Agroforestry & Sustainable Land Management in Haiti

This blog discusses agroforestry and sustainable land management in Haiti.

Land conversion of forests to agriculture and pastureland is a major threat to biodiversity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Deforestation and slash-and-burn practices also strip the soil of its nutrients and of its capability to retain water. This results in soil erosion and watershed degradation, which in turn ultimately puts agricultural productivity and ecological systems at risk. Yet in the struggle to find a way to maintain tree cover while also boosting food production, agroforestry emerges as a viable alternative to those practices.

Defined broadly, agroforestry is an agricultural system where various types of trees such as fruit, coffee, cocoa and forestry trees are grown in the same plots together with other crops and/or pasture. The benefits of agroforestry are multiple. Agroforestry helps farmers diversify their agricultural production and income sources, while also providing farmers with a sustainable source of wood for fuel and building material. With trees and woody shrubs integrated into agricultural landscapes, soil is enhanced and crop yields increase. In agroforestry systems, the trees’ residues are transferred to the soil through fallen fruit and leaves, essentially sharing tree nutrients with the crops. Trees’ roots are also able to pump up deep soil nutrients and provide habitat for nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, thus providing a type of natural fertilization. This leads to significant improvements in agricultural productivity.