Prospects for agroforestry in REDD+ landscapes in Africa

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cosust.2013.10.015Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • African countries identify agroforestry as a strategic option for REDD+.

  • Agroforestry can contribute to REDD+ directly, depending on forest definition.

  • Intensification through Agroforestry can help address drivers of deforestation.

  • Policy reforms that recognize multi-functional landscapes are needed.

Agroforests and agroforestry can be direct targets of Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programs, or indirect parts of the necessary conditions for success. Whether or not it becomes a core element of REDD+ depends on the country's forest definition. We review these dimensions of agroforestry in REDD+, with supporting examples, mostly from Africa, and highlight the implications and challenges for enhancing the contributions of agroforestry to REDD+ and corresponding sustainable benefits. Where carbon stocks in agroforestry cannot be directly targeted in REDD+, agroforestry still can be included in REDD+ strategies, as ways to (1) shift demand for land (land sparing) and (2) provide alternative sources of products otherwise derived from forest over-exploitation or conversion, thereby avoiding leakage from forest protection efforts.

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