Tropentag, October 5 - 7, 2011 in Bonn "Development on the margin"

Adoption and Socioeconomic Evaluation of Multistrata Agroforestry Systems in Peruvian Amazon

Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Institute of Tropics and Subtropics, Czech Republic

Abstract

Slash-and-burn agriculture is considered as a main cause of deforestation in the Peruvian Amazon. Agroforestry systems (AFS) are regarded as a feasible alternative to slash-and-burn for small scale farmers. Main aims of the present study were (1) an evaluation of the adoption rate of multistrata AFS promoted by development cooperation project among farmers in the Ucayali region including the analysis of the factors influencing the adoption and (2) the economic assessment of multistrata AFS and slash-and-burn land use systems. The study took place in nine villages of the Pucallpa zone where data have been gathered from farmers (n=59) via semi-structured questionnaires. The economic assessment was based on cost-benefit analysis: Net Present Value (NPV), Cost/Benefit Ratio (CBR) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) indicators. Results are showing that multistrata AFS have been adopted by 78% of the farmers participating in the project and that 47 % of the farmers managed to increase their multistrata plots. Factors positively associated with multistrata AFS adoption are higher formal education, previous experience with perennial plants, plot distance and organisation membership. Major constraints to further adoption of the systems are accidental fires and unavailability of quality germplasm. Major implications are that future development and promotion of agroforestry systems should address these issues. Economic analysis gives clear evidence that multistrata AFS are more profitable than slash-and-burn agriculture, with NPV three times higher on the average. On the other hand, slash-and-burn plots have higher IRR. Major drawbacks of multistrata AFS economic performance in comparison to slash-and-burn agriculture are higher establishment costs and longer time needed to reach the breakpoint of positive net present value.

Keywords: Adoption, Amazon, land use systems, net present value, slash-and-burn, small farmers

Contact Address: Ludvík Bortl, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Dept. of Crop Sciences and Agroforestry in Tropics and Subtropics, Prosecká 342/145, 19000 Praha 9 - Prosek, Czech Republic, e-mail: ludvik.bortlgmail.com