Economics seminar series: Why grow a tree? Barriers and boosters for landowners to adopt agroforestry

Dates: Wednesday, April 27, 2022 - 14:00 to 15:30
Location: Online, via MS Teams

Watch the full recording

On 27 April 2022, we had the pleasure to hear from Aiora Zabala (from minute 0:05:35 onwards) and Anique Hillbrand (0:41:17 onwards), who were discussing their take on challenges relating to planting trees and forest and landscape restoration. Their presentations were followed by a Q&A session (1:01:45 till end).

Abstract:

In this talk, Dr Aiora Zabala will provide an overview of the challenges and drivers for planting trees in productive farming systems, a climate and sustainability solution that aligns environmental conservation and development goals. The talk will discuss theoretical considerations for the adoption of sustainable innovations in the agroforestry sector, and focus on an empirical study of livelihoods and perspectives in Chiapas, Mexico.

Anique Hillbrand, Programme manager at OroVerde- Tropical Forest Foundation will share her experience on forest and landscape restoration in Guatemala from a project perspective. Based on the collaboration with around 1500 farming families on income generation and restoration activities, on a project that conserves 100 000 ha forest together with two NGOs, the talk will share lessons learned, different perspectives and current challenges.

Why grow a tree? Barriers and boosters for landowners to adopt agroforestry

Speakers:

Dr. Aiora Zabala (Lecturer in Economics, The Open University)

Aiora Zabala joined the OU Economics Discipline as a Lecturer in January 2022. Prior to that, she was Senior Editor at the journal Nature Sustainability, and Affiliated Lecturer in Environmental Policy and Economics at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on the implementation of environmental sustainability policies, including the integration of pluralist views around challenges and controversies. She has conducted and published research on a range of sustainability policies over the last 15 years. She uses a range of methods and tools, including R statistical language, Q methodology, econometrics, multi-criteria decision methods and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).

Anique Hillbrand (Programme manager at OroVerde - Tropical Forest Foundation)

Anique Hillbrand is programme director at OroVerde-Tropical forest foundation and works in Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR). Previously she worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations coordinating projects in Latin America on enhancing an enabling environment at the national level for forest and agriculture restoration, and on implementation of agroforestry and forest conservation measures. Ms Hillbrand is the author of various studies on agroforestry and FLR and recently published a study on financing biodiversity and restoration, highlighting key lessons learned from pioneer projects around the world. Ms Hillbrand received her postgraduate degree in rural development from Humboldt University in Berlin and her master's in agroforestry from Bangor University, UK.