The 6th World Congress on Agroforestry: Agroforestry for People, Planet, and Profit
Associate Research Professor Andrew Thomas attended the 6th World Congress on Agroforestry in Rwanda on October 20-24. Rwanda is where Thomas served as a Peace Corps Volunteer 35 years earlier, and where his agroforestry career began. More than 800 attendees from 60 countries spent five jam-packed days mingling, brainstorming, speaking, listening, and learning from each other.
“The future of global agroforestry looks bright with the next generation of motivated, talented young people carrying the agroforestry torch with determination to make a difference,” said Thomas, who noted the huge representation of young people at the Congress.
The event brought together researchers, non-profit leaders, government officials, policy makers, farmers, and students from around the globe – all connecting in one way or another through agroforestry. Topics ranged from focused details on specific food and tree crops in agroforestry systems, to grand, broad topics contemplating agroforestry-related solutions to extreme weather, food security and nutrition, soil health (as related directly to human health), and biodiversity conservation on a global scale. Each day of the Congress, engaged attendees lingered well into the evenings continuing their lively discussions on agroforestry’s potential to solve numerous global challenges, fueled by delicious Rwandan coffees and teas of many sorts. A full day of tours in the lush, mountainous countryside brought attendees in direct contact with farmers, along with agroforestry researchers and projects in the field. Many attendees, including Thomas, planted trees on a Rwandan mountaintop as a symbol of their conviction and confidence in agroforestry.
A major outcome of the Congress was the founding of the African Union for Agroforestry, now being enthusiastically led by Founding President Aster Gebrekirstos, Phd, a scientist from Ethiopia and her continent-wide Board of Directors. Also notable was the retirement of IUAF President Patrick Worms and the election of Javed Rizvi, PhD, as its new President. Rizvi has led numerous major multi-disciplinary international Agroforestry research programs and is currently a Principal Advisor for Asia at CIFOR-ICRAF. Last but not least, the exciting announcement was made that the 7th World Congress on Agroforestry will be held in Costa Rica in 2028. More details to come!
