Chapter 5Is Agroforestry Likely
to Reduce Deforestation?
Arild Angelsen and David KaimowitzIs agroforestry likely to reduce deforestation? Most agroforesters for the past
15 years have said, “Yes,” with some adding, “By about 5 ha of reduced defor-
estation per hectare of agroforestry adopted.” We argue that the answer is “It
depends,” and in many cases it is likely to be “No.” Our aim is to discuss key
factors that condition the agroforestry-deforestation link. That is, what makes
a “Yes” more likely than a “No”? Our reformulated question is, “Which types
of agroforestry under what conditions are likely to reduce the conversion of
natural forest?”
The key argument behind the promotion of agroforestry as a strategy to
reduce deforestation is that it is a more sustainable land use solution than the
alternatives (e.g., unsustainable shifting cultivation practices or extensive cat-
tle pasture). “People deforest in the search for new lands to replace nutrient-
depleted land....Profitable agroforestry systems, through increasing returns
to land in existing agricultural areas, may deflect deforestation on the remain-
ing patches of primary forest” (Sanchez et al. 2001, 342–343). One might
label this argument the land degradation–deforestation hypothesis: land-
degrading agricultural practices force farmers to clear new forestland to sustain
a living.
However, introducing agroforestry practices has contradictory effects on
farmers’ incentives and opportunities to convert more natural forest to agri-
culture or agroforestry. Farmers could make forest conversion more profitable
by using agroforestry, which in turn could give them an incentive for further
forest encroachment. Better profitability can also attract new migrants, further
multiplying the effects. Higher output increases farm surplus and relaxes cap-
ital constraints, which may enable farmers to put additional resources into for-
est clearing.
This chapter provides a systematic review of arguments for and against
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