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Agroforestry and non-state actors: A review

Published Article

Global

Publication date: September 1, 2021

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This study reviews how non-state actors—including NGOs, IGOs, academia, and private industry—can address market failures across input, production, and output stages to expand agroforestry adoption among smallholder farmers in low- and middle-income countries, improving livelihoods and ecosystem services.

Subject Tags

  • Agroforestry
  • Agriculture
  • Climate mitigation

Abstract

Agroforestry, or the intentional integration of trees on crop or pastureland, is a sustainable land use system that provides ecosystem services including climate change mitigation and private benefits for smallholders. While existing reviews of agroforestry adoption focus on government policy, there is increasing interest from, and opportunities for, non-state actors to accelerate agroforestry adoption. The purpose of this critical review is to identify points of entry for non-state actors to increase smallholder incentives for agroforestry adoption in low and middle income countries. We identify opportunities for non-state actors to address key market failures in all stages of the agroforestry system. We find that non-state actors have advantages of proximity and institutional knowledge that provide opportunities for direct and indirect intervention to increase agroforestry adoption.

Citation

Bettles, J., Battisti, D. S., Cook-Patton, S. C., Kroeger, T., Spector, J. T., Wolff, N. H., & Masuda, Y. J. (2021). Agroforestry and non-state actors: A review. Forest policy and economics, 130, 102538.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102538

TNC Authors