Agroforestry developments and potential in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Abstract Much attention in the media and scientific literature has focused on the destruction of tropical forests in Amazonia since the early 1970s, especially in the Brazilian states of Rondǒnia, Acre, Paré and Mato Grosso. Concern is mounting that the peeling back of the forests is wiping out biodiversity, destroying soil resources, possibly exacerbating global warming, and provoking land conflicts, among other socioeconomic and ecological problems. Yet little regard has been paid to some of the promising agricultural developments in the region that are helping to counteract pressures on the remaining forest while recuperating debilitated areas. In particular, a pronounced trend towards planting a mix of tree crops on small farms throughout the basin augers well for the future of the rainforest and more sustainable agriculture. Agroforestry developments in Amazonia underscore the linkages between conserving biodiversity and more productive and resilient agricultural systems.