India hosted third World Congress on Agro-forestry 2014

The third World Congress on Agro-forestry 2014 (WCA14) held in New Delhi, India and was inaugurated by President Mr. Pranab Mukherjee. This was the First ever World Agro-forestry Congress in Asia Pacific Region. 

• Theme: “Trees for Life: Accelerating the Impact of Agro-forestry”.
• Co-host: the World Agro-forestry Centre, the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the Indian Society of Agro-forestry and Global Initiatives.
• Objective: To boost awareness, engagement and investments in agro-forestry,
• Benefit: Would shape the next steps in the field of integrative science, transformative change in landscapes, tree improvement, innovative tree-based value chains, and debates on global and local sustainability, reform of land and tree tenure and holistic education. 

The third edition of World Agroforestry Congress organized to-

• Expand global awareness and understanding of agro-forestry.
• Share the current status of knowledge and practice of agro-forestry and consolidate its research base.
• Build support for agro-forestry within governments, companies, academia, NGOs and the media.
• Increase the engagement of the private sector. 

About World Agroforestry Centre (or ICRAF i.e International Centre For Research On Agriculture And Forestry)

• Mission: To generate science-based knowledge about the diverse roles that trees play in agricultural landscapes, and to use its research to advance policies and practices, and their implementation, that benefit the poor and the environment.
• To improve food security, nutrition, income, health, shelter, social cohesion, energy resources and environmental sustainability of rural area in developing countries.
• Objective: poverty alleviation which requires enhanced food security and health, improved productivity with lower environmental and social costs, and resilience in the face of climate change and other external shocks.
• Headquarters:Nairobi, Kenya.
• Regional offices: Cameroon, India, Indonesia, Kenya and Peru.
• Role of Agro-forestry: (a) produces food, fuel and fibre, (b) major source of livelihoods and also help in preventing deforestation and (c) protect water resources and fighting off soil-erosion.

Note: First two World Congresses on Agro-forestry held in :Florida,USA (2004) and Nairobi, Kenya (2009).

Month: Current Affairs - February, 2014

Category: Science & Technology Current Affairs