Rebuilding the Brazilian Rainforest
Learning from the Rondônia Agroforestry Pilot Project
John O. Browder, Virginia Tech
Marcos Pedlowski, Universidade Estadual Norte
Fluminense
Christine Blinn, Virginia Tech
Randolph H. Wynne, Virginia Tech
Paper Presented to the Annual Meeting of the Association of American
Geographers, New York, New York, February 24-28, 2012.
Henry David Thoreau
“I have great faith in a seed.
Convince me that you have a seed there, and
I am prepared to expect wonders.”
Definitions
Agroforestry: The cultivation of trees in
association with ground groups to create a
biologically diverse polycultural land-use that
mimics the ecological functions of the forest
while producing various products of economic
and environmental value.
Definitions
Ecological Restoration (Tropical Forests): The
intentional planting of various vascular plant
species combined with the management of
natural forest regeneration on degraded lands
to reconstruct a successional forest ecosystem
that resembles the primary forest that
preceded it.
The Rondônia Agroforestry Pilot Project
Objectives:
1.
2.
3.
To demonstrate that small scale farmers who successfully
establish agroforest plots will earn higher incomes than
other farmers (Economic outcome).
To demonstrate that farmers who do earn higher incomes
from agroforests will clear less primary forest than other
farmers (Conservation outcome).
To assess whether agroforestry on the small scale can be a
viable means to achieve ecological restoration of degraded
tropical forests (Restoration outcome).
Project Elements
• Short-term income (year 1+) – bee keeping for
honey and wax.
• Mid-term income (4-10 years) – commercial fruit,
palm, nut, latex producing trees and shrub specieas
that improve soil quality, block wind, and provide
shade.
• Long-term income (10 + years) – industrial
softwoods and commercial hardwoods like
mahogany, Brazilian cedar, cherry, teak.
3 Types of Agroforestry Systems in RAPP
1. Timber-based System
• Predominantly commercial hardwoods (e.g.
mahogany, cedar, cherry) with temporary ground
cover.
2. Non-Timber-based System
• Predominantly tree crops (e.g. coffee, cocoa),
bush crops (cupuaçu), ground crops.
3. Mixed System
• Combination of timber and non-timber species.
Managed Forest Succession by Agroforestry - year 1
Non-timber plot, Year 2
Mixed AF Plot, 18 months
3 year old pupunha palms
4 year old pupunha palms
Mixed AF Plot, 5 years
Mixed System
85-13 Mixed System, July 2010
85-13 Mixed System, July 2010
Mixed System
85-40 Mixed, July 2010
Non-timber-based System
95-63A Non-timber-based System
95-63A Non-timber-based System
Timber-based System
40-38 Timber-based System
40-38 Timber-based System
Project Design - Selecting the Right Farmers
• Preliminary findings suggest that AF may promote secondary
forest succession and some primary forest preservation;
• But, are all farmers in a given Amazonian rural population
equally responsive to agroforestry adoption?
• 3 Sets of household characteristics are worth considering:
1. Household capacity (farm size, working age residents)
2. Production system (pre/post-project land use changes)
3. Social participation (syndicates, labor sharing associations).
Characteristics of AFS Adopters vs. Control Group
(Source: Household Surveys, July 2010)
1. Farm
Size (ha)
2.People
Residing
On-farm
3.Annual
Crop Area
(% of
Sample)
4Perennial
Crop Area
(% of
Sample)
5.Pasture
Area (ha)
6.Cattle
sold
(au)
7.Parti. Syndicat
(% of
Sample)
8.Part.Associat
(% of
Sample)
Control Group
(n=39)
57.6
3.33
48.7
74.3
34.5
83.4
61.5
46.1
Experimental
Group (n=31)
75.3
6.0
54.8
77.4
30.4
20.1
77.5
61.3
58.1
Timber
74.7
5.4
57.1
71.4
34.5
35.5
85.7
71.4
71.4
Non-Timber
75.9
6.3
54.5
72.7
30.4
20.4
63.6
54.5
54.5
Mixed
75.9
6.1
53.8
84.6
27.9
12.8
84.6
61.5
53.8
65.8
4.4
51.3
76.9
32.8
44.1
67.9
56.4
Overall Sample
(n=70)
9.AFS
Production
(% of
Sample)
Analysis
1. Amazonian farmers are capable of maintaining and managing
agroforest plots for the long-term.
2. Agroforest plots can become catalysts to secondary forest
recovery.
3. During the first 10-years both timber-based and mixed AF
systems appear to grow as fast as undisturbed secondary regrowth.
4. After 10 years farmers pursuing timber-based and mixed AF
system begin to manage the plots.
5. Non-timber forest systems do not appear to facilitate
secondary forest succession.
Analysis Continued
6. Most farmers adopting agroforestry
practices in RAPP value their AF plots for
non-monetary benefits (economic
outcome).
7. The non-monetary valuation of AF plots
increases farmer appreciation of intact
primary forest patches (conservation
outcome). Most farmers adopting
agroforestry practices in RAPP value their
AF plots for non-monetary benefits
(economic outcome).
8. The non-monetary valuation of AF plots
increases farmer appreciation of intact
primary forest patches (conservation
outcome).
Conclusions
1. RAPP demonstrates that comparatively sustainable
agroforestry practices are successfully adopted by
small farmers in the Amazon that share certain
characteristics;
2. Those that adopt timber-based AFSs may be more
likely to initially promote managed secondary forest
succession;
3. After 10 years, however, timber-based AFS farmers
begin to manage their plots for utilitarian benefits
which reduces forest cover;
Conclusions (continued)
4. Spectral data indicate that non-timber-based
AFSs are not likely to be positively correlated
with significant secondary forest succession.
Conclusions (continued)
5. Not all farmers are alike.
Select farmers
carefully :
• Capacity – Chose farmers with larger farm areas and
more working age residents.
• Production – Chose farmers who are less engaged in
the cattle economy.
• Participation – Chose farmers who are more active in
producer and civil society organizations. Community
matters!
Rebuilding the Rainforest
• We can never restore natural tropical forests
to their original pristine condition.
• RAPP demonstrates that farmers can manage
and nurture secondary forest succession
through timber-based agroforestry.
• Such managed forest succession provides a
land cover that more closely resembles
primary forest than other AFSs.
“I have great faith in the right farmers (they are
the seeds). Show me these farmers (and they are
out there), and I will expect wonders!!”
Thank You,
John O. Browder
Virginia Tech
(browder@vt.edu)