Abstract:
Very simply put, agroforestry is using trees on farms. Incorporating trees into agricultural systems has two major benefits for rural development. Firstly, trees provide a wide range of products—fruits, vegetables, fibre, medicines, gums, resins, fuelwo36. timber and animal fodder—that are important for the welfare of farming and urban communities. Secondly—and very important for degraded areas with soil depletion—trees prot2ct the soil from erosion by providing a barrier to water/soil movement, and enhance soil fertility by returning nutrient-rich organic material to the soil as leaf litter and through root turnover.