Agroforestry can reduce deforestation, but supportive policies matter, study finds

Agroforestry cuts deforestation in Southeast Asia, but success depends on local policies

Agroforestry systems have reduced deforestation across Southeast Asia over the past eight years, but new research finds that without the right policies, they can also drive forest loss.Carolyn Cowan reports for Mongabay.In short:A study in Nature Sustainability found agroforestry reduced deforestation in Southeast Asia by more than 250,000 hectares annually between 2015 and 2023, avoiding up to 74 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions each ye…

Agroforestry can reduce deforestation, but supportive policies matter, study finds

Intensifying heat waves, extreme floods and forest fires have devastated parts of Southeast Asia in recent years, spurring experts and authorities to look for holistic solutions. Agroforestry, the practice of growing crops alongside useful trees and shrubs, is increasingly touted as one such solution that simultaneously addresses the biodiversity and climate crises while enhancing farmer livelihoods and meeting societal needs for food, timber an…

by Kevin HeadleyBROKOPONDO — Tropenbos Suriname celebrated the closing of the ‘Sustainable Food Security and Awareness on Gold Mining Effects’ project, funded by the Emsags program, in Brokopondo on Tuesday. This program, which started in 2019, focuses on improving environmental management in Suriname’s mining sector, with a focus on small-scale gold mining. The aim is to reduce the negative impacts of gold mining on biodiversity, forests, water…