18^th North American Agroforestry Conference (NAAC) to Convene at CATIE: Bridging Temperate and Tropical Agroforestry

• International gathering of experts to share insights, best practices, and foster collaboration

February 12, 2024. The anticipation is building as the 18th North American Agroforestry Conference (NAAC), organized by the Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA), approaches. Scheduled to take place in Costa Rica, at CATIE (Tropical Agricultural Research and Higher Education Center) from February 20 to 22, 2024. The conference promises an enriching exchange of knowledge, innovations and research advances of temperate and tropical agroforestry.

AFTA, convening the biennial NAAC, aims to foster collaboration and understanding between temperate and tropical agroforestry systems. CATIE, renowned for its innovative contributions to Inclusive Green Development, will host the event. The conference serves as a platform for sharing research outcomes and methodologies within temperate agroforestry production systems while providing an opportunity for insights from the tropical agroforestry field in Latin American and Caribbean nations to find practical applications in North American temperate agroforestry, and vice versa.

Conference highlights

To open the conference, AFTA and CATIE representatives will present an overview of tropical and temperate agroforestry in the Americas.

Then, over the course of two days, six sessions will be held with different speakers, each one presenting valuable perspective on agroforestry:

• 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 featured, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, France, Guyana, Honduras, Madagascar, Mexico, Nicaragua, Spain, United Kingdom (UK) and United State of America (USA).

Discover more about the agenda of the conference at the following link: https://agroforestryconference.catie.ac.cr/agenda/

The distinguished keynote speakers for the conference include:

• Muhammad Ibrahim, CATIE Director General: Will address the topic of "Silvopastoral systems as a tool for the sustainable intensification of livestock production."
• Fabio Da Matta, Brazilian Consortium for Coffee Research and Development: Will delve into the "Eco-physiological responses of perennial crops to climate change: the role of agroforestry systems."
• Marney E. Isaac, University of Toronto: Will explore "Shade tree trait diversity in agroforestry systems: which traits matter?"
• Steven Newman, BioDiversity International Ltd: Will present on "Agroforestry with annual crops across tropical and temperate regions."
• Gary Bentrup, National Agroforestry Center USA: Will explore "Non-linear thinking for linear agroforestry practices."
• Luis Gándara, INTA Argentina: Will present "Armonizando árbol, pasto, agricultura y ganadero: innovaciones silvopastoriles y agroforestales del Subtrópico Argentino."
• Fergus Sinclair, CIFOR-ICRAF-Agroecology TPP: Will discuss "Connecting the work on temperate agroforestry at Bangor with the tropical work at ICRAF."

The NAAC conference will also feature three panels as part of its agenda, focusing on crucial aspects of agroforestry. The first panel will delve into "Education, capacity building, and dissemination to enhance agroforestry," exploring strategies to strengthen knowledge and skills in the field. The second panel will address "Enabling environments to better promote agroforestry," emphasizing the importance of creating conducive conditions for the widespread adoption of agroforestry practices. The third panel will center around "Networking and communication," providing a platform for attendees to engage in discussions and build collaborative networks within the agroforestry community.

Conference participants will also embark on a field trip, exploring various stations on the CATIE campus.

The itinerary includes visits to cocoa and coffee fields, where attendees can gain insights into in-vivo germplasm collections, young agroforestry experiments, and the ecosystem services provided. Additionally, participants will visit a dairy farm to observe a livestock production system based on silvopastoral systems, which integrate tree management into pastures, along with other sustainable pasture practices. They will witness innovative technologies for production and emissions reduction. This immersive field experience aims to provide valuable practical insights into the diverse facets of agroforestry.

The NAAC 2024 is made possible through the support of sponsors, including Agroforesta, Agroecology TPP, Forest Service Department of Agriculture, FiBL, Lavazza Foundation, Plantra, Savanna Institute and Perfect Daily Grind.

Save the date for this enriching intellectual event from February 20 to 22, 2024, at CATIE in Costa Rica. Together, let´s shape the future of agroforestry!