AGROFORESTRY PRACTICES IN INDONESIA

Agroforestry, cultivation and use of trees and shrubs

with crops and livestock in agricultural systems.
Agroforestry seeks positive interactions between its
AGROFORESTRY components, aiming to achieve a more ecologically
diverse and socially productive output from the land
than is possible through conventional agriculture.
 Some common agroforestry practices are:

COMMON • Alley cropping (known as silvoarable agroforestry in Europe): trees planted in

PRACTICES multiple rows combined with crops cultivated in the alleyways between the
tree rows
• Silvopasture (also known as agrosilvopastoral agroforestry or dehesa): trees
combined with forage (pasture) and livestock production
• Forest farming: cultivation of high-value specialty crops under the protection
of a forestoverstory that provides an appropriate microclimate.
• Agrisilvicultural systems are a combination of crops and trees, such as alley
cropping or homegardens.
• Silvopastoral systems combine forestry and grazing of domesticated animals
on pastures, rangelands or on-farm.
 BENEFITS ENHANCE SOIL QUALITY

Agroforestry can improve and

RESILIENT AND restore soil quality in degraded
SUSTAINABLE FOOD
lands. It also helps to improve
PRODUCTION
water quality and air quality
Agroforestry mimics natural
ecosystems far more closely
than monocultures do, where
CLIMATE FRIENDLY
one single crop is grown over
large areas of land.
Because of its carbon
sequestration potential,
INCREASED agroforestry has been for many
PRODUCTIVITY
years considered a leading
Trees add an extra crop that agricultural practice for reducing
gives the farmer protection climate impact.
against poor harvests. Fruit,
nuts or timber can provide an
alternative income stream.
 CASE STUDY

IN GOLO NGAWAN
VILLAGE

In 2002, local NGO Ayo Indonesia started to promote sustainable agriculture to the farmers’
group ‘Suka Maju’ in Meni in Golo Ngawan village in the East Manggarai district on the island of Flores,
Indonesia. They were introduced to new ideas for land conservation and agroforestry to increase land
productivity.
People started planting trees from the pea family and cash crops and some nurseries for trees were also
developed. In the beginning only 16 farmers joined the programme as most farmers in Manggarai do not like to
follow an activity without seeing good results first. The 16 group members were challenged to prove that a real
change could be made.
The agroforestry programme aims to:
• increase land productivity
• protect the local environment
• guarantee food security
• produce extra income
It consists of planting various kinds of cash crops (cocoa, bananas, mahogany, cloves and
Gmelina arborea), trees from the pea family and food crops on the terraced land using a
particular planting pattern for every kind of crop. On the inner side of the land cash crops and
food crops are planted. Calliandra, mahogany and Gmelina arborea are planted on the outer
side of the land with 3 x 4 metres planting space between each tree. Calliandra is important
since it can improve land fertility and can be used by families for firewood (see p3).
Calliandra must be pruned regularly. When the cut parts are buried they become an extra
fertiliser.
After eight years of hard work the farmers can now harvest the fruits of success. All the trees that
were planted are very productive. Every member has an average extra income of 1.66 million
Indonesian rupiah (US$ 185) each year from agroforestry.
 CASE STUDY

IN Mt. MERAPI
There are three types of AF systems practiced by people in Mt. Merapirisk and hazard-prone
areas: agrisilviculture, silvopasture, and agrosilvo-pasture. These three types are found to match the
people’sneeds, besides the available natural resource. Agrisilviculturecombines food crops and trees
silvopasture combines trees and livestock and agrosilvopasture combining food crops, trees, and livestock
.Each area of Mt. Merapihas its own type of AF. Jemo is dominated by silvopasture, followed by
agrosilvopasture and agrisilviculture respectively. AF contribution in Mt. Merapirisk and hazard-prone
areas varies, including food supply, farming income, land restoration/conservation, water conservation,
and crop protection. AF adopters have their own reasons to adopt this system basedon the farmer’s needs
and environmental conditions .AF supplies food for Jemowo with a mean of 3.66. Leakey (2014) stated
that AF can be used as food resource both for household and commercial usage and this system can help
to generate income.
The common thing in all AF adopters
is that they will cut branches in the rainy season, to give more sunlight to the crops.
Additionally, for Jackfruit, the leaves can be used as fertilizer.
In conclusion, AF practices in Mt. Merapirisk and hazard-prone areas have started from the older
generations. Therefore, the current generation felt that AF practices are not difficult for the system.
There are three types of AF that people are practicing: agrisilviculture, silvopasture, and
agrosilvopasture. This study shows that AF provides food or income and can become one of the
mitigation strategies for Mt. Merapihazards. The AF system can become the method for land and
water conservation, and most importantly as coping strategies for Mt.
Merapihazards and risks. Additionally, crops are used as protection from the Mt. Merapi hazards.
Increasing this system practices in Mt. Merapirisk and hazard-prone area will good benefits for all
parties.
CONCLUSION In recent years, agroforestry has gained increasing
attention as an option to simultaneously alleviate poverty,
provide ecological benefits, and mitigate climate change.
The present study simulates small-scale farmers’
agroforestry adoption decisions to investigate the
consequences for livelihoods and the environment over
time.In countries that rely on small-scale farms as their
main source of income, these practices could improve the
standard of living through increased agricultural productivity
while also reducing carbon emissions.
THANK YOU

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