Pacific Island Agroforestry Workshops and Field Visits

Pacific Island Agroforestry Workshops and Field Visits

Summary

This project presents two 4-day workshops in Hawai‘i (primarily for Hawai‘i participants) and Guam and Palau (primarily for Pacific Basin participants). Each workshop consists of about half classroom-style presentations and half field visits. Resource professionals will present topics such as “agroforestry-friendly” NRCS standards, soil quality considerations with agroforestry, tree-crop competition, new perspectives in windbreak design, conserving traditional varieties and native species, and value-added and direct marketing strategies. This project gives NRCS personnel, cooperative extension agents, and other agricultural professionals firsthand experience of agroforestry systems, presentations from experts, and resources, thereby furthering the introduction of agroforestry throughout the region.

Objectives/Performance Targets

1) Audience

Based on consultations with NRCS staff in Hawaii and Guam, and UH cooperative extension staff in Hawaii, the following numbers of participants are expected:

NRCS personnel: 30–40 (15–20 each workshop)
Cooperative extension: 10–15 (5–8 each workshop)
Other extension professionals (ethnobotanists, ag consultants, NGOs, etc.): 20–40 (10–20 each workshop)
Farmers, ranchers, nurserymen, etc.: 20–40 (10–20 each workshop)

The minimum expected at each workshop is 40, with a minimum total number of 100.

2) Activities and methods

Workshops will consist of three half-day classroom presentations followed by half-day field visits, and one full day of field visits. Classroom presentations will be scheduled to illustrate the day’s field tours as best as possible.

3) Products

An agroforestry resource list for Pacific islands will be produced. Each presenter (both speakers and farmers) will be asked to recommend agroforestry resources, including books, periodicals, Internet sites, and organizations. The resource list will be given to workshop participants in hardcopy form and posted at agroforestry.net (and made available for posting to other web sites). Also, a photographic record of the field visits will be made consisting of photos taken by the project coordinator and photo contributions from participants. The photos will be compiled with captions into a virtual tour of the field visits and posted for free viewing at agroforestry.net. The resource guide and virtual tour will be distributed on CD to 100 NRCS, cooperative extension and other ag offices throughout the American-affiliated Pacific.

Accomplishments/Milestones

The Hawaii workshop was held in Keauhou (Kahalu‘u), Kona May 16-19. There were 66 participants, 10 presenters, and 9 field tours. Participants came from all Hawaiian islands, A. Samoa, Fiji, and the Cook Islands. Participants received a resource list for Pacific island agroforestry, speaker handouts, and a CD containing all the printed materials as well as pdf versions of speaker PowerPoint presentations. All the field tours were photographed, and photographic field tours are expected to be posted to agroforestry.net by September 30, 2006. Participants completed evaluations on the final day of the workshop, and these will be summarized in the final reporting for this project. By all accounts, the workshop was very well received.

The Guam/Palau workshop will take place June 26-30, with a total of 60 people enrolled to participate. Ten speakers from Hawai‘i, Australia, Guam, and Palau will give talks, and there are a total of eight field visits planned. The brochure and agenda for the Guam/Palau workshop are posted to http://www.agroforestry.net/events/afwksp2006.html .

Impacts and Contributions/Outcomes

Short term
• Participants will have an increased ability to identify agroforestry systems.
• Participants will have an increased knowledge and appreciation of traditional and native trees of cultural and economic value, and their role in agricultural systems.
• The economic and ecological implications of integrating trees, both the advantages and disadvantages, will be better understood by participants.

Medium term
• NRCS and cooperative extension will increasingly recommend agroforestry practices to their farmer/rancher collaborators.
• Additional NRCS “agroforestry friendly” practice standards will be developed and existing standards will be revised to include agroforestry options.
• University and other research entities will increase their research of diverse agricultural systems that incorporate trees.

Long term
• Agroforestry practices implemented on many individual farms will begin to serve a watershed function, enhance wildlife habitat, and decrease use and export of chemical farm pollutants.
• Rural livelihoods will be improved through crop diversification reaching new markets.

Collaborators: