Larry D. Godsey

Agroforestry comes of age: putting science into practice

Agroforestry is an intensive land management practice where trees are deliberately integrated with crops, pastures, and/or with animals for environmental and economic benefits (Gold and Garrett 2009). Although the practice began thousands of years ago and has continued in various parts of the world for food, fiber, shelter and other benefits, systematic scientific studies evolved only recently. Within the last 20 years, a number of international journals have published agroforestry related research articles. This is proof that agroforestry has come of age; research findings are reaching every corner of the world. Dissemination of knowledge and adoption of scientifically proven management options are becoming popular in every geographic region. In spite of an increasing knowledge base, research in some areas, including long-term biophysical studies and markets, is still lacking. For land managers and policy makers, filling these knowledge gaps is critical in the development of sustainable agricultural practices and policies. Although agroforestry provides a broad range of ecosystem services and environmental benefits (Jose 2009), these vary by ecological and economic region. To develop quality models that generalize and broaden our understanding of agroforestry, it is imperative that scientists gather information that is region specific. Soil, climate, trees/crops/animals are location specific and practices developed in one region may not be ideally suited to soil fauna and flora of a different region. Furthermore, in temperate climates with more mechanized agriculture, agroforestry should be established with careful consideration of landscape, capital investments, income, and environmental benefits. The application of research, models, and demonstrations at a regional scale is necessary for an improved environment and an improved standard of living for those who depend on the land to earn their livelihood. This special Volume of Agroforestry Systems includes 11 manuscripts presented at the 11th North American Agroforestry Conference held in Columbia, MO from May 31 to June 3, 2009. It was also the 20th Anniversary of the 1st North American Agroforestry Conference, founded by Andy Gordon and Peter Williams in Guelph, Ontario, Canada in 1989. Researchers, landowners, and policy makers from various regions of the temperate zone attended that meeting which proved that there was a need for continued agroforestry research, from establishment R. P. Udawatta (&) Department of Soil, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences, Center for Agroforestry, School of Natural Resources, 203 ABNR, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA e-mail: UdawattaR@missouri.edu

Using the Porter model to analyze the US elderberry industry

Elderberry, a perennial shrub native to North America with a variety of uses and benefits, is neither well known nor widely utilized as a specialty crop in the US. Up-to-date information is lacking with regard to the elderberry market or market potential. This research identifies the market participants along the value chain, the current status of the industry, direction, future trends, and elderberry market limitations as well as risks and potential opportunities for elderberry producers and processors. A combination of quantitative (mail survey) and qualitative (phone interview) methods have been used. The theoretical model used for the survey and interview development and analysis is based on the Porter Five Forces Model (PFFM) which describes the competitive forces that coordinate and control the market. The PFFM has been used previously to shed light on the chestnut and shiitake mushroom specialty crop markets. Seventy-four mail survey responses and 20 follow-up phone interviews provided information on the market participants, challenges, opportunities and competitive forces in the elderberry industry. Results show a nascent industry with mostly small scale participants poised for growth. Demand trends are favorable and prices are good across the value chain. Challenges include a limited domestic supply of fruit, few regionally adapted varieties suitable for commercial production, and high labor costs. Additionally, the absence of existing mechanical harvesting equipment limits future production potential and industry growth. Respondents identified low levels of competition within the industry at the present time. Based on identified market size and demand, opportunities exist to increase the domestic elderberry industry across the value chain.

The potential for carbon offset trading to provide added incentive to adopt silvopasture and alley cropping in Missouri

Global carbon trading may present a unique opportunity to change the rural landscape by allowing landowners to make an environmental impact with financial incentives. By enticing point source polluters to trade to an optimal level of pollution by offsetting their emissions with compatible carbon reduction projects, markets are able to facilitate a cleaner environment. Agroforestry provides a set of practices that can sequester carbon with managed tree and crop plantings. However, the initial lack of financial resources has been an obstacle to its adoption in the United States. This paper explores the potential for carbon offset trading to provide an added incentive to adopt agroforestry practices. Chicago Climate Exchange carbon sequestration projects are used as a baseline assessment, and the requirements that Missouri landowners would need to do in terms of contracting and ownership are identified. Data from landowners in central Missouri and the Ozarks (353 individuals) are used to determine characteristics of potentially interested landowners in agroforestry. A model to evaluate agroforestry profitability scenarios is used to compare the added carbon credit trading revenue to traditional alternate uses for the property. The findings from this analysis indicate that in the current context carbon trading does not provide an added incentive value for Missouri landowners to adopt either silvopasture or alley cropping practices because of the low magnitude of annual return.