Suchergebnisse

New hybrid forms of climate change adaptation combining local and nonlocal/scientific knowledge are emerging across the Asian Highlands region. Yet, while local adaptive capacity can be based on place-based knowledge that governments often lack, communities still need assistance from states to better adjust to climate change and socioeconomic impacts. Using a regional literature review, we evaluate the role of evolving hybrid forms of adaptive knowledge for coping with environmental and social change. The literature is clear that appreciating local knowledge is not enough; enfranchising people with representative decision-making and resource rights and responsibilities is also required so that people can employ that knowledge toward climate adaptation. Into the future, Asian Highland climate change actions must include more targeted state support for locally evolving hybrid knowledge, behaviors and institutions.

Local governments in south Yunnan Province, in China started distributing free shade tree seedlings to all coffee farmers in 2012, to support the conversion from coffee monoculture to agroforestry systems. In a few years only, shade trees were planted on virtually all coffee estates in the region (~95,000 ha), making it a rare example of large-scale conversion towards agroforestry. Mature shade trees are known to provide a range of ecosystem services (improving soil fertility, buffering extreme climatic events, allowing revenue diversification, lowering coffee biannual production patterns, etc.) as well as some ecosystem disservices in the case of poorly selected or managed tree species (competition between shade trees and coffee for resources, higher incidence of some pests and diseases, etc.). In the present study, we measured the provision of ecosystem services and disservices of shade trees only a few years (3–5) after their introduction on coffee farms, to evaluate their rapid on-farm impact. We present here some key findings. Firstly, there is unexpected high tree species richness on coffee farms of Yunnan. Secondly, there is a clear positive impact of all investigated shade tree species on soil chemical and biological quality. Thirdly, there was a marked impact of shade trees on microclimate and they had a protective effect during a frost event in December 2017. Lastly, we show that coffee yield under shade trees could be as high as those measured in open areas, when shade tree species are carefully selected and managed. This study shows the rapid benefits provided by the introduction of shade trees in coffee farms, and therefore the potential for agroforestry to rapidly contribute to more sustainable coffee production. It sets up a baseline for further monitoring and evaluation of this rare example of a large-scale conversion program. In particular, we advocate for further monitoring of the competition from shade trees, likely to increase as trees grow, and the possible replacement of some tree species by more compatible ones in the coming years. We also advocate for adapting the current intensive farming practices (particularly by reducing current high fertilizer inputs) to maximize the benefits provided by shade trees.

International audience ; Intensive monoculture coffee farms quickly expanded in Yunnan Province in the 1990's and 2000's. In 2012, local authorities in Pu'er and Xishuangbanna Prefectures, the main coffee producing centre in the province, initiated a large-scale conversion program of these farms towards coffee-agroforestry systems to promote "ecologically-friendly coffee". Shade tree inventories and household interviews were conducted in these two prefectures to characterize coffee farms and the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of farmers on the provision of ecosystem services by associated tree species. This study on newly emerging coffee farming systems revealed a high level of tree species diversity at both farm and landscape levels despite the previous dominance of intensive coffee monoculture and the large-scale distribution of a limited number of shade tree species by the government. 162 tree species were encountered during farm inventories, out of which the community of coffee farmers was able to rank 30 against 9 ecosystem services and disservices. This study reveals that this LEK is a type of hybrid knowledge that still relies mostly on traditional knowledge of tree species combined with experience acquired from newly-implemented coffee-agroforestry practices. This study also pointed out knowledge gaps regarding the impact of mature trees on coffee yield, coffee quality and pest control. The participatory approach resulted in the identification of non-promoted species with a high potential to provide locally relevant ecosystem services in coffee-agroforestry systems. These results lead to the upgrade of an online tool (www. shadetreeadvice.org) which allows extension services generating lists of recommended shade tree species tailored to the local ecological context and individual farmers' needs. This tool will benefit farmers' livelihood, support landscape health and contribute to the sustainability of the emerging Yunnan coffee agriculture sector.

Intensive monoculture coffee farms quickly expanded in Yunnan Province in the 1990's and 2000's. In 2012, local authorities in Pu'er and Xishuangbanna Prefectures, the main coffee producing centre in the province, initiated a large-scale conversion program of these farms towards coffee-agroforestry systems to promote "ecologically-friendly coffee". Shade tree inventories and household interviews were conducted in these two prefectures to characterize coffee farms and the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of farmers on the provision of ecosystem services by associated tree species. This study on newly emerging coffee farming systems revealed a high level of tree species diversity at both farm and landscape levels despite the previous dominance of intensive coffee monoculture and the large-scale distribution of a limited number of shade tree species by the government. 162 tree species were encountered during farm inventories, out of which the community of coffee farmers was able to rank 30 against 9 ecosystem services and disservices. This study reveals that this LEK is a type of hybrid knowledge that still relies mostly on traditional knowledge of tree species combined with experience acquired from newly-implemented coffee-agroforestry practices. This study also pointed out knowledge gaps regarding the impact of mature trees on coffee yield, coffee quality and pest control. The participatory approach resulted in the identification of non-promoted species with a high potential to provide locally relevant ecosystem services in coffee-agroforestry systems. These results lead to the upgrade of an online tool (www.shadetreeadvice.org) which allows extension services generating lists of recommended shade tree species tailored to the local ecological context and individual farmers' needs. This tool will benefit farmers' livelihood, support landscape health and contribute to the sustainability of the emerging Yunnan coffee agriculture sector.

International audience ; Intensive monoculture coffee farms quickly expanded in Yunnan Province in the 1990's and 2000's. In 2012, local authorities in Pu'er and Xishuangbanna Prefectures, the main coffee producing centre in the province, initiated a large-scale conversion program of these farms towards coffee-agroforestry systems to promote "ecologically-friendly coffee". Shade tree inventories and household interviews were conducted in these two prefectures to characterize coffee farms and the Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) of farmers on the provision of ecosystem services by associated tree species. This study on newly emerging coffee farming systems revealed a high level of tree species diversity at both farm and landscape levels despite the previous dominance of intensive coffee monoculture and the large-scale distribution of a limited number of shade tree species by the government. 162 tree species were encountered during farm inventories, out of which the community of coffee farmers was able to rank 30 against 9 ecosystem services and disservices. This study reveals that this LEK is a type of hybrid knowledge that still relies mostly on traditional knowledge of tree species combined with experience acquired from newly-implemented coffee-agroforestry practices. This study also pointed out knowledge gaps regarding the impact of mature trees on coffee yield, coffee quality and pest control. The participatory approach resulted in the identification of non-promoted species with a high potential to provide locally relevant ecosystem services in coffee-agroforestry systems. These results lead to the upgrade of an online tool (www. shadetreeadvice.org) which allows extension services generating lists of recommended shade tree species tailored to the local ecological context and individual farmers' needs. This tool will benefit farmers' livelihood, support landscape health and contribute to the sustainability of the emerging Yunnan coffee agriculture sector.