Agroforestry and sustainable development in Amazonia

Abstract

For the past fifty years or so, natural resources in Amazonia have been tapped on a massive scale, giving rise to the interruption of life cycles in the forest ecosystem, and bringing about an increased deterioration of the habitat. Land-use policies and mining and extraction methods of natural resources are largely responsible. In this region, however, agroforestry practices are not unknown. Over many millennia, Amerind peoples have established complex and varied systems which have enabled them to subsist, and respect their habitat at the same time. Such practices may not be directly applicable by present-day farmers, but, on the other hand, agroforestry systems do already exist which are better adapted to new socio-economic conditions. These have been developed by mixed-race people and certain settlers, and they guarantee both self-sufficiency and the production of a surplus for the market. These farming practices represent a considerable empirical and technological capital, which is important to study in order to convert it into a technical reference bank that is accessible to small pioneering settlers. These new alternatives should help the Amazonian authorities to come up with a model of sustainable development for the region, provided that accompanying measures are also taken, both on the political, economic and fiscal levels, and on the level of research, education and training.