Transcript Types of Small farmers - World Agroforestry Centre

The encounter between local and professional knowledge
regarding tree growing in the southwest Amazon:
An opportunity for collaboration or a platform for
misunderstanding?
Juan Carlos Montero,
Paulina Campos,
Benno Pokorny,
Lisa Hoch &
James Johnson
Small farmers in the Southwest Amazon
Types of Small farmers:
• Indigenous populations
• Traditional dwellers
• Migrants
2
Tree growing types and schemes
(after Hoch et al in press)
Company initiated
Participation of
professionals
• High Value Timber
Plantations
Donor driven
• Fast-growing timber
plantations
• NTFP plantations
• Agro-Forestry systems
• Enrichment plantations
Small farmers
initiatives
• Home gardens
• Single tree growing
3
Problem Statement
• Modest success in forest plantations: abandonment, high
mortality rates
• Hypothesis: Considerable potential for misunderstanding
between professionals and small farmers
– Way professional knowledge is communicated (One –
way transfer)
– Different cognitive structures between both groups
(background knowledge, language, attitudes)
4
Objective
•
•
Explore knowledge exchange between professionals and
small farmers
Focus on the three fundamental elements considered for
tree growing:
1.
2.
3.
species used
purposes and criteria of tree growing
silvicultural practices employed
5
Methodological Approach
• Study Region
– Bolivia: 8 villages in the
region of Riberalta and Cobija
– Brazil: 3 villages around
Xapuri
– Peru: 5 rural communities
around Pucallpa and Puerto
Maldonado
• Data Collection
– Semi-structured interviews to
25 professionals and 25 small
farmers
6
Results
Evidences of collaboration
Used tree species
• 90 registered tree species:
– 62 species (69 %) native
– 28 species (31%) are exotic.
• From the total:
– 52% fruit trees
– 25% timber trees
– 10% medicinal use
– 13% different uses as craftwork, rustic constructions,
household utensils and industrial extraction.
8
Evidences of collaboration
Used tree species (2)
Professionals
Small farmers
Home
Home
Common name
Species
Planted Nat. Reg
Fields Planted Nat. Reg
Fields
gardens
gardens
Artocarpus heterophyllus
Jackfruit
x
x
x
x
x
Averrhoa carambola
Carambola
x
x
x
x
Mangifera indica
Mango
x
x
Persea americana
Avocado
x
x
x
x
Cacao
Theobroma cacao
x
x
x
x
x
x
Citrus
Citrus spp.
x
x
x
x
Inga adenophylla
Guava
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Bactris gasipaes
Pijuao/Chonta
x
x
x
x
x
x
Bertholletia excelsa
Brazilian nut
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Euterpe oleracea
Asai
x
x
x
x
x
x
Hevea brasiliensis
Rubber tree
x
x
x
x
x
Mauritia flexuosa
Aguaje
x
x
x
x
x
Theobroma grandiflorum
Cupuazu
x
x
x
x
x
High level
of adoption
by the small farmers
of
Swietenia macrophylla
Mahogany
x
x
x
x
x
promoted
species,
even
when
they
are
exotic.
Cedrela odorata
Cedar
x
x
x
x
x
Not a clear understanding between actors but it
provides a basis for learning and adapting!
9
Evidences of collaboration
Silvicultural Practices (1)
Professionals perspective
Small farmers perspective
Site preparation
Ground clearing , Strips and gaps aperture in fallows and forest
Ground clearing, Strips and gaps aperture in fallows and forest
Weeding and burning (many cases)
Weeding and burning (most of the cases)
Trunks and trees rest removing
Trunks and trees rest removing
Mechanized soil cultivation: Ploughing, Harrowing and Subsoiling
Plants sources
Tree nurseries (seedlings)
Experimental centers (seedlings, seeds, and stakes)
Reproduction material (seeds, seedlings and stakes)
Nurseries, obtained from individual, communal, governmental or
commercial nurseries (seedlings), Forest (seeds, seedlings and stakes),
Fallows and fields (natural regeneration), Neighbor transfer (seeds,
seedlings and stakes or cuttings), Local markets as a “temporal and
occasional nurseries” mainly for fruits trees (seedlings and seeds)
Tree establishment
Planting
Seedling planting, direct seeding, stakes and cuttings planting
Seedlings planting, direct seeding mainly using fruits trees and
“broadcast” method. Stakes and cuttings planting
Planting site management
Plantation design
Plantation design
Spacing management (according to the specie and objective).
Spacing management (according to the specie and objective)
Quality control, Pre-marking
Planting techniques (Hole size, fertilizers).
Planting techniques (hole size, fertilizers).
Combinations of trees according to the species and soil
Beating up (randomly seeding).
characteristics.
Combinations of trees according mainly to the soil characteristics.
Natural regeneration management
Just recommendations about the importance of the natural
Natural regeneration management (fallow and forest): Sprout
regeneration principally in fallow management and croplands. No management e.g. Cedrela odorata, Amburana cearensis and
practical evidences
Cedrelingia cataneiformis. Fire as scarify element. Patches
management. Keeping single valuables trees as Bertholletia excelsa
Small holders copy, try and test before the final
adoption. Evidences of trial and test confirm their
understanding of these techniques!
Evidences of collaboration
Silvicultural Practices (2)
Professionals perspective
Small farmers perspective
Protection
Pests and Diseases , Animals (fences) and Fire
Insecticides and fungicide use again plagues and
control (firebreaks)
diseases. Domestic insecticides made by chillies
Fire management (production systems without
mixture.
fire, use of Mucuna pruriens and Pueraria
Fences again animals. Plastic girdles around the trunk
phaseoloides after slashing)
against ants.
Flood protection
Patches of vegetation around valuable species as
Bertholletia excelsa left as firebreaks.
Mangifera indica is planted close to the houses for
protection against fire. Maintaining secondary forest
to eliminate aggressive weeds such as Imperata sp
Maintenance and Monitoring
Weeding, Use of cover crops (Cannavalia
Irregular weeding, more intense during the
ensiformis, Cajanus cajan) as weeds control.
establishment phase, Liana liberation of seedlings and
Liana liberation
mature important trees as Bertholletia excelsa for
Pruning, Thinning, Replacement planting
increasing its productivity.
Fertilization: (Amonio sulfate, Fosforic rock NPK
“Artisanal” pruning mainly fruits trees, Ring barking
(15-15).Humus
out of worms.
Micorrizas ,chicken
Fertilization through domestic methods (organic
Small farmers
implement
most promoted
manure, Dolomitic limestone etc.
waste, decayed trees)
silvicultural
techniques
combined
with own
Measurements (diameter, height, productivity). Irregular observations without measurements, the
practices, which reflects
Regulartraditional
technical assessments
vitality ofan
the tree is oriented by the color of leaves
understanding and adoption of these practices.
11
Evidences of Misunderstanding
Purpose for tree growing
Purpose
Professionals
Small farmers
Inter-cropping
establishment of
production systems
on-farm production
Landscape restoration
fallows and
recuperation of
degraded areas
crop rotations
Forest, fallow and
home garden
enrichment
incorporation of
valuable (mainly
marketable) trees
incorporation of
valuable trees as well
as innovative species
Protection
wind and floods
protection
tree line plantation
serving as protection
and contour
Ecological research
germplasm selection
not registered
The different reasoning behind tree
Sequestration
carbon sink schemes
growing leads to aCO2
misunderstanding
industrial tree
Large-scale production
between professionals
and small
plantations
farmers
not registered
not registered
12
Evidences of misunderstanding
Criteria for species selection
Professionals
Small farmers
Purpose
Criteria
Purpose
Criteria
Intercropping Timber and multipurpose trees,
on-farm
Multifunctionality of species
Marketable at least in the local context,
production
(mainly fruits trees, medicinal,
Technical aspects as ecological
crafty and construction)
requirements and contributions to the
Marketable or used as “trade-off”
systems (shade alelopathic effects,
exclusively at the local context.
fertilizer inputs, etc)
Landscape
Timber and multipurpose trees
crops rotation
timber and multipurpose trees
restoration
Resistant species to degraded areas
temporary
fast growing species
Fast growing species
abandonment
Native species
Forest, fallow Valuable/marketable timber trees
incorporation of
timber and multipurpose trees
and home
Native and/or endemic species.
valuable trees as fast growing species
garden
Ecological factors of adaptation (e.g. shade well as innovative valuable (mainly auto consume)
enrichment
tolerant species)
species
and marketable (surplus) species
“New” species, varieties or hybrids (mainly
fruits trees) marketable at the local market
(home
In the absence
of agardens)
joint species selection process, there seems
Protection
Resistant to extreme windy and flooding
trees line
Crown size
to
be
a
problem
of
misunderstanding.
events, Fire resistance, Crown size, Fast
plantation serving Ornamental attributes (flowers)
Small holders
tend
to
accept
the
package
speciesand Fast growing species
growing species, Presence of depth and
asofprotection
strong
Resistant to unfavourable
soildoesn't
contourguarantee
recommended
by roots,
the professionals
but that
species,
Vegetative
the conditions,
adoptionPerennial
of these
species
in the long run
13
reproduction capability
Final considerations
• All small farmers have some experience with tree planting,
especially in home gardens and in production systems for
self-consumption
• Small farmers copy, test and adapt techniques promoted by
the professionals. This process is key for developing of a
sense of ownership in the initiative, and enables cooperation
• Misunderstandings are related to different levels of
knowledge, experience and perceptions
• Limited evidence was found on the adoption of local
practices by professionals
14
Key messages
• Strengthen endogenous practices and initiatives for tree growing
and the exchange of knowledge instead of transferring
technology packages.
• Design more flexible frameworks
for projects and switch to a more
continuous and long term
assistance to local farmers
15
Thank you for your attention!!
Further information:
http://www.waldbau.uni-freiburg.de/forlive/Home.html
Juan Carlos Montero [[email protected]]
Institue of Silviculture, University of Freiburg
Paulina Campos [[email protected]]
MSc. Environmental Governance Program, University of Freiburg