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# Potential benefits of agroforestry systems integrating livestock activities in Guadeloupe

Gisèle Alexandre, Agathe Cheval, Jean-Louis Diman, Jessica Perrette, Mathias Apatout, Arnaud Larade, Arsène Vinglassalon

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Gisèle Alexandre, Agathe Cheval, Jean-Louis Diman, Jessica Perrette, Mathias Apatout, et al.. Potential benefits of agroforestry systems integrating livestock activities in Guadeloupe. 5th World Congress on Agroforestry, Jul 2022, Québec (CA), Canada. hal-04083089

HAL Id: hal-04083089

https://hal.inrae.fr/hal-04083089

Submitted on 26 Apr 2023

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RÉPUBLIQUE
FRANÇAISE

Liberté
Égalité
Fraternité

Equipe de recherche
UR ASSET
Agroecologie, génétique et
SystèmeS d'élevage Tropicaux

INRAO

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5th World
Congress on
Agroforestry
Transitioning to
a Viable World

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Abstract number
Nunc 226-FgMF-2012

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# Agroforestry systems including livestock activities in Guadeloupe (FWI).

Alexandre G, Cheval A, Perrette J, Apatout M, Diman J-L, Larade A, Vinglassalon A,

The forest land reserve in Guadeloupe is 71,500 ha, representing 44% of the total land area. Forests have traditionally contributed to the economic development of the territory until the post-war bipolarization of the Guadeloupean "sugar cane/banana". The value-enhancement of Guadeloupe's private forests (48% of the total) is a major challenge for the territory in terms of agroecological transition.

In many Latin-America regions, agroforestry systems (AFS) include a significant proportion of livestock but very few do in Guadeloupe (F.W.I.). A great diversity of forests can be observed according to the rainfall regime and the altitude, with a gradient of xerophilic, mesophilic and hygrophilic forests. In the driest zone the dominant type being semi-deciduous forest. In this study, AFS including livestock activities were classified through semi-open interviews (n = 50) based on two dimensions, the agricultural region and the farmer's main production strategy.

<table><caption>Human dimension, infrastructural and functional characteristics of the agroforestry systems with animals according to areas,</caption><thead><tr><th>Main type and area</th><th>Densely wooded mid-altitude area</th><th>Mid-wooded piedmont area</th><th>More or less shrubby plains</th><th>Total</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Main status</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of farmers</td><td>21</td><td>17</td><td>12</td><td>50</td></tr><tr><td>% Multi-active farmers</td><td>90.0</td><td>66.7</td><td>70.0</td><td>76.9</td></tr><tr><td>% family unit</td><td>30.0</td><td>46.7</td><td>33.0</td><td>37.5</td></tr><tr><td>Family workers/farm (n)</td><td>1.5</td><td>1.1</td><td>1.4</td><td>1.3</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Main characteristics</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Number of farmers</td><td>15</td><td>15</td><td>12</td><td>42</td></tr><tr><td>Total area (ha)</td><td>8.1</td><td>5.3</td><td>15.2</td><td>9.0</td></tr><tr><td>Number of sub-unit/farm</td><td>4.67</td><td>3.27</td><td>4.50</td><td>4.14</td></tr><tr><td>Food crop sub unit (n)</td><td>2.67</td><td>2.57</td><td>2.75</td><td>2.70</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Animals</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>→</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Main practices (% of farmers answering)</strong></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>- For valorisation</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>marketing</td><td>88.2</td><td>70.0</td><td>75.0</td><td>78.0</td></tr><tr><td>self-consumption</td><td>54.0</td><td>48.1</td><td>46.5</td><td>50.0</td></tr><tr><td>other functions<sup>a</sup></td><td>18.9</td><td>15.8</td><td>11.0</td><td>16.2</td></tr><tr><td>- For technical tasks</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>traditional know-how</td><td>15.3</td><td>19.8</td><td>16.2</td><td>17.2</td></tr><tr><td>few interference with life cycle</td><td>7.2</td><td>25.5</td><td>16.6</td><td>16.4</td></tr><tr><td>- In particular<sup>b</sup></td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>crop by-products</td><td>85.7</td><td>85.7</td><td>81.0</td><td>84.9</td></tr><tr><td>animal manure</td><td>8.1</td><td>23.8</td><td>25.0</td><td>18.0</td></tr><tr><td>pollination</td><td colspan="2">21.6<sup>c</sup></td><td>No Answer</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

a) cultural events, tourism, family affairs

b) interactions between the agroecosystem compartments : use of crop by-products for feeding animals ; animal manure for fertilising food crops

d) The beekeeping unit is very frequently an itinerant form, it is difficult to attribute the function to a subtype,

<table><thead><tr><th>Category</th><th>Animal Species</th><th>Range of variation</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td rowspan="2">Large herbivores</td><td>Cattle</td><td>2 to 90</td></tr><tr><td>Horse or donkey</td><td>2 to 14</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">Small ruminants</td><td>Goat</td><td>3 to 20</td></tr><tr><td>Sheep</td><td>5 to 19</td></tr><tr><td>Pigs</td><td>Pigs</td><td>1 to 15</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">Farmyard animals</td><td>Poultry</td><td>10 to 15000</td></tr><tr><td>Rabbits</td><td>2 rabbits to 20 nursing boxes</td></tr><tr><td>Apiculture</td><td>Bees</td><td>4 to 270 beehives</td></tr><tr><td rowspan="2">Acquaculture and crabs</td><td>Acquaculture</td><td>Not assessed</td></tr><tr><td>Crabs</td><td>Not assessed</td></tr></tbody></table>

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On average, AFS are family farming systems (more than 30%) and the percent of farmers with multi-activities is high (77%). At first glance, beekeeping is the most widespread (most recognized) activity in wooded areas. But there is evidence for the presence of other animals and breeding activities. Mixed tree-crop-livestock systems are very frequent, with 1/3rd of the sub-units devoted to animal husbandry. Farmers preferably raise small ruminants, backyard animals and large herbivores (20 to 25% of answers each), plus to a lesser extent, raise pigs and keep bees (12% each). Mixed animal units exist (50%) with between two and six species. More than 80% of farmers use their farm resources (pastures, natural fodder trees or crop by-products) to feed their animals. Even though self-consumption remains widespread (50% of responses), 80% of the farmers want to give a more economic orientation to their activities. The other responses (16%) concerned socio-cultural functions.

This mixed tree-crop-livestock system is a prerequisite for agroecological transition. It provides many ecosystem services (Abst, Nunc 226-9Dd9-2012).

G. Alexandre. A. Cheval. J. Perrette. M. Apatout. J. L. Diman; A. Larade. A. Vinglassalon, 2021, Livestock activities in agroforestry systems in Guadeloupe: systems of production and functions, Agroforest Syst. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10457-021-00651-5(0123456789)

Acknowledgements to the FEDER Region Guadeloupe (AgroEcoDiv project) and the European authorities.

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