Demand for the commodities produced by farmers in Central America and the Caribbean is on the rise, potentially increasing availability of financial resources for the region’s farmers. As more rural households improve their income by increased production and access to markets, there is a greater strain on the land, increasing demand to improve Natural Resource Management (NRM) and the need to aim towards production intensification.
Livestock production holds a lot of potential for integrated forage systems and ecosystem services at farm level. The Quesungual Project has increased productivity and crop yields along with tree cover in farms (download the Quesungual Project Report here). Farmers have increased their income, increasing their cattle herds in the process. Farmers are applying the knowledge they have acquired from scientists and other farmers. For instance, many are feeding their livestock with Brachiaria grasses which has led to increased milk yields.
However, more cattle translate into increased grazing and degrading already fragile land due to inadequate resource management. Excessive amounts of fertilizers and pesticides are being applied, resulting in high expenses and negative environmental effects. Aware of these issues, farmers are seeking technical guidance to better manage their resources and maximize their farms’ productivity.
Humidtropics’ aim is to contribute towards making production systems more sustainable and economically efficient, while reducing farmers’ dependence on external inputs and maximizing the potential of farm resources. One of the key elements in this process is coordinating with other initiatives in the region, including local and municipal government entities, through sharing work plans and establishing stakeholder platforms to create areas of convergence in innovation, research and development.
Current initiatives include improved forage-based systems reducing the pressure exerted on fragile lands due to overgrazing; design of improved agroforestry systems based on successful Quesungual experiences; modeling and analyses at farm level to intensify production through sustainable silvopastoral systems; and designing a standardized legume and tree species selection process by comparing and contrasting past experiences in Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua.
Blog and photo by Shadi Azadegan, Communication Specialist for Central America and the Caribbean, Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT).Â