Bois et Forêts des Tropiques – ISSN : L-0006-579X Volume 340 – 2e trimestre – Avril 2019 – p. 91-102 AGROFORESTERIE ET BOIS DE FEU AU GUATEMALA / LE POINT SUR... 91 Agroforestry systems provide firewood for livelihood improvement in Guatemala Nicole SIBELET1, 2, 3 Karla E. POSADA3 Isabel A. GUTIÉRREZ-MONTES3 1 CIRAD UMR INNOVATION 34398 Montpellier France 2 INNOVATION Univ Montpellier, CIRAD, INRA Montpellier SupAgro Montpellier France 3 CATIE 7170 Turrialba 30501 Turrialba Costa Rica Auteur correspondant / Corresponding author: Nicole SIBELET – [email protected] Photo 1. Children from the village of Canapará Abajo in Jocotán, showing the trees in their corn crop. Photo K. Posada. Doi : 10.19182/bft2019.340.a31692 – Droit d’auteur © 2019, Bois et Forêts des Tropiques © Cirad – Date de soumission : 4 octobre 2018 ; date d’acceptation : 11 janvier 2019 ; date de publication : 1er avril 2019. Citer l’article / To cite the article Sibelet N., Posada K. E., Gutiérrez-Montes I. A., 2019. Agroforestry systems Licence Creative Commons : provide firewood for livelihood improvement in Guatemala. Bois et Forêts Attribution - Pas de Modification 4.0 International. des Tropiques, 340: 91-102. Doi : https://doi.org/10.19182/bft2019.340. Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) a31692 Bois et Forêts des Tropiques – ISSN: L-0006-579X Volume 340 – 2nd quarter - April 2019 - p. 91-102 92 FOCUS ON... / AGROFORESTRY AND FIREWOOD IN GUATEMALA N. Sibelet, K. E. Posada, I. A. Gutiérrez-Montes RÉSUMÉ ABSTRACT RESUMEN Les systèmes agroforestiers fournissent Agroforestry systems provide firewood Sistemas agroforestales proporcionan du bois-énergie qui améliore les moyens for livelihood improvement in Guatemala leña que mejora los medios de vida en d’existence au Guatemala Guatemala Dans le contexte du changement clima- Given the context of climate change and Ante el contexto de cambio climático y tique et de la pauvreté, les populations poverty, rural populations are increas- pobreza, las poblaciones rurales enfren- rurales sont de plus en plus confrontées ingly faced with the challenges of appro- tan crecientes retos para gestionar ade- aux défis de la gestion adéquate des res- priate resource management, adequate cuadamente los recursos, producir ali- sources, de la production alimentaire et food production and improving their mentos y tener mejor calidad de vida. de l’amélioration de la qualité de vie. Le quality of life. Guatemala has to cope Guatemala debe enfrentar el cambio cli- Guatemala doit faire face au changement with climate change and poverty while mático y la pobreza teniendo en cuenta climatique et à la pauvreté tout en tenant taking its agricultural production into su producción agrícola. En este sentido, compte de sa production agricole. À cet account. In this regard, agroforestry sys- los sistemas agroforestales se han pre- égard, les systèmes agroforestiers ont été tems have been proposed as an alter- sentado como un método alternativo de proposés comme méthode alternative de native method of sustainable produc- producción sostenible. Este artículo pre- production durable. Cet article présente tion. This article presents a comparison senta una comparación entre los sistemas une comparaison entre les systèmes agri- between conventional cropping systems agrícolas convencionales y los sistemas coles conventionnels et les systèmes agro- and enriched agroforestry systems in agroforestales enriquecidos en Camotán forestiers enrichis de Camotán et Jocotán. Camotán and Jocotán. The results show y Jocotán. Los resultados muestran que el Les résultats montrent que le système that the enriched agroforestry system sistema agroforestal enriquecido aporta el agroforestier enrichi contribue à 65 % du contributed to 65% of the firewood 65 % de la leña contra 7 % en el sistema bois-énergie contre 7 % pour le système compared to 7% from the conventional convencional. Las familias que utilizan el conventionnel. Les familles utilisant le cropping system. Families using the sistema agrícola convencional extraen el système agricole conventionnel ont extrait conventional cropping system extracted 81 % de su leña del bosque, mientras que 81 % de leur bois-énergie de la forêt, alors 81% of their firewood from the forest, las familias que utilizan el sistema agrofo- que les familles utilisant le système agro- while families using the enriched agro- restal enriquecido extraen sólo el 32 %. La forestier enrichi n’en ont extrait que 32 %. forestry system extracted only 32%. The leña producida por el sistema agroforestal Le bois-énergie produit par le système firewood produced by the enriched agro- enriquecido proporcionó un beneficio adi- agroforestier enrichi offre un avantage forestry system provided an additional cional a las mujeres, niños y jóvenes, que supplémentaire aux femmes, aux enfants benefit to women, children and young son los encargados de transportar los bul- et aux jeunes, qui sont chargés de trans- people tasked with carrying the bundles, tos, ya que no tuvieron que recorrer largas porter les fagots, car ils n’ont pas à par- in that they no longer needed to travel distancias para abastecer al hogar. Las courir de longues distances pour approvi- long distances to supply the household. familias construyeron y adaptaron conoci- sionner le foyer. Les familles ont construit Families constructed and adapted empir- mientos empíricos sobre el manejo de los et adapté des connaissances empiriques ical knowledge on tree management into árboles en sus cultivos. El sistema agrofo- sur la gestion des arbres dans leurs sys- their cropping systems. The enriched restal enriquecido se presenta entonces tèmes de culture. Le système agrofores- agroforestry system is thus presented como una solución potencial para satisfa- tier enrichi est donc présenté comme as a potential solution for meeting the cer la demanda anual de leña. La seguri- une solution potentielle pour répondre à annual demand for firewood. Land tenure dad de la tenencia de la tierra influye en la demande annuelle de bois-énergie. La security influences rural families’ deci- la decisión de las familias rurales de inver- sécurité foncière influence la décision des sion to invest or innovate. Agroforestry tir o innovar. Los sistemas agroforestales familles rurales d’investir ou d’innover. systems play a key role in augmenting desempeñan un papel clave en aumentar Les systèmes agroforestiers jouent un rôle resources and improving quality of life. los recursos y mejorar la calidad de vida. clef dans l’augmentation des ressources et l’amélioration de la qualité de vie. Keywords: agroforestry, fuelwood, forest, Palabras clave: agroforestería, leña, livelihood, Maya Ch’orti’, Guatemala. bosque, medios de vida, Maya Ch’orti’, Mots-clés : agroforesterie, bois-énergie, Guatemala. forêt, moyens d’existence, Maya Ch’orti’, Guatemala. Bois et Forêts des Tropiques – ISSN : L-0006-579X Volume 340 – 2e trimestre – avril 2019 – p. 91-102 AGROFORESTERIE ET BOIS DE FEU AU GUATEMALA / LE POINT SUR... 93 Introduction For decades, numerous conventions, protocols and agreements have been established on a global level in order to stop the degradation of forests and natural resources. Against a backdrop of increasing demand for natural resources, agroforestry has been presented as an alternative method of sustainable production (Nair, 1993; Beer et al., 2003). Agroforestry systems incorpo- rate an optimal management of resources such as soil, crops, trees and vegetation. They contribute to the pro- vision of ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation and soil improvement (Sileshi et al., 2007; FAO, 2014). In the context of climate change and persistent poverty, rural populations are constantly faced with the challenges of adequate resource management, food pro- duction and raising the quality of life. In tropical regions such as Central America, the majority of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood and this puts pressure on natural resources, especially forests. Like any countries, Guatemala is a country that must cope with climate change and poverty by relying on agri- culture. Guatemala ranks number 9 on the Global Climate Risk Index, which means it is a country highly impacted by extreme weather events (Kreft et al., 2014) With a total population of 16,673,000 inhabitants, 59% of the population lives in poverty and 49% lives in rural areas (United Nations, 2017). The 2016 estimated GDP (Gross domestic product) per capita is 7,900 USD, occupying the 133rd position worldwide (CIA, 2017). In an effort to fight poverty, government agencies have developed social programs and projects that incorporate annual crops (e.g. Zero Hunger and the Food Security Program, ProRural, My Family Produces, National Rural Extension System). However, a comparative analysis between con- ventional cropping systems and agroforestry systems is lacking. Agroforestry systems in Guatemala provide families and the environment with different ecosystem services, which include food for humans and animals, firewood, timber and fence posts. This reduces the pressure on forests and contributes to a better quality of life for fam- ilies. In this article we pursue a comparative analysis of conventional cropping systems and enriched agrofor- estry systems. The question guiding our research is: what role do agroforestry systems play in comparison with conventional cropping systems in terms of livelihood improvement? Photos 2. Subsistence agriculture on steep slopes in the dry regions of Guatemala using maize and