The global society has crossed the Earth´s ecological limits and must shift its development paradigm towards one that respects nature´s boundaries. We can no longer afford to continue destroying the planet as we have for the past 350 years. Future generations depend on us to take immediate action and implement nature-based solutions to address the problems caused by the global economic system. One promising area for ecological restoration is food production. Agroforestry, an emerging farming approach, has the potential to restore the natural productivity of the landscape, generate economic benefits, and provide invaluable ecosystem services. In this lecture, Dr. Fabricio Camacho, a Costa Rican native, will explore the mechanics of Agroforestry, its advantages and limitations, and its potential to optimize the economic and ecological performance of global food production.
Agroforestry is the science and art of integrating trees and crops/livestock to sustainably maximize the economic and environmental performance of agricultural production systems. These systems mimic the natural forest architecture and functions where external inputs are substituted with outputs from processes that naturally occur within the agroecosystem (e.g. nutrient cycling). The result is a robust, environmentally resilient and economically viable agricultural production model that is capable of producing ecosystem services and a stable cashflow throughout time.
Fabricio Camacho is a forestry engineer and professor of Agroforestry Systems at Costa Rica's National Technical University. He is the Executive Director of the Tropical Agroforestry Institute, a start-up located in Monteverde, Costa Rica striving to promote the adoption of agroforestry as a tool for productive landscape restoration and biodiversity conservation in biological corridors. Holds a Ph.D. in Natural Sciences for Development with an emphasis on Agricultural Production Systems and a master's in environmental leadership. Dr. Camacho, facilitates educational programs for international universities and environmental organizations in Costa Rica.
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