Agroforestry World
Marya Espaldon
Marya Laya Espaldon is an environmental science researcher for the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF). Over the past five-years she has conducted socioeconomic research particularly involving smallholder farmer's perceptions on adaptation strategies to climate change and sustainable landscapes. Laya has a Masters Degree in Environmental Science from the University of the Philippines Los Banos, with an undergraduate background in Agricultural Economics. She joined ICRAF under the Forest, Trees and Agroforestry programme (CRP6.4) in 2012.
Small island communities are some of the most vulnerable and isolated in the world. On one, the island of Bohol in the Philippines, trees are an integral part of island life, where survival often depends on traditional agricultural...
New acronyms but little new progress on action to mitigate climate change at the big event in Lima in December 2014 There is little confusion about what would be globally appropriate mitigation actions (GAMA) to keep...
Agroforestry is vital for improving productivity and incomes in the face of climate change, especially for steep terrain and small islands, according to researchers and farmers alike. Indonesia’s Fifth National Seminar Agroforestry was held in Ambon, Maluku...
Dr Rodel D. Lasco, coordinator of the Centre’s Philippine program, explains the partnership with the Oscar M. Lopez Center for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Management Foundation Inc. ‘Filipinos have little choice but to adapt to...
Integrated landscape initiatives in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa are investing heavily in institutional planning and coordination, but they have had mixed results engaging different stakeholder groups, especially the private sector. This key stakeholder group was almost...
Researchers have looked at differences between how farmers and research institutions, such as the World Agroforestry Centre, characterise agroforestry systems. They found a gap, which could be limiting opportunities, productivity and food security. In the course of...
By Ake Mamo and Philippe Vaast ‘Chocolate has begun a journey from being very loved and very common, like beer, to being very loved and a good deal less common, like Bordeaux.” said Mark Shatzker of Bloomberg,...
Strengthening the capital assets of households minimises their vulnerability to climate variability and extremes, according to a recent study in the Philippines, says Tessa Beyer Dr Rodel Lasco and colleagues, who measured the vulnerabilities of three, upland,...
Whereas state forest policies were the main drivers of forest transition in the past, private afforestation activities play an increasingly important role in planting of trees on former croplands in Yunnan, China. This is according to a study...
Why are the wealthiest farmers and a state-owned company benefiting the most from a scheme intended to help the poorest? Further study has revealed a complex web of migration, skills, capital, extra-curricular payments, evasive action and a lack...
Pure soil is the best medium to germinate jabon seeds in. This is according to a study by Irawan and Purwanto, published recently in Agricultural Science. The same study also concluded that the best medium for jabon seedling...
Trees provide a host of products and services, allowing forest-edge communities to be food-sufficient (through trade) without cutting down forests. A study of food security aspects of land-use in four configurations of agriculture, forest and agroforestry, based on...
As the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto protocol had, in the land-use sectors, been restricted to afforestation and reforestation, the concept of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation (RED) raised interest at the 11th Conference of the Parties (COP)of...
There are manifold problems facing the hundreds of millions of people who rely on the Mekong River and its watersheds. Dealing with the problems starts with coordinated research Associate Professor Doctor Sermkiat Jomjunyong, the vice-president for research...