The 2nd World Congress of Agroforestry, 23–28 August 2009, Nairobi, Kenya.

Agroforestry first captivated the attention of the scientific community in the late 1970s. Today, its potential for achieving the goals of the key global environmental conventions – Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Desertification, as well as the Millennium Development Goals – has drawn the interest of scientists and policy makers the world over. Following the successful first congress held in 2004 in Florida, the 2^nd World Congress of Agroforestry will be organized in Nairobi, Kenya, on 23 – 28 August 2009.

 

The Congress will serve as a forum for agroforestry researchers, educators, practitioners and policy makers from around the world to 1. Share new research findings, lessons, experiences, and ideas, 2. Explore new opportunities and cement exiting partnerships in agroforestry research, education, training, and development, and 3. Form new networks and communities of practice, and nurture old ones.

 

The overall Congress theme is “Agroforestry – The Future of Global Land Use.”  Plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions will be organized around major topics, including: Markets as opportunities and drivers of agroforestry land use, Tree-based rehabilitation of degraded lands and watersheds, Climate change adaptation and mitigation, Contribution of agroforestry to a multifunctional land-use combining productivity with environmental sustainability, and Policy options and institutional innovations for agroforestry land- use. Several publications from the Congress will include a book of abstracts, refereed journal articles, journal special issues, and books on the key topics covered in the symposia and technical sessions, and a declaration that embodies the substance of Congress deliberations.

 The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), based in Nairobi, Kenya, will be the principal organizer of the Congress with co-sponorship by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) also based in Nairobi, and the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) of the University of Florida.  Worldwide support and collaboration is solicited. For further details, please see the congress website (http://worldagroforestrycentre.org/wca2).