Growing trees helps save the planet

Oregon maintains and plants trees even in its flagship city, Portland

 "Agroforestry can deliver a wide range of benefits. It can
enhance food security, improve rural livelihoods, make better use of
scarce rainwater and absorb atmospheric carbon."

Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre, made that 

statement in outlining the value of growing more trees on farmlands, especially in poverty-stricken areas.

Increasing trees on farmlands and the productivity of trees can positively affect
food security and poverty and reduce climate change, according to findings from scientists.

More trees can increase the fertility of trees and increase income from the sale of timber.

This has great potential to help the poor people of the world.  It is even being done in North Korea, one of the poorest countries. Agroforestry is a new but old practice but has yields many opportunities to help small farmers..

The World Agroforestry Centre several years ago launched an Agroforestry Policy Initiative at the XXIII World Congress of the International Union ofForest Research Organizations in Seoul, Republic of Korea to support policy reviews and reforms that will stimulate agroforestry and benefit rural people.

"This Initiative will support national and local policy reforms that will reduce barriers and improve incentives for private investment in agroforestry," said Dennis Garrity, Director General of the World Agroforestry Centre.

Changing policies about growing trees can help farmers produce income and help bring them out of poverty, the Centre maintains.  An example has taken place in Niger, where farmers have been growing new trees.  The country has seen a large increase of trees on over 5 million hectares in the past 20 years.

The benefits from growing more trees is substantial.  Trees can provide subsistence needs, people can earn money from the sale of their fruits,nuts, leaves, while producing animal fodder.  There is high value oils,gums and resins, timber and fuelwood for cooking and medicines from different parts of trees.

Many people in Kenya earn their money from trees.  Even in areas where tree cover is low, the impact of having them can be high, the Centre explains.

Agroforestry promises also to reduce future climate change according to the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.   Frank Place, Impact Assessment Advisor for the World Agroforestry Centre, tells us. "It is one of the most effective land use systems in storing carbon above and
below ground."

August Temu, Director for Partnerships at the World Agroforestry Centre, said, in outlining the value of growing trees,  "It is also vital to develop smarter and harmonized forestry and agriculture policies that do not inadvertently affect tree management on farms, to recognize the environmental services generated by agroforestry, and reward farmers who nurture the trees that provide these services."

Oregon is one of those states known for its trees. It also has citizens who value the forests and feel they know the benefit of trees in helping spaces for people to enjoy and to help with going green and climate change.  Oregon has been awarded recognition a number of times for its efforts in growing trees.

It is a need around the world, with deforestation taking place from too much over-development of the land, and as scientists say there is great value in maintaining forests and planting trees for securing man's future.