Rescuing agroforestry as strategy for agriculture in Southern Brazil

Abstract

Knowledge about agricultural ecosystems, as well as about ecological and social interactions that occur in an agricultural context, is essential to promote a balanced environment for production. Incorporating the forest landscape into farming systems has promoted the development of integrated production systems such as agroforestry. However, many aspects of the relationship between farming and the forest landscape have changed since the modernization of agriculture introduced by the Green Revolution. The objectives of this review are: (1) to contribute to the understanding of the changes in cultivation strategies and in the dynamics of agricultural systems, particularly in the context of farming in Santa Catarina State, Brazil; (2) to contribute to the understanding of agroforestry systems as a strategy to reintroduce the element of forestry into agricultural production systems; and (3) to compile a list of forest plant species that could be used in agroforestry. The approach adopted in this manuscript seeks to highlight the potential of agroforestry systems to conserve natural resources and thereby to support agricultural development by connecting environmental conservation with income for farmers.