Study of Vi Agroforestry’s impact on agrobiodiversity through Sustainable Agriculture and Land Management (SALM) and agroforestry

Vi Agroforestry has, through sustainable agriculture and land management (SALM) and agroforestry, been promoting a diversification of species planted and animals reared on farmland. This methodology and the diversification have had an impact on biodiversity, both through direct diversification of crops but also indirectly through promoting an environment where species of animals, insects, and plants can thrive. Through storytelling and observations, Vi Agroforestry has established that biodiversity has increased, but this has not been verified through a proper inventory.

Therefore, Vi Agroforestry was looking for a consultant to conduct an inventory to establish the impact Vi Agroforestry’s methods – SALM and agroforestry – has on agrobiodiversity, i.e., the variety and variability of animals, plants, and micro-organisms that are used directly or indirectly for food and agriculture, including crops, livestock, forestry, and fisheries. It comprises the diversity of genetic resources (varieties, breeds) and species used for food, fodder, fibre, fuel, and pharmaceuticals. It also includes the diversity of non-harvested species that support production (soil micro-organisms, predators, and pollinators), and those in the wider environment that support agro-ecosystems (agricultural, pastoral, forest, and aquatic), as well as the diversity of the agro-ecosystems (FAO, 1999), through a field inventory of agrobiodiversity. Indicators such as the number of vascular plant species in each area will verify the agrobiodiversity on the farms. The general question Vi Agroforestry seeks to answer through this inventory is how agrobiodiversity and related ecosystem services, e.g., pollination and biological pest control, has changed with the implementation of SALM and agroforestry.