THE BENEFITS OF TREES · 2020. 5. 13. · THE BENEFITS OF TREES ff0 Trees provide multiple ecosystem services related to soils, water, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Under

T H E B E N E F I T S O F T R E E Sagroforestry for ecosystem restoration

T H E B E N E F I T S O F T R E E S 0 2

What is agroforestr y ?02

The multiple services of agroforestr yBiodiversitySoil & Water preservationClimate mitigationSocio-economic benefits

03

04

07

V a l u a t i o n o f t r e eb e n e f i t s

Agroforestr y projects

References

Photo credits:Elegante (2018)

Forewords01

05 A g r o f o r e s t r y s t u d i e s

06


E D I T O F R O M P U R P R O J E T ’ S F O U N D E R

Agroforestry consists in planting trees in combination with agricultural crops or animal husbandry, called silvo-pastoralism in that case. Trees can be planted along the fields as hedge grows or within the fields as intercropping. Plantations are targeted as well in key areas of the watershed of the agricultural fields: in biodiversity hotspots to ensure good pollination, in humid areas to preserve water resources, along river streams for example, or on slopes to reduce erosion.

For too long, trees have wrongly been considered as the enemy of agricultural and human development, especially since the 1950’s and the development of «modern» and mechanized agriculture. We now realize this was a terrible mistake, trees are necessary to sustainable agriculture practises [...] .

Trees when planted in a good combination with crops bring back the balance needed to the ecosystem: they enrich soils, preserve the water cycle, protect and enrich bBiodiversity, sequester carbon, protect crops from climate extreme events, diversify farmers revenues, etc. We have listed more than a 100 benefits* of planting trees in agricultural fields: economic, social, environmental, cultural and even spiritual ones. In one word, agroforestry allows agriculture to be balanced with Nature, to be really Sustainable.

Trees are indeed the exact opposite of humans and allow to balance our activities with our Planet: they don’t keep anything for themselves, do not create any waste but on the opposite recycle, preserve and renovate soils, water, climate and biodiversity resources...

In a time where most ecosystems are degraded, wastes are piling -up on land and in the sea, and with extreme climatic events due to climate change already happening, it is more than urgent to reintroduce trees in agriculture. According to a recent study from Cambridge University, there is space to plant at least 1200 billion trees on the Planet. Opposite to that, we destroy 10 million trees per day in average today.

It is high time to place trees and agroforestry at the core of the national and international strategies and policies, for our own survival. Trees are not just beautiful for a Sunday afternoon walk, they are at the core of our capacity to live on this Planet.

Future will be agroforestry or we won’t be.

*Et si on remontait dans l’Arbre, Editions La Mer Salée, 2015

Text from Tristan Lecomte’s Manifesto for the 2019 International Congress of Agroforestry

Tristan LecomtePUR Projet’s Founder


Tr e e s a r e t h e e x a c t o p p o s i t e o f

h u m a n s a n d a l l o w t o b a l a n c e

o u r a c t i v i t i e s w i t h o u r P l a n e t :

t h e y d o n ’ t k e e p a n y t h i n g f o r

t h e m s e l v e s , d o n o t c r e a t e a n y

w a s t e b u t o n t h e o p p o s i t e r e c y c l e ,

p r e s e r v e a n d r e n o v a t e s o i l s ,

w a t e r , c l i m a t e a n d b i o d i v e r s i t y

r e s o u r c e s , w h i l e h u m a n s w a s t e a n d

d e s t r o y a l o t o f t h e s e r e s o u r c e s ,

c r e a t e a l o t o f w a s t e a n d r e c y c l e

a l m o s t n o t h i n g . . .

Tr e e s a r e t h e b e s t i n v e s t m e n t o n

e a r t h .

Extract of Tristan Lecomte’s closing speech at the 4th World Congress on

Agroforestry (2019)

Photo credits:4th World Congress on Agroforestry, Montpellier, France (2019) - Agroforestry 2019


In our pursuit to compete as individuals for additional security and comfort for our families, we seemed to have missed something. While it is easy to focus on short-term gains within our individual physical and geographical boundaries; as we grow as a global community we continue to chip away at the health of our (eco)system as a whole. Cut by cut, as we continue to grow our own production, we continue to degrade the ecosystems that provide our food, support healthy watersheds and keep our planet comfortable. At a tipping point, this becomes unsustainable at the ecosystem level. We start to see crop yields reduce, scarcity of water, and a reduction of nutrients in the soil.

From an ecological perspective, we continue to see new records pertaining to biodiversity loss, temperature increase, degradation of aquatic environments, and ecosystems out of balance.

PUR Projet believes that we need to find a future where the health of ecosystems is understood to be aligned with human health and wellbeing, not just in theory, but in action. Where communities understand they are part of a larger landscape ecosystem which they must protect and restore, as this landscape provides them with water, nutrients, pollinators for and protection of their crops; clean air, clean water, and comfortable temperatures for their families; and additional opportunities to create income.

This is why PUR Projet works with our Corporate and Community Partners to design, develop and implement initiatives at the field level that seek to provide socio-economic development through the restoration and protection of natural ecosystems.

Agroforestry is where PUR Projet’s journey began in 2008. Indeed, few opportunities exist to fully integrate environmental restoration directly at the parcel level such as with agroforestry, with such a high impact, creating a truly regenerative growing environment. It is for this reason that since implementing our first project in San Martin, Peru, with local cocoa and coffee producers, PUR Projet has taken agroforestry initiatives to agricultural communities in over 40 countries, working with cocoa, coffee, vanilla, tea, sugarcane, livestock, wine, rice, beetroot, etc., farmers and planting over 10 Million trees during this time.

This document provides a deeper dive into the multiple benefits of agroforestry, helping the reader to understand how trees are a solution for the restoration of degraded farming lands and the development of sustainable livelihoods.

P U R P R O J E T ’ S E X P E R T I S E O N E C O S Y S T E M R E G E N E R A T I O N A N D A G R O F O R E S T R Y

Andrew Nobrega, Director North America/UK


Agroforestry refers to a land use system in which trees are grown around or among crops or pastureland, making use of the complementarity between trees, crops and/or animals.

Agroforestry is an ancient practice: there are many examples of traditional land-use systems combining trees and agriculture throughout the world. In the last century, they have been progressively abandoned, with the development of mechanized agriculture. However, the potential of agroforestry for regeneration and conservation has generated a renewed interest in these practices.

W H A T I S A G R O F O R E S T R Y ?

Photo credits:Elegante (2018)


W H A T I S A G R O F O R E S T R Y ?

Agroforestry practices take many forms, from very simple systems with a few sparse trees to very complex systems with high planting densities. A distinction is generally made between agrosilvicultural systems which combine trees and seasonal crops, sylvopastoral systems which combine trees and pastures, and agrosilvopastoral systems which combine the three.

Common agroforestry systems include:

Live hedges that also serve as shelterbelts and windbreaks

Alley cropping where crops are grown in between rows of trees

Shade trees planted with plantation crops such as coffee and cocoa

Multilayer tree gardens combining multiple species of different sizes and growth cycles

Improved fallows where trees help to regenerate soil fertility when the land is left to rest

Photo credits:Inde, Karnataka (2014) - PUR Projet


Certain agricultural practices result in environmental degradation, which hinders farmer communities' resilience. Agroforestry provides multiple services, contributing to the restoration or protection of ecosystems.

Erosion Limited yields

Use of chemical inputs

Lack of biodiversity

Reduce soil fertility with few organic inputs

Reduced water storage capacity

Soil depletion

MonocultureSlash

and burn

Improved yields Biodiversity Agroforestrytrainings

Soil enrichment

Conservation of water Recycled biomass (mulching, compost)

Revenues diversification

Carbon sequestration

in trees

Carbon sequestration in soil

T H E M U L T I P L E S E R V I C E S O F A G R O F O R E S T R Y


Climatemitigation

Secondaryproducts

Biodiversity

Soil maintenance & water regulation

Socio-economicbenefits

Photo credits:Current page: Elegante (2018)

Photo on the next page (bottom): Christian Lamontagne (2014)

T H E B E N E F I T S O F T R E E S 0 1 0

Trees provide multiple ecosystem services related to soils, water, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Under agroforestry models, these services help improve or protect crop productivity. They may also provide timber, fruit, fodder and fuel wood, thus creating additional sources of revenue for farmers. As such, agroforestry systems are often more resilient to the effects of climate change and to market prices volatility.

Shade & wind protection

Water availability Soil fertility Beneficial

organisms

Improved crop productivity & resilience to extreme weather eventsReduced dependence on external inputs

Soil maintenance

Water regulation

Habitat and food

Soil biological activity

Water & Soil BiodiversityClimate

E C O S Y S TE M S E RV I C E S

Carbon sequestration

Temperate microclimate

P R O D U C TS

Timber & fuelwood

Fruits

Medicinal plants

Self-supply & sale

Revenue diversification

S O C I O E C O N O M I C B E N E F I TS



Ecosystem Services: Biodiversity

Birds benefit agriculture as they help to improve pest

control, seed dispersal and pollination Some insects are

natural predators for pests and vector-borne diseases

and provide natural pest management services.

BAKER DEL VALLE Coffee grower – Guatemala (2014)

“There has been so much deforestation, the birds have flown away from here.”

HABITAT AND FOOD

Trees create favorable conditions for biodiversity in terms of nutrition, habitat and protection from predators.

At plot level, these elements attract beneficial organisms such as birds or insects which participate in pollination or natural pest management. At landscape level, trees and hedges in particular form natural corridors that maintain an ecological continuity in the landscape and connect isolated wildlife sanctuaries such as forests reserves.

By choosing endemic tree species, this can also contribute to maintain the local genetic heritage.

SOIL BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITYThe decomposition of the tree’s leaves and roots (humus) enriches the soil with organic matter and increases soil biodiversity. The tree’s complex root system promotes microbiological activity in the soil, such as mycorrhizae, the symbiotic associations between fungi and the plant’s roots that mediate nutrient uptake.


Photo credits:Current page from top to bottom

Honduras (2014) - C. LamontagneGuatemala (2014)- C. Lamontagne

Next page from top to bottomInde Karnataka (2014) - PUR Projet

Elegante (2018)


T H E M U L T I P L E S E R V I C E S O F A G R O F O R E S T R YEcosystem Services: Water & Soil

SOIL MAINTENANCERainfall and wind are the main drivers of soil erosion (displacement of the upper layer of the soil). Trees help maintain the soil in several ways:

They act as natural barriers against the windThey intercept surface runoff and increase water infiltration in the soil, reducing laminar erosionThe branches and leaves decrease the speed at which raindrops hit the ground and reduce the splash effect.

The soil structure is also stabilized by the tree’s deep root system.

NOHELIO RIVERACoffee farmer – Colombia (2016)“The water in the river used to be abundant but now it seems smaller. That’s another reason for which we plant trees, because they help to maintain the humidity in the soil.”

Topsoil is the upper layer of soil. It has the highest concentration of organic matter and it is where most of the soil biological activity occurs. Thousands of years are needed to form only a few centimeters of soil depth.

25 - 40 BILLION TONS

of topsoil are lost every year (FAO, 2015)

In an agroforestry system, the aim is to optimize the utilization of soil reserves. The tree species planted on the parcel should have deep roots to avoid competition with crops for moisture and nutrients at the surface layer.

WATER REGULATIONThe roots of the trees loosen the soil and increase soil permeability, making it easier for water to seep through. This in turn reduces the impacts of floods and increases the soil’s water capacity.

The tree’s root system recovers soil nutrients and water from deeper soil horizons and acts as a filter. It prevents nitrates from being drained down, thus preventing the contamination of groundwater reserves.


Ecosystem Services: Climate


Since the 19th century, an estimated 60% of carbon stored in soils and vegetation was lost as a result of land use changes, such as clearing land for agriculture.

The carbon stocks delivered by a project correspond to the increase in carbon sequestration the project was able to deliver compared to the baseline situation.

SHADE AND WIND PROTECTIONTrees play a protective role for the crops. The tree cover provides shade and protection from the wind and slows evaporation from the plants and soil below. It creates a temperate microclimate at plot level that limits water losses and helps to mitigate the effects of droughts.

CARBON SEQUESTRATION

Throughout their lifecycle, trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and store it within their trunk, branches, leaves and roots. The dead organic matter from the tree also increases the soil carbon pool.

60% O F CA R B O N(UNEP, 2012)



Socioeconomic Benefits


IMPROVED CROP PRODUCTIVITY The ecosystem services provided by trees create favorable conditions for agricultural activities. As shown in the previous sections, the presence of trees improves soil fertility, increases water availability, attracts beneficial organisms that are useful for the crop, and creates a temperate microclimate at plot level. For this reason, agroforestry systems tend to improve crop quantity and quality and increase crop resilience to extreme weather events (droughts, heavy rainfall…). They also reduce the farmer’s dependence on external sources of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers and pesticides.

REVENUE DIVERSIFICATION

Communities often depend upon very few activities, with only one type of cash crop like coffee or cocoa for example. This makes them vulnerable to external shocks such as price volatility or extreme weather events. Transitioning to agroforestry can give them the opportunity to diversify their agricultural activities and to have access to better market opportunities. The secondary products of the trees such as timber, fuelwood, fruits or medicinal plants can be used for self-consumption or sold on the market as an additional source of revenue.

Photo credits:Current page from top to bottomGuatemala (2014)- C. LamontagneGuatemala (2014)- C. LamontagneEthiopia (2015) - C. Lamontagne


V A L U A T I O N O F T R E E B E N E F I T S

BUSINESS SUSTAINABILITY

LIVELIHOODS

SOIL CONSERVATION

WATER PURIFICATION & REGULATION

SOCIAL &CULTURAL SERVICES

BIODIVERSITY PRESERVATION

ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE

CLIMATE CHANGEMITIGATION

Potential: $19/tree/yearInvestment cost: $2 to $6 per tree

$3.57 PER TREE PER YEAR





$0.54PER TREE PER YEAR



Insetting project operation on very degraded lands,

in a tropical and developing country

$4.5 of direct potential benefits for the farmers and the community and $3.5 for the company

Studies were performed to value trees’ environmental and social benefits. The potential value of a tree was estimated over 30 years (the time required for a project to reach maturity) for the following services.


A G R O F O R E S T R Y P R O J E C T S

PERUSan Martin Ecosphere

COLOMBIACauca y Nariño

ETHIOPIASidama

PHILLIPINESAlter Trade

IVORY COASTCoopaweb

GUATEMALAHuehuetenango

y FraijanesTHAILANDDhamma Rhaksa

HONDURASAprosacao

INDONESIAKopi Lestari

UGANDARwenzori

COCOA

COFFEE

TEA

RICE SUGAR CANE

VANILLA

GHANAKuapa Kokoo

CHINALiming

INDIADarjeeling

MOROCCOFemmes du Rif

HAF

SOUTH COREAChungju

CHINAQinglong

UNITED KINDOMSmart Planting

FRANCEPur Hexagone ROMANIA

MET

SPAINEspana

Organica

PORTUGALAgricultura para o future

POLANDKosztela

ITALYAIAB

CHINAZhaoyang

RUSSIAPodari Derevo

MADAGASCARDiana

BRESILPovos da Floresta

USAChamplain

MULTIPLE COMMODITIES

COSTA RICALa Giorgia

Photo credits:Next page - from left to right:Honduras (2014) - C. LamontagneElegante (2016)Ethiopia (2015) - C. Lamontagne

PUR Projet operate agroforestry community-based projects in more than 40 countries


A G R O F O R E S T R Y S T U D I E SField Studies conducted by PUR Projet

PERU

COL

GUA

HOND

ETH

BIODIVERSITY WATER & SOIL LIVELIHOODS

UNAS (2014)Soil macro-biodiversity

ENSAT / UNAS / Supagro (2015)Soil erosion and water retention

UCL (2014)Socio-economic impacts of agroforestry

UNAS / ULB (2014)Impacts of agroforestry on cocoa yields

Oxford (2017)Impacts on bird populations

Yale (2015)Soil quality and coffee quality in agroforestry

systems

Unicauca / Supagro (2016)Impacts on water

Harvard (2016)Socio-economic impacts of agroforestry

ENCA (2016)Impacts on biodiversity

Supagro / Universidad Rural (2015)Soil erosion and water retention

UNA (2014)Soil macro-biodiversity

UNAS(2014)Soil erosion and water retention

BFH (2015)Soil erosion and water retention

Harvard / Hawasa Uni. (2016)Socio-economic impacts of agroforestry

PUR Lab is the research and expertise branch of PUR Projet. It is responsible for developing high level protocols and impact assessments methodologies. Its aim is to identify, measure and value all the services (environmental, social, corporate) provided by community agroforestry projects in supply chains. To this end, PUR Lab has conducted several field studies in collaboration with renowned universities and research institutes, local farmer groups, and the companies investing in supply chain sustainability. In general, these studies are based on the comparison between an experimental group (agroforestry systems) and various control groups (full-sun crop systems, bare land, etc), using key indicators related to soil, water, biodiversity or livelihoods.


R E F E R E N C E S

If you are interested and you want to know more about agroforestry and its benefits, please feel free to contact us at:

[email protected]

Agroforestry for landscape restoration - linkSoils Are Endangered, But The Degradation Can Be Rolled Back - link

Climate and Economic Benefits of Agroforestry Systems - link

Coffee, Shade Trees And Erosion In Costa Rica: Sustainable, High-yielding Cropping Systems - link

Why Coffee Agroforestry Makes Sense - linkHarnessing The Multiple Benefits Of Trees On Farms - link

Agroforestry: An Opportunity For Sustainability - link

Earth Security Report 2017 - link


Back cover: Ethiopia (2015) - C. Lamontagne


Documents

THE BENEFITS OF TREES · 2020. 5. 13. · THE BENEFITS OF TREES ff0 Trees provide multiple ecosystem services related to soils, water, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. Under