POLICY ISSUES IN AGROFORESTRY - TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION AND REGIONAL-INTEGRATION IN THE WESTERN BRAZILIAN AMAZON

Agroforestry systems (AFS) have received much attention from policymak ers and others for their perceived ability to contribute significantly to economic growth, poverty alleviation, and environmental sustainabi lity. Yet in many areas of the developing world where AFS have proven their agronomic potential, they have yet to be widely adopted. This pa per approaches the issue with a focus on one such area - the western B razilian Amazon, an area where economic integration within the region itself, across national boundaries, and between the region and the res t of Brazil ('regional integration') may soon vastly shift incentives to natural resource users. The paper addresses AFS adoption via a conc eptual framework that argues for scrutinizing agronomic and socioecono mic characteristics of AFS and their potential adopters. This framewor k facilitates a priori assessment of whether specific AFS will be adop ted, and if so, by whom and with what likely impact on the development objectives at hand. It highlights characteristics that lend socioecon omic and agronomic 'agility' - connoting flexibility to easily shift p roduction systems and accompanying marketing strategies in response to unforeseen or rapid change (due to qualities of the AFS itself, or th e producer). Financial performance indicators (net present value of AF S during establishment and for the life of a project, and years to pos itive cash flow) are presented for selected AFS, and juxtaposed to a l ivestock production system that is already gaining wide adoption in th e area. This juxtaposition illustrates the practical effects of socioe conomic and agronomic characteristics posited as influential. Against this backdrop, trends in 'regional integration' are discussed, along w ith implications this integration process has for AFS adoption. The pa per ends with a discussion of the roles and limitations of policy in p romoting AFS adoption.