Tropical Dry Forests in Multifunctional Landscapes: Agroforestry Systems for Conservation and Livelihoods

Conservation and restoration of dry tropical forests is a high priority because they are becoming increasingly rare and contain many endemic and economically valuable species. At the same time, humanity’s increasing demand for food and fuel puts pressure on ecosystems around the world. Effective strategies are urgently needed to balance biodiversity conservation and agricultural production. One potential strategy is to increase food production per unit area (yield) on existing farmland, so as to minimize farmland area and to spare land for habitat conservation or restoration. However, achieving a sustainable future for agriculture will involve more than just intensifying production. Instead, it is necessary to take a more holistic view of a problem that encompasses the need for improved soil fertility and health; reduced risk of pests, diseases, and weed outbreaks; improved rural and urban livelihoods; increased climate change resiliency; and opportunities for economic growth. This chapter provides a series of successful experiences in tropical dry regions of Latin America where productive agriculture achieves food security, biodiversity conservation, and climate change resiliency using appropriate agricultural practices that support functioning agroecosystems. The case studies presented here range from traditional homegardens and silvopastures of smallholder farmers to intensive silvopastoral and taungya systems of large landholders in dry regions of Latin America. This chapter ends by exposing the opportunities and challenges of adopting agroforestry systems in Latin America. The conversion of degraded, simplified production systems to diverse, agroecological, resilient systems is challenging, and the scaling-up of these systems will require a combination of scientific and technological innovation, policy, economic, and market incentives tailored to different scales.