Tobias Plieninger
The nexus between agroforestry landscapes and dietary diversity: insights from Myanmar’s Central Dry Zone - Landscape Ecology
Context Agroforestry plays a crucial role in increasing tree-based food production for healthy and sustainable food systems. However, the potential of farm trees to contribute to farmers' dietary diversity along multiple paths remains under-researched. Objectives This study aimed to fill existing knowledge gaps by investigating the role of native trees (toddy palm, jujube, and thanakha) in increasing dietary diversity within dryland agroforestry systems. Methods We conducted face-to-face qualitative interviews with 47 farmers from the Central Dry Zone of Myanmar (i) to appraise the multiple roles of native tree species in agroforestry landscapes, (ii) to unravel their contributions to four dietary diversity paths, and (iii) to elucidate factors driving the stability of or changes in these pathways. Results We found that native trees provide food directly and through interaction with crop production and livestock farming, leading to dietary diversification. Agroforestry byproducts are used as fuel and manure, and income from trading agroforestry products provides access to additional food sources. Farmers emphasized the ease of tree management and the roles they play in providing passive income and enhancing resilience to climate stressors as stabilizing factors. However, social-cultural changes, lack of extension services, the unsustainable use of tree products, and market instability were identified as destabilizing factors. Conclusions This study advances knowledge about the holistic contribution of agroforestry landscapes to dietary diversity by presenting evidence from dryland agroforestry systems in Myanmar. Our findings suggest a need for enhanced understanding of social and ecological changes and cultural factors in agroforestry landscapes to maintain the role of native trees in strengthening dietary diversity.
Canadian Association For Food Studies
FLOW Partnership
GM
EFSA
EURACTIV Agrifood
Euractiv