THE AGROFOREST ALTERNATIVE TO IMPERATA GRASSLANDS - WHEN SMALLHOLDER AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY REACH SUSTAINABILITY

Basic prerequisites for sustainable reforestation of Imperata grasslan ds in Southeast Asia are presented. A theoretical forest is designed a ccording to these prerequisites. Composed of basic units managed by lo cal smallholders, the forest is composed of two sets of commercial tre e species suited to local conditions, one set providing regular cash i ncome and the other providing seasonal or irregular cash income. Such composition ensures economic and ecological viability of the forest in the long run, provided that clear tenurial rights on the basic units are recognized. Guidelines for a transition from Imperata grasslands t o forest are presented, underlining the importance of relying on natur al succession processes. The theoretical forest is identified as an ag roforest, a diverse forest rebuilt and managed by farmers, providing f orest and agricultural products for both cash income and household con sumption. Agroforests have been developed for decades by indigenous fa rmers in some regions of Southeast Asia. Examples from Indonesia are p resented to support the theoretical analysis. They show that the agrof orest alternative is a valuable unifying concept for reforestation of Imperata grasslands, for a sustainable upland agriculture, and more ge nerally for an equitable environmentally and economically sound develo pment of rural areas in the humid tropics.