Mihaela BOBOC
National Institute of Economic Research “Costin C. Kirițescu”, Centre of Mountain Economy CE-MONT, Petreni no. 49, 725700, Vatra Dornei, Romania
Corresponding author: mutu.mihaela87@gmail.com
DOI: https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13353961
Abstract
Rural mountain areas are vulnerable to current challenges and crises, which determines the need to identify sustainable development solutions. The solution concerns and adaptation are moving towards the development of systems with a greater capacity for resilience such as agroforestry systems. The present work proposes an analysis regarding the importance of agroforestry systems, aiming to clarify what these systems entail, what are the benefits brought, how they could be implemented at the level of mountain regions, but also how they could be supported in the future. The results of the analysis reveal that the use of land in agroforestry systems offers various benefits as economic (food, fodder, bioenergy, commercial crops), ecological (biodiversity, carbon sequestration, pest management, nutrient cycle, etc.) and socio-cultural (organization, jobs, land and water management, folk culture, traditional food, etc.). However, agroforestry systems do not enjoy significant support, both at the societal and institutional level. As a result, land management in agroforestry systems should be the subject of governmental organizations’ concerns by providing political, financial, institutional support, but also at the level of research, because these systems can represent one of the solutions for the resilience of the mountain areas to the current global crises. Sustainable management and resilience to climate change are realistic arguments in favor of developing these systems, especially in mountain areas.
Keywords:
Agroforestry, agrosilviculture, forest pastures, mountain area, sustainable development