SENRGy graduates providing valuable local agroecological knowledge training in South America

In collaboration with Bangor University, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) recently held an Agroecological Knowledge Toolkit (AKT) training course at its Peruvian Amazon Office in Pucallpa. This was the first AKT course held in Spanish and facilitated by two former students of Bangor’s School of Environment, Natural Resources and Geography (SENRGy): Alan Heinze and Emilie Smith Dumont, who both graduated from the MSc Agroforestry programme. Support was provided by Genevieve Lamond (teaching associate in SENRGy). Two course participants facilitating a farm sketch exercise performed by a group of ACATPA farmers, a cocoa growers association, in the communal house of Ascención de Aguaytillo hamlet. Photograph taken by Emilie Smith Dumont, September 2014.Two course participants facilitating a farm sketch exercise performed by a group of ACATPA farmers, a cocoa growers association, in the communal house of Ascención de Aguaytillo hamlet. Photograph taken by Emilie Smith Dumont, September 2014.

Participants included researchers from the Ucayali Regional Herbarium (IVITA-Pucallpa, UNMSM), the International Support Group (ISG), Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina, an MSc student from CATIE in Costa Rica, and two students from regional Peruvian universities.  The aim of the training was to equip researchers with the skills they need to collect and analyse local knowledge of agroecosystems and their associated trees, as well as understand drivers of tree cover/land-use change in the area. The technique provides valuable insights that can be used to inform major challenges such as: pest management, drivers of vegetation change and land-use change.

The training course included class-room and field-based activities in an area of mixed size-farms with a mixture of field crops. Cocoa has been promoted in the area for a few years, especially to reinforce a government-driven coca eradication program by providing an alternative cash crop. Cocoa shade management was relatively simple with only a few species being actively promoted. Initial findings suggest that farmers are adapting recommendations on tree selection and spatial arrangements. There were knowledge gaps about shade density, optimal spatial arrangements and pruning regimes. Course participants having a friendly dialog with a farmer about his farming life and the cocoa agroforestry system he has established. Photograph taken by Alan Heinze, September 2014.Course participants having a friendly dialog with a farmer about his farming life and the cocoa agroforestry system he has established. Photograph taken by Alan Heinze, September 2014.

The results from this course, particularly the feedback session held with farmers, showed the value of integrating local with scientific and technical knowledge and this helped strengthen the relation between ICRAF and ACATPA, a local cocoa farmer association. The trainees are expected to be involved in several projects in Latin America including some of the Sentinel Landscape sites under the major CGIAR research program Forests, Trees and Agroforestry.

“We had a very competent group of participants who are ready to integrate local knowledge research into their respective projects and I sincerely hope we can follow up on the training so that it can yield some fruits in Latin America.  We (Bangor/ICRAF team) are here to support!” Emilie Smith Dumont, agroforestry systems scientist at ICRAF.

The Bangor-ICRAF team is coordinated by Dr Fergus Sinclair, Senior Lecturer at Bangor University and Science Domain Leader in Agroforestry Systems at ICRAF.

Farmer showing the different native cocoa varieties on his farm and explaining their differences. Photograph taken by Emilie Smith Dumont, September 2014.Farmer showing the different native cocoa varieties on his farm and explaining their differences. Photograph taken by Emilie Smith Dumont, September 2014.

Land use dynamics in a ‘fundo’ (farm) in Padre Abad province, Ucayali, Peru. Photograph taken by Alan Heinze, September 2014.Land use dynamics in a ‘fundo’ (farm) in Padre Abad province, Ucayali, Peru. Photograph taken by Alan Heinze, September 2014.

Publication date: 20 October 2014