Speaking for the Trees: Agroforestry Grows

by Katherine Gustafson · 2010-01-08 06:00:00 UTC
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Ever heard of a fertilizer tree? Sounds strange, since trees are usually nowhere to be found on the farmland that needs fertilizer. Right?

Well, if you're thinking of American monocultural agriculture, you certainly would be right, since that is designed to maintain massive fields of nothing but one crop. But in other parts of the world, the practice of agroforestry, which combines trees and shrubs with crops and livestock in an integrated biological environment, is gaining ground.

MSNBC reports that certain trees act like "fertilizer factories," grabbing nitrogen from the air and contributing it to the soil. This opens up remarkable possibilities for improving agricultural outcomes, since, as I wrote yesterday, soil health is vital to a thriving farm sector. According to SciDevNet, the use of these trees can reduce commercial fertilizer use by as much as 75 percent while increasing yield two or three times over.

Agroforestry is such an excellent system that it is fact becoming a key part of agricultural development programs around the world. A program in Zambia funded by the Norwegian government uses so-called fertilizer trees to help feed over 160,000 families. And Ireland is helping 1.3 million poor people in Malawi improve their lives by employing agroforestry principles. Sounds like the Lorax has company in speaking for the trees.

Photo: treesftf via flickr

Katherine Gustafson is a freelance writer and editor with a background in international nonprofit organizations.
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