agricultural expansion is the main driver of Agriculture can help mitigate climate change followed by infrastructure through reducing emissions from the development and wood extraction (Geist agricultural sector and pressure on and Lambin 2002, FAO FRA 2010). With surrounding forests by investing in , expansion agroforestry systems that enhance carbon will likely continue in many regions, sequestration and provide fuel wood, thus including Sub-Saharan Africa (FAO 2011). reducing the need to deforest. In Africa, the However, agriculture also provides the main driver of deforestation remains potential to mitigate between 5.5-6 Gt of subsistence agriculture, which stresses the CO2eqv/yr (IPCC 2007) and about 70% of need to develop climate-smart agriculture at this potential is in developing countries. This field level with adequate support from district implies that agriculture and developing and national level policies. Agroforestry has countries have to be part of the solution for been identified as a climate change mitigating climate change and for reducing mitigation practice for its potential to land use change causing deforestation, while sequester carbon. Moreover, it provides facing the challenge of enhancing multiple co-benefits to , thus agricultural productivity to meet the needs supporting adaptation to climate change. of growing human populations. group discussions in the Uluguru

Mountains in Tanzania suggest that 77% of In contrast to Latin America and Asia where trees found in the area provide them multiple export markets drive agricultural benefits, mainly the provision of fire wood intensification, which is now a leading driver (79%) followed by fruits/food (51%). They of deforestation in those regions, in Africa it also highlighted local adoption challenges, has remained small scale subsistence mainly the land tenure system and the agriculture and poorly or totally un- common practice of slash and burn managed wood harvesting for fuel, charcoal agriculture, which both impede tree planting production and timber (DeFries and al. 2010, Palm and al. 2005, Burgess and al. 1 Janie Rioux, 2002, FAO FRA 2012). Subsistence FAO MICCA Programme agriculture, often characterized by Capacity Development for Climate-smart Agriculture unsustainable agriculture practices such as Tenure, Climate and Energy Division (NRC) slash and burn or shifting cultivation, is Viale delle Terme di Caracalla practiced by millions of small scale farmers, 00153 Rome, Italy and is associated with complex development Phone:+ 39 00657051 issues such as human population growth, Fax:+ 39 0657053250 urban demand for charcoal and animal Email: [email protected] protein, poverty, and food and land tenure

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insecurity (FAO 2008, DeFries and al. 2010). multiple products and benefits to farmers Thus addressing climate change in such as food, fodder and shade for , agriculture in Africa will require a bottom timber and renewable wood energy. It also up approach in which district and national supports enhanced agricultural production policies are aligned with local level needs by improving soil conservation, soil water and advocacy on how best to support small holding capacity, soil organic matter, soil scale farmers to help mitigate climate fertility, and other ecosystem services. A key change and reduce deforestation without issue is to understand why agroforestry is limiting livelihood opportunities. not widely adopted and address the constraints. Supporting adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices seems a promising The Mitigation of Climate Change in pathway. Climate smart agriculture is an Agriculture (MICCA) programme, launched agriculture that sustainably increases by FAO in 2010, is working to make productivity, resilience (adaptation to agriculture more climate-smart. One climate change), and reduces/removes component of the program are two pilot greenhouse gases (mitigation of climate projects in Kenya and Tanzania where change) while enhancing the achievement of climate-smart agricultural practices are national and development integrated into farming systems goals (FAO 2010). Farmers aim at increasing demonstrating that smallholders can be part their productivity and resilience to of the solution to mitigate climate change in improve or at least maintain their agriculture. This case study based on the livelihoods. Hence climate-smart MICCA pilot project in Tanzania looks at agricultural practices, if they are to be agroforestry as an opportunity to promote adopted and up-scaled by small scale climate smart agriculture and reduce farmers, have to provide multiple benefits deforestation considering its multiple going beyond carbon sequestration and benefits, and explores project-specific reduction of GHG emissions. Agroforestry challenges and barriers to adoption, mainly systems, which are traditional and modern the prevailing land tenure system and the land-use systems in which trees are practice of slash and burn. integrated with crops and/or livestock, have a good potential to be climate and livelihood Methods and Site smart practices (Verchot et al. 2007, ICRAF The pilot project in Tanzania, a partnership 2009). Considering its wide applicability, between FAO, CARE International and the agroforestry has a high potential to mitigate World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), aims to climate change through carbon contribute to decrease the net GHG balance sequestration in soil and biomass (IPCC of agricultural systems in the project area 2000) Average carbon storage by through , agroforestry system is estimated at 21 and agroforestry, soil and water conservation, 50 Megagrams C/ha/year in sub-humid and and the introduction of energy efficient humid regions respectively (Schroeder cooking stoves. The MICCA pilot project in 1994). Agroforestry also strengthens Tanzania is active in 15 villages in the farmers' adaptive capacity to counter locations (wards) of Kolero, Kasanga and climate change impacts by building more Bungu in the Uluguru Mountain in the resilient agricultural systems and Morogoro district. diversifying income sources. Also importantly to farmers, agroforestry contributes to food security by providing

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Map 1: The villages in the project’s area in the Uluguru Mountains, Tanzania

A rapid appraisal on agroforestry, slash and Seven focus group discussions (FGDs) were burn agriculture and energy was conducted organized with a total of 63 farmers from by MICCA- CARE International and ICRAF- the 14 villages located in the three sub- Tanzania in December 2011 (unpublished divisions (Table 1). Focus group discussion data). The agriculture-deforestation is a qualitative research method, in which a interface was explored considering its small group of participants discusses a relevance for climate change mitigation in specific topic under the guidance of a the project area. trained moderator.

Table 1: Number of participating villages and farmers by sub-division Wards Villages FGD 1 FGD 2 FGD 3 Total Kolero 5 6 6 8 20

Kasanga 5 8 11 - 19

Bungu 4 8 16 - 24

Results and Discussion of these provided multiple benefits (Figure Trees provide natural, physical and 1). The main uses mentioned were financial assets. The FGDs were focused firewood (79%), fruits/food (51%), on the direct uses of trees and tree products construction materials (30%) and timber as perceived by farmers; other ecosystem (26%) (Figure 2). The results demonstrated services provided or supported by trees the multifunctionality of trees in the project were not discussed. Results from the FGDs area and their contribution to farmers’ showed that 43 tree species are important livelihoods. to farmers in the project area, and that 77%

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Figure 1(left): % of tree species with multi-purposes, and Figure 2 (right): % of tree species providing different benefits

It emerged from the FGDs that the main Challenges and barriers to agroforestry local drivers of forest degradation and were discussed during the FGDs, and they deforestation in the project area were could be grouped in three main categories shifting cultivation through slash and burn (Table 2): land tenure system, land use and practices, and the of trees management, and capacity building and for timber, construction materials and knowledge. Slash and burn is preferred by firewood. Wood harvesting for brick making farmers as it is not time and labor and removal of tree bark for storing crops consuming, and helps to control weed and were mentioned as reasons for forest pest. Thus, alternatives need to be provided degradation. Shifting cultivation and land to help address the issues of time clearing using slash and burn was perceived availability, labor demand, and weed and by farmers as being the main contributor to pest management, in association with deforestation. It also impeded the awareness on the impacts of slash and burn subsequent regeneration of trees and the agriculture on climate change and spread of wild fires. Slash and burn is the environment conservation in general. There most common practice used in the project will be a trade-off between ease of area for clearing and opening new lands for agricultural production, and forest agriculture and for controlling weeds and conservation and climate change mitigation. pests posing a serious threat to forest edges, wood lands, and causing forest loss.

Table 2: Challenges and barriers related to adoption of agroforestry in the project area Challenges Barriers to Agroforestry and tree planting Land tenure - Small land plot size (mainly in upland villages) system - Clan-owned land renting system - Absence of village land use plans Land use - Slash and burning practice which farmers mentioned is not time and labor and consuming and allows to control weed and pest management Capacity and - Lack of awareness by farmers of environmental benefits of trees and knowledge misconception about trees e.g. fear of tree shade negatively affecting crops, and fruit trees attracting monkeys - Lack of awareness of existing forest legislation - Lack of knowledge of tree seedling management, pest and disease control, and adequate seeds and germplasm supply

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These results demonstrate that capacity agroforestry and the growing of trees on- development and awareness building is farm. Moreover, the project and partners central to the expansion of agroforestry in will support stakeholder consultations and the project area, and that the promotion of contacts between local and district alternatives to slash and burn is a high authorities, and clan land-owners and priority. More importantly however, they farmers to discuss solutions for farmers highlighted the challenges related to renting lands to engage in tree planting and improving the land tenure system in which a agroforestry considering livelihood benefits considerable proportion of farmers today while at the same time helping to mitigate rent clan-owned lands on a seasonal/annual climate change. Simultaneously, in basis. In most cases, land owners rented out collaboration with local and district the most unproductive land, and farmers authorities, incentive mechanisms and bye- believed that if the land owners noticed an laws will be identified and promoted for improvement in production they would widespread adoption of agroforestry, as well claim back the land. Moreover, changes in as alternatives to slash and burn such as land use practices on rented lands were conservation agriculture. Changes also need allowed only in regard to annual crops, not to be introduced at district and national for perennial crops and long cycle crops levels to promote policies supporting such as cassava. Within such a land tenure agroforestry and capacity building for system, planting trees raises several issues climate-smart agriculture for smallholders on tree and tree products ownership, land and linking local deforestation dynamics renting agreements and, more generally, on with national initiative such as UN-REDD. the social organization and power structures in the project area. References Burgess, N., Doggart, N. and Lovett, J. C. Conclusions and Recommendations 2002. The Uluguru Mountains of eastern Agroforestry helps to sequester carbon and Tanzania: the effect of forest loss on provides multiple benefits to the livelihood biodiversity. Oryx, 36: 140–152. of farmers, and thus has a great potential to contribute to climate change mitigation; Brendan Fisher. 2010. African exception to however at the local level, its drivers of deforestation. Nature implementation faces significant challenges. Geoscience, vol 3. These include the prevailing land tenure systems, the common practice of slash and DeFries, R., Rudel, T.K., Uriarte, M., and burn agriculture, as well as a lack of Hansen, M., 2010. Deforestation driven awareness and knowledge by farmers on by urban population growth and alternative practices, which all together agricultural trade in the twenty-first hinder tree planting and agroforestry. In this century. Nature Geoscience, 3, 178-181. context, climate change mitigation will require field-based supportive policies and FAO, 2010. Climate-Smart Agriculture: incentive mechanisms suitable for small Policies, Practices and Financing for Food scale farmers with the aim to promote Security, Adaptation and Mitigation. FAO, agroforestry and the incorporation of trees Rome in agricultural landscapes. FAO, 2011. Building Bridges between Based on the results obtained to date, the REDD+ and : MICCA pilot project in collaboration with its Addressing agriculture’s role as a driver partners will support the establishment and of deforestation. management of tree nurseries (individual, FAO, Rome group and village levels), and provide trainings to raise awareness on the multi- FAO, 2012. Forest Resources Assessment functionalities and ecosystem services of 2010. FAO, Rome.

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Geist, H.J. and Lambin E.F. 2002. Proximate Local voices and perceptions Causes and Underlying Driving Forces of (unpublished report) Tropical Deforestation. Bio Science. Vol. 520, No 2, pp 143-150. Nair, P.K.R. 1993. An Introduction to Agroforestry, Dordrecht: Kluwer IPCC. 2000. Special Report on Land Use, Academic Publishers., published in Land Use Change and Forestry. Summary collaboration with ICRAF, Nairobi, Kenya. for Policy Makers. Geneva, Switzerland. Chap.2. 20 pp. Palm, C., Sanchez, P. A., Vosti, S. A. and IPCC. 2001. Climate Change 2001: The Ericksen, P. J. 2005. Slash and Burn Scientific Basis. Contribution of the Agriculture: The Search for Alternatives. Working Group 1 to the Third Columbia Univ.Press. Assessment Report of the IPCC. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press. Schroeder P. 1994. Carbon storage benefits of agroforestry systems. Agrofor. Syst. IPCC, 2007: Climate Change 2007: The 27:89–97. Physical Science Basis. Contribution of Working Group I to the Fourth Verchot L.V., Van Noordwijk M., Kandji S., Assessment Report of the Tomich T., Ong C., Albrecht A., Mackensen Intergovernmental Panel on Climate J., Bantilan C., Anupama K.V., Palm C., Change [Solomon, S., D. Qin, M.Manning, 2007, Climate Change: linking adaptation Z. Chen, M. Marquis, K.B. Averyt, M. and mitigation through agroforestry, Tignor and H.L. Miller (eds.)]. Cambridge Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for University Press, Cambridge, United Global Change 12:901-918 Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, 996 pp. World Agroforestry Center, 2009, Trees on Mpanda, M. and Coll Besa, M. MICCA : Tackling the triple challenge of Launching and Climate Smart Practices: mitigation, adaptation and food security, Policy Brief No.07. Nairobi, Kenya

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