Research, extension and training needs for agroforestry development in southern africa

The socio-economic lifeline of Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe) is anchored on agriculture and agricultural related enterprises. There is a growing realisation that the lifeline can collapse unless sustainable land-use systems that harmonise land-derived benefits with environmental components (soil, fauna, flora, water and air) are adopted. Among the land-use systems practiced in SADC, agroforestry has the potential to become one of the key strategies in SADC's endeavour to provide multiple benefits with minimum degradation to the environmental components. However, the introduction and implementation of agroforestry activities and the degree of success depend on a clear awareness of the agroforestry development needs. This paper presents agroforestry research, extension and training needs as identified at an international workshop held at the University of Alberta, Canada, and at a seminar held at the University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe. It is hoped that the information presented will facilitate coordinated agroforestry activities in the SADC region and increase the efficiency and effectiveness in implementing the activities.