Agroforestry and Shifting Cultivation in Liberia: Livelihood Impacts, Carbon Tradoffs, and Socio-political Obstacles

Abstract

In Liberia emphases have been placed on reducing deforestation and increasing food security through improved agricultural practices. One proposed strategy is the transition of smallholder farmers from shifting cultivation to tree cropping and agroforestry systems. A structured survey instrument was administered to 80 households in Bong and Lofa counties, Liberia to assess the cultural and socio-political feasibility of increasing tree cropping and agroforestry among smallholder farmers. The survey investigated current household use, perceptions and impediments towards tree cropping and agroforestry, and impacts of these practices on income diversification and food security. Income was the driving motivation for households to engage in tree cropping, and insecure land tenure was the most significant impediment. Household demographics also had an effect, as tree-cropping households were predominantly male-headed, with an average of 2 more youth members than non-tree cropping households (0-20 years). Agroforestry was practiced by one-third of the sample, and had positive effects on income diversification and food security. Agroforestry did not replace shifting cultivation as a livelihood practice. Chapter 1 reveals the importance of addressing socio-political factors, including cultural perceptions, land tenure, gender, and household demographics, when designing agroforestry programs. In attempts to reduce deforestation, the Government of Liberia has proposed setting aside 30% of forests into protected areas where shifting cultivation would be prohibited. Chapter 2 describes use of a coupled human-natural systems model, created using STELLA dynamic systems modeling software (ISEE Systems, inc.), to quantify and compare carbon storage and food production tradeoffs that would occur under the designation of different proportions of the landscape into Protected Areas. Model results showed that designation of iii land into Protected Areas would increase landscape carbon storage, but significantly decrease rice production, with livelihood implications. Chapter 3 concludes with an analysis of the political ecology and historical context underlying agricultural underdevelopment and rural poverty in Liberia, beyond the dominant discourse of the “post-conflict” state. I argue that the current state of rural poverty was shaped by the interacting forces of colonization, foreign investment, and neoliberalism in Liberia. These forces have enabled foreign financial exploitation, the shift to an export based economy, and a resulting dependence on global markets, which have become among the most significant contributors to underdevelopment and rural poverty in Liberia. I argue that a continued reliance on market-based mechanisms will exacerbate rural poverty, through the continued commodification of Liberia’s land, natural resources, and her people.