Agroforestry System around the Globe

Key facts on agroforestry in India and the famous traditional agroforestry systems of the world, made easy to revise.

• 1. Read topic by topic
• 2. Revise the memory tips
• 3. Take the quick check

BasicsAgroforestry in India: timelineTraditional systems: EuropeTraditional systems: AsiaTraditional systems: Africa & AmericasQuick check

Basics

Father of agroforestry

P.K.R. Nair.

Three attributes of agroforestry

Productivity, sustainability and adoptability.

Classification criteria (Nair)

Structural, functional, socio-economic and ecological.

Agroforestry in India: timeline

Early research

Started in ICAR institutes such as CAZRI Jodhpur, CSWCRTI Dehradun and IGFRI Jhansi (fuel-fodder and silvopasture on degraded land).

1979

First ICAR seminar on agroforestry, at Imphal.

1983

All India Coordinated Research Project (AICRP) on Agroforestry began with 20 centres (now 37).

1988

National Research Centre for Agroforestry set up at Jhansi; now the Central Agroforestry Research Institute (CAFRI), which coordinates the AICRP.

2001

Planning Commission named six thrust species for agroforestry and JFM: Acacia nilotica, bamboos, Casuarina equisetifolia, Eucalyptus, Populus deltoides and Prosopis cineraria.

2014

India became the first country to adopt a National Agroforestry Policy.

Traditional systems: Europe

Dehesa (Spain) and Montado (Portugal)

Oak-pasture systems over 4,000 years old in the Mediterranean.

Bocage (France)

Fields enclosed by tree hedgerows.

Hauberg (Siegerland, Germany)

Rotational coppice combined with crops and grazing.

Chania (Greece)

A traditional tree-crop system of Crete.

Traditional systems: Asia

Pekarangan and Kebun-talun (Indonesia)

Javanese home gardens and tree-crop rotations.

Jungle rubber (Indonesia)

Rubber grown inside secondary forest.

Satoyama (Japan)

Village landscape mixing woodland, farms and paddies.

Kandyan forest gardens (Sri Lanka)

Multi-storey home gardens.

Taungya (Myanmar, 1850s)

Farmers grow crops between young forest trees; adopted widely in India.

Traditional systems: Africa & Americas

Parklands (West Africa)

Scattered multipurpose trees on dryland farms (shea, Faidherbia).

Kihamba and Ngitili (Tanzania)

Chagga home gardens; enclosed fodder reserves.

Ribereño system (Peruvian Amazon)

Forest clearing followed by multi-species home gardens.

Quesungual system (Honduras)

Slash-and-mulch with retained trees.

Silvopastoral systems (Brazil)

Trees combined with cattle pasture.

Remember

• Remember the 2001 six species as "A-B-C-E-P-P": Acacia, Bamboo, Casuarina, Eucalyptus, Populus, Prosopis.
• Timeline: 1979 seminar → 1983 AICRP → 1988 NRCAF → 2014 policy.

Quick check (6 questions)

Take the full Agroforestry mock test →Random practice

More revision notes: Forestry One Liner – 1 · Forestry One Liner – 2 · Forestry One Liner – 3 · Indigenous Pines of India · Silviculture – 1: Basics, Tree Form and Roots