Silvopastoral Systems In Southern South America

This multi-authored volume contains peer-reviewed chapters from leading researchers and professionals in silvopastoral systems topic in Southern South America (Argentina, Chile and South Brazil). It is a compendium of original research articles, case studies, and regional overviews and summarizes the current state of knowledge on different components and aspects (pasture production, animal production, trees production, carbon sequestration, conservation) of silvopatoral systems in native forests and tree plantations. The main hypothesis of the book is that farmers have integrated tree and pasture/grassland species in their land use systems to reach higher production per unit of land area, risk avoidance, product diversification, and sustainability. These production systems also impact positively in main ecosystem processes. Management of these productive systems, Policy and Socioeconomic Aspects provide great opportunities and challenges for farmers and policy makers in our region. The book is unique on this subject in Southern South America and constitutes a valuable reference material for graduate students, professors, scientists and extensionists who work with silvopastoral systems.

This book offers an overview of the most important research and developments in silvopastoral systems of the northern part of South America and Central America, including the most common silvopastoral arrangements in each country and their characteristics in terms of productivity, and environmental and socioeconomic aspects. Featuring a compilation of original research articles, country overviews and reviews of the contribution of silvopastoral systems to different topics, it summarizes the state-of-the-art knowledge regarding various aspects of silvopastoral systems in this region.

This document represents a joint effort between two action networks of the Global Agenda: (i) Closing the Efficiency Gap and (ii) the Global Network on Silvopastoral Systems. A framework for evaluating natural resource use efficiency is applied to a variety of silvopastoral production models to determine productivity and their socio-economic and environmental benefits. It presents an overview of SPS, their main characteristics and advantages regarding production and benefits for the environment and climate, and their contribution to the SDGs, describing the results of ten case studies of adoption of SPS in diverse contexts in Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina, with a focus on land productivity, meat and milk production, and economic performance at the farm level. Based on the findings, a number of policy recommendations are made with a view to scaling-up and promoting SPS in Latin America and other regions.

This book is about the resilience of silvo-pastoral systems now, and in the future. As such, it is about people. The goal is to fill the gap in the knowledge on silvo-pastoral systems and their changing trends, by adding the human dimension, with enough detail to draw inferences about the new governance solutions that are needed to address the multiple challenges faced by silvo-pastoral systems. As such, the book provides knowledge applicable to current and future silvo-pastoral territories in other regions across the world. The volume is divided into three sections: people and institutions, the institutional framework, and governance models. Each section, composed of several chapters, draws on empirical work about the Iberian montado and dehesa as well as from other similar systems in the Mediterranean, both on the northern and on the southern sides, in order to broaden its scope and cover a wider range of situations and examples. Some of the chapters rely more strongly on empirical findings and current experiences, others on a literature review and reflection by the authors over many years working with these systems. The conclusion sums up the most relevant findings from each chapter and discusses how research can progress so that new scientific approaches and evidence can support better adapted governance models of silvopastoral systems to face future challenges. This text will be highly valuable to university and research institute libraries, academics, policy officials, and stakeholder groups, such as NGOs and sectoral organizations, who wish to better understand the relevance of the human factor and use this knowledge to find sustainable solutions. It will be a central reading for postgraduate students enrolled in rural planning, landscape management and governance, agronomy and forestry, as well as geography and socio-ecology programmes, that have a focus on sustainable land use management and supporting mixed farming systems.

Achieving zero hunger and food security is a top priority in the United Nations Development Goals (UNDGs). In an era characterized by high population growth and increasing pressure on agricultural systems, efficiency in the use of natural resources has become central to sustainable agricultural practices. Fundamentally speaking, eco-efficiency is about maximizing agricultural outputs, in terms of quantity and quality, using less land, water, nutrients, energy, labor, or capital. The concept of eco-efficiency involves both the ecological and economic aspects of sustainable agriculture. It is therefore essential to understand the interaction of ecosystem constituents within the extensive agricultural landscape, as well as farmers’ economic needs. This book examines the latest eco-efficient practices used in agro-systems. Drawing upon research and examples from around the world, it offers an up-to-date overview, together with insights into directly applicable approaches for poly-cropping systems and landscape-scale management to improve the stability of agricultural production systems, helping achieve food security. The book will be of interest to educators, researchers, climate change scientists, capacity builders and policymakers alike. It can also be used as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate courses on agriculture, forestry, soil science, and the environmental sciences.

Organic animal production has increased rapidly in recent years to keep up with the increasing consumer demand for organic meats. There are many guidelines and restrictions on what should go into the feedstuffs of organically farmed animals, from which difficulties arise when trying to ensure a well-balanced, nutritious diet without the use of any supplements. The book has been completely updated and revised to address how to formulate organic diets in situations where there is a declining supply of organic feed, as well as the feasibility of utilizing novel feedstuffs and their acceptability by consumers of organic meat products. Including the experiences of producers in relation to appropriate breeds and production systems for forage-based organic production, this book is an important read for researchers and students of organic food animal production, veterinary sciences and food; as well as food industry personnel and organic farmers.

This edited book opens up new vistas for sustainable intensification in agriculture to provide food to ever growing population as well as adapting to the risks of global environmental change. Diverting from conventional agriculture, the book explores new dimensions and concepts that have been identified for future research and development in sustaining agriculture in Asia and Africa regions. The chapters are written by leading researchers and practitioners in the field of agroforestry. The book demonstrates how agroforestry could be instrumental in bringing stability and sustainability in agricultural production. It offers sustainable solutions for the impending problems of climate change, ecosystem degradation, declining agricultural productivity, and uncertain food security. It is an essential resource for students in agroforestry courses, as well as a valuable introduction to the field for professionals in related areas.

Trees in dryland forests and wooded areas provide key ecosystem services such as animal feed, timber, fruits and, regulation of soil and water cycles. Equally, the presence of livestock in dryland woody areas can also play an important role in the local ecosystem; not only are they a source of income for local communities, but they also help vegetation and mobilise stored biomass. When both of these ecosystem elements are wisely combined – livestock and trees – it creates an integrated agricultural system that can boost the local ecosystem, representing a welcome agro-ecological transition in livestock farming. The ‘Grazing with Trees’ report gives a thorough assessment of the positive role that optimized extensive grazing livestock farming can play in the management and restoration of drylands’ forests and lands with trees. It assesses and provides sound evidence on the benefits of applying an integrated landscape approach and utilizing farmers and pastoralists’ knowledge to halt desertification, increase resilience, and enhance food security under the actual changing scenario. The report confirms the importance of agroforestry as a primary pathway for forest restoration in dryland areas as recommended by FAO’s State of Forests 2022, and its recommendations encourage landscape planners and decision makers to consider livestock as allies, carefully restore tree cover and accelerate action to promote healthy ecosystems.