The 18^th North American Agroforestry Conference kicks off in Costa Rica: shaping the future of agroforestry

• This international conference is organized by the Temperate Agroforestry Association (AFTA) and is held at CATIE, with the aim of bridging temperate and tropical agroforestry. 

February 20, 2024. The 18th North American Agroforestry Conference (NAAC) is being held for the first time outside North America, specifically at the Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center (CATIE) in Costa Rica, from February 20 to 22, bringing together global experts to merge the boundaries of temperate and tropical agroforestry.  

Organized by the Temperate Agroforestry Association (AFTA) and CATIE, this international conference promotes dialogue among stakeholders from South America, Asia, Africa, Europe, Mesoamerica, and the United States, focused on sharing innovations, advanced research, and best practices in agroforestry.  

With more than 200 participants from various countries, the conference stands out as an essential forum for knowledge exchange and strengthening collaborations among agroforestry systems worldwide. 

In this international collaboration scenario, convened by NAAC every two years, participants explore methodologies and research findings addressing both temperate and tropical agroforestry, seeking applicable synergies in diverse geographical contexts.  

CATIE, with over five decades dedicated to agroforestry and Inclusive Green Development, hosts the conference, reaffirming its role as a leader in promoting sustainable and climate-resilient food systems. 

During the opening ceremony, Muhammad Ibrahim, Director General of CATIE, and Hannah Hemmelgarn, President of AFTA, welcomed attendees and delivered opening remarks.  

Hemmelgarn expressed her excitement at seeing agroforestry stakeholders gathered for the first time in Costa Rica and thanked the presence of AFTA board members. 

Dr. Ibrahim, meanwhile, thanked AFTA for considering CATIE to host this important event. 

"For over 50 years, agroforestry has been central to CATIE's work. Our work focuses on understanding local knowledge and practices to be complemented with the scientific evidence we have and thus promote tools, technology, and innovation. I hope in these two days you can share knowledge and exchange experiences to develop a joint work agenda, addressing current challenges and promoting cooperation networks from our different organizations," commented Ibrahim. 

The conference opening was led by President Hemmelgarn and Eduardo Somarriba, Senior Researcher at CATIE, who provided a comprehensive overview of both tropical and temperate agroforestry in the Americas.  

Somarriba emphasized the importance of transforming producers' perceptions towards a vision where trees are considered an integral part of crops. He also advocated for the inclusion of agroforestry education in university academic programs and field schools, emphasizing the relevance of these systems in the Central American region. 

Hemmelgram complemented this vision with a detailed analysis of the evolution of agroforestry stakeholders, emphasizing progress made and pending challenges. She called on the community to broaden their perspectives to adopt innovative models and approaches that facilitate significant policy changes and promote support for education and training in agroforestry. 

Next, in a keynote address setting the tone for the first day, Ibrahim delved into the potential of silvopastoral systems as a strategy for more sustainable livestock production.  

He highlighted the synergies of these systems in climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as their contribution to biodiversity. However, he pointed out the financial challenges for their expansion, including the high initial investment cost, but highlighted the effectiveness of incentives to promote their adoption and the need to design tailored strategies to facilitate their implementation on small-scale farms. 

Studying Temperate and Tropical Agroforestry 

Over two days of the conference, six themes will be addressed with different speakers: 

• Session 1. Silvopastoral Systems and Agroforestry with Perennial Crops  
• Session 2. Agroforestry with Perennial Crops and Silvopastoral Systems  
• Session 3. Agroforestry Software and Applications and Ethical Agroforestry Experiences  
• Session 4. Agroforestry with Annual Crops and Forest Linear Plantation   
• Session 5. Modeling Interactions in Agroforestry and Frameworks and Arrangements in Agroforestry  

• Session 6. Strategic Approaches in Agroforestry 

A total of 69 presentations from 16 diverse countries will be presented, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, France, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Spain, United Kingdom (UK), and the United States of America (USA). Discover more about the conference agenda at the following link: Conference Agenda https://agroforestryconference.catie.ac.cr/agenda/ 

NAAC conference will also include three thematic panels: the first on education, training, and dissemination to empower agroforestry; the second on creating favorable environments for its promotion; and the third on networks and communication, aiming to foster dialogue and collaboration among members of the agroforestry community. In addition to this, more than 50 posters presenting the results of prominent research will be showcased, addressing the themes of each conference session. Find the complete list of posters here.  

On its final day, the conference will take participants on a field tour, exploring various stations on the CATIE campus related to agroforestry experiments in coffee and cocoa, as well as silvopastoral systems and coffee and cocoa germplasm collections. This immersive field experience aims to provide valuable practical insights into the facets of agroforestry. 

NAAC 2024 is made possible thanks to the support of sponsors such as Agroforesta, Agroecología TPP, Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, FiBL, Lavazza Foundation, Plantra, Institute of the Savannah, and Perfect Daily Grind. 

AFTA Awards

Within the framework of NAAC 2024, outstanding professionals were recognized with the AFTA awards in four categories: research, outreach and education, early career, and practicing professional. Learn about the award winners in Celebrating Excellence in Agroforestry!