Can Agroforestry Effectively Increase Tree Cover and Enhance Livelihoods in Haiti? A Comparative Study of Community Agroforestry in the Latibonit

Abstract

Agroforestry is one of the few natural resource management practices that can restore degraded landscapes while simultaneously delivering food and income. However, despite these benefits, there exist numerous barriers to its adoption that limit efforts to bring it to scale. Using a mixed methods design, this research spatially and temporally examines community agroforestry adoption and tree cover patterns within a range of communities across the rural mountain landscape in Haiti’s Latibonit Department. It also assesses livelihood outcomes as a result of practicing community agroforestry and the likelihood of permanence over a period of 14 years. The results show that community agroforestry adoption was primarily driven by gaining access to trees for income, the provision of. ecosystem services and obtaining another source of food to address food insecurity. Social networks played a critical role within and between communities to increase adoption throughout the landscape. Positive patterns in tree cover were also associated with communities practicing agroforestry for 10 years or more. Community capitals (social, human, natural, financial, cultural, political, built) were used to better understand the state of community livelihoods. The results demonstrated that community agroforestry is positively associated with all community capitals, some (social, human, financial, natural, cultural) more than others (built, political). The likelihood of community agroforestry permanence was also higher within communities where the practice enhanced community capitals in contrast to communities where community capitals were not enhanced or were reduced. Overall, an understanding of adoption behaviors and the effectiveness of agroforestry in rural Haiti provides insights on the ways to better implement agroforestry in rural Haitian communities and to promote rural community development.

Alternate abstract:

Agroforestri se youn nan pratik sou jesyon resous natirèl ki ka retabli yon peyizaj degrade an menm tan bay manje ak fè lajan. Men, malgre benefis sa yo, gen anpil bagay ki bloke adopsyon li epi limite kijan pratik agroforestry a ka miltipliye a tout kote ak sou yon gran echèl. Nan rechèch sa a, mwen sèvi ak yon metòdoloji ki melanje anpil teknik pou mwen kapab egzamine kouvèti pye bwa nan kominote kote moun adopte agroforestri nan kominote riral nan Depatman Latibonit an Ayiti. A menm tan an, rechèch sa a tou evalye kijan agroforestri fe enpak sou lavi peyizan nan kominote ki adopte li yo. Li chèche konnen kijan aspè sibzistans yo ogmante ak pratik la sou yon peryòd de 14 ane. Rezilta rechèch la montre ke nan kominote ki te adopte agroforestri yo, plis moun te motive pou yo patisipe ladan li pou yo ka jwenn aksè nan pye bwa pou revni, sèvis ekosistèm, epi pou yo jwenn yon lòt sous manje pou adrese ensekirite alimantè. Koneksyon peyizan yo te genyen yo atrave youn lòt te jwe yon wòl kritik paske yo te ede ogmante adopsyon nan tout peyizaj zone Latibonit ke mwen te etidye a. Kouvèti pyebwa nan kominote kote moun yo te adopte agroforestri yo te plis ke kouveti pyebwa nan kominote kote moun potko janm adopte agroforestri. Rezilta yo demontre ke agroforestri amelyore tout dimansyon resous kapital (nivo moun yo ap byen viv) kominote yo (sosyal, imèn, natirèl, finansye, kiltirèl, politik, bati) sitou sosyal, imen, finansye, natirèl, ak kiltirèl. Pwobabilite pou pèmanans agroforestri kominotè a te pi wo nan kominote kote pratik la te amelyore kapital kominote yo kontrèman ak kominote kote kapital kominotè yo pa te amelyore oswa redui. Anjeneral, yon konpreyansyon sou konpòtman adopsyon ak efikasite agroforestri nan zòn riral Ayiti bay bon detay sou fason ajans ak òganizasyon ka pi byen aplike agroforestri nan kominote riral ayisyen yo pou yo ka ankouraje devlopman kominote riral yo.