CAMP- Central Asian Mountain Partnership Agroforestry in Tajikistan Overview of the Current Situation, the Potential, and the Influencing Factors of Agroforestry Systems

Agroforestry is the traditional practice of growing tree on farms for the benefit of the farm family. In Tajikistan such multifunctional land use systems including trees have been common during Soviet times and probably even before. After the fall of the USSR and during the civil war many agroforestry systems were lost because people in rural areas used wood for covering their energy needs. Many practices became insignificant due to the lower production inputs. Nowadays many farmers start to rebuild and adapt what was lost and try to find solutions to adjust the production systems to the new situation. In the last few years farmers have been additionally integrating trees in farmlands and farming systems were integrated into forests. Therefore agroforestry can be found both, inside and outside of Tajik forest territories. In forest territories the extension of agroforestry is legally established and supported by the current policy. Mainly two systems can be found; livestock grazing in mature forests and arable cropping in new established plantations. Outside Lezhoz territories several agroforestry systems are widespread. Commonly one can find intercropped orchards and multipurpose tree strips alongside roads. Furthermore Apiculture practices and home gardens are frequent in many regions of Tajikistan. However, it seems that there is still a considerable potential for the improvement of the existing system