Noordwijk et al. 2001; Ruitenbeck and Cartier 2001; Carlsson et al. 2002; Mala et al.
2004) (see also Chap. 9, Vol. 1; Chap. 3, Vol. 2).
The failure of initially promising forest–agriculture policies, practices and innovations has often been linked to the (a) limited understanding of the possible
contribution of traditional knowledge and (b) the false assumptions that management
options based on local knowledge are not aligned with conventional/prevailing
indicators of agro-ecological sustainability (Smith and McSorely 2000; Palm et al.
2005; Oyono et al. 2007; Malleson et al. 2008; Bellamy and Hill 2010; Zahm et al.
2019). Efforts to design, promote and adopt new agricultural innovations in the
region, often clash with such local knowledge and management systems (Bawden
1991; Scoones 1995; Abate et al. 2000; Altieri 2002; Mala 2016) (see Chap. 3, Vol.
2). The fact that local communities and external scientists utilize different knowledge systems and perspectives about the role and functions of biodiversity in agroecosystems sometimes contributes to such failures (Haila 1999; Sinclair and Joshi
2001; Altieri 2002; Instone 2003b; Van Mele and Van Chien 2004) (see Chap. 3,
Vol. 2).
The above suggest that the complexity of forest-agriculture systems, and the
piecemeal research and management approaches combine to currently hamper the
development of sustainable solutions for forest–agriculture (Sayer and Campbell
2003; Sanchez et al. 2005; AfDB 2015; Boon 2015). This is a key unresolved
sustainability challenge in many areas of tropical SSA (FAO 2011b; AU 2015;
FAO/INRA 2016; Diaw et al. 2016, 2018), which has important ramifications for
biodiversity conservation (Mala 2017), food security (Lin 2011; IFAD 2012) and
poverty alleviation (FAO/INRA 2016). The adoption of the sustainable development
goals (SDGs) and their operationalization within the strategic planning of multilateral development banks, bilateral institutions and countries increases the need to deal
such challenges in SSA that span multiple SDGs such as SDG1 (no poverty), SDG2
(zero hunger), SDG8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG15 (life on land),
among others (FAO 2010, 2011a, b; Munang et al. 2013; Kaphengst 2014; AfDB
2015; World Bank 2016) (see Chap. 5, Vol. 1).
For example in many parts of the Central Africa region, current agricultural and
natural resource management practices and technological innovations related to
forest–agriculture
1 fail to achieve improved rural livelihoods, income generation
and sustainable land/forest management outcomes (Mala et al. 2004, 2008b; Mala
and Oyono 2004; Diaw et al. 2018). At the same time, they do not seem to be
successful in conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services in the rapidly changing
forest ecosystems of the region (Diaw et al. 2016) (see Chap. 9, Vol. 1). It is thus
important to identify promising innovations, policies and practical solutions, and to
ensure their wide uptake and sustained use, to tackle effectively the interlinked
challenges at the interface of agriculture and conservation in the region.
1 Such examples include alley cropping, monocultures and shortened fallow agricultural systems
using bio-fertilizers and annual and scrubs species such as Mucuna sp., Cajanus sp. and
Calliandra sp.
10 Forest–Agriculture in the Centre–South Region of Cameroon: How Does. . .
319
2004) (see also Chap. 9, Vol. 1; Chap. 3, Vol. 2).
The failure of initially promising forest–agriculture policies, practices and innovations has often been linked to the (a) limited understanding of the possible
contribution of traditional knowledge and (b) the false assumptions that management
options based on local knowledge are not aligned with conventional/prevailing
indicators of agro-ecological sustainability (Smith and McSorely 2000; Palm et al.
2005; Oyono et al. 2007; Malleson et al. 2008; Bellamy and Hill 2010; Zahm et al.
2019). Efforts to design, promote and adopt new agricultural innovations in the
region, often clash with such local knowledge and management systems (Bawden
1991; Scoones 1995; Abate et al. 2000; Altieri 2002; Mala 2016) (see Chap. 3, Vol.
2). The fact that local communities and external scientists utilize different knowledge systems and perspectives about the role and functions of biodiversity in agroecosystems sometimes contributes to such failures (Haila 1999; Sinclair and Joshi
2001; Altieri 2002; Instone 2003b; Van Mele and Van Chien 2004) (see Chap. 3,
Vol. 2).
The above suggest that the complexity of forest-agriculture systems, and the
piecemeal research and management approaches combine to currently hamper the
development of sustainable solutions for forest–agriculture (Sayer and Campbell
2003; Sanchez et al. 2005; AfDB 2015; Boon 2015). This is a key unresolved
sustainability challenge in many areas of tropical SSA (FAO 2011b; AU 2015;
FAO/INRA 2016; Diaw et al. 2016, 2018), which has important ramifications for
biodiversity conservation (Mala 2017), food security (Lin 2011; IFAD 2012) and
poverty alleviation (FAO/INRA 2016). The adoption of the sustainable development
goals (SDGs) and their operationalization within the strategic planning of multilateral development banks, bilateral institutions and countries increases the need to deal
such challenges in SSA that span multiple SDGs such as SDG1 (no poverty), SDG2
(zero hunger), SDG8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG15 (life on land),
among others (FAO 2010, 2011a, b; Munang et al. 2013; Kaphengst 2014; AfDB
2015; World Bank 2016) (see Chap. 5, Vol. 1).
For example in many parts of the Central Africa region, current agricultural and
natural resource management practices and technological innovations related to
forest–agriculture
1 fail to achieve improved rural livelihoods, income generation
and sustainable land/forest management outcomes (Mala et al. 2004, 2008b; Mala
and Oyono 2004; Diaw et al. 2018). At the same time, they do not seem to be
successful in conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services in the rapidly changing
forest ecosystems of the region (Diaw et al. 2016) (see Chap. 9, Vol. 1). It is thus
important to identify promising innovations, policies and practical solutions, and to
ensure their wide uptake and sustained use, to tackle effectively the interlinked
challenges at the interface of agriculture and conservation in the region.
1 Such examples include alley cropping, monocultures and shortened fallow agricultural systems
using bio-fertilizers and annual and scrubs species such as Mucuna sp., Cajanus sp. and
Calliandra sp.
10 Forest–Agriculture in the Centre–South Region of Cameroon: How Does. . .
319