Opportunities for linking climate change adaptation and mitigation through agroforestry systems

Abstract

Agroforestry systems not only provide a great opportunity for sequestering carbon, and hence help - ing to mitigate climate change, but they also enhance the adaptive capacity of agricultural systems in tropical and subtropical regions. Agricultural research over the last few decades has been driven by the quest to increase the productivity and resilience of agricultural systems. While increasing productivity relates directly to the ability of a system to accumulate and retain carbon, improving the resilience of agricultural systems is largely the result of enhancing the capacity of such systems to cope with adverse climatic changes. This chapter presents data that examine the mitigation and adaptation potential of different agroforestry systems as well as their significance for income generation for rural populations. New areas of research are proposed and a better use of existing agricultural management knowledge is called for