Hi ECHO Community,
I am working with some farmers who recently purchased 70 acres of forest in the Upper Guinean Rainforest within Liberia. They want to clear it so that they can plant rubber, which they believe will be a productive cash crop. I am trying to convince them otherwise, before they start clearing it. However, the only alternatives which will convince them are those which are productive. Do you have any ideas? How can farmers take rainforest and make it productive without clearcutting?
Specific ideas are appreciated. I know the principles of agriculture, but I am looking for ideas that would work in West Africa and how I might get local buy-in. Almost no one in Liberia maintains pre-colonial agricultural systems that I could draw from, and the only kinds of farming that locals are familiar with revolve around Palm, Rubber, and Rice. Thank you!!!
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“Integrating Understory Crops with Tree Crops” ~20 pg pdf
https://perpus.unsika.ac.id/index.php?p=fstream-pdf&fid=1813&bid=3795
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Hey Stacy!
Best suggestion
In much of West Africa, Cocoa which likes the shade is a great option. Grown in seedling pots, transplanted, and given TLC for a while creates a solution that prevents clearing of the rainforest to plant cassava.
Michael
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