GSS EU Science Funding Gateway

Proposals should address the following:

• Identification of the most suitable plant and animal species and breeds to be used in agroforestry for different geographic regions in Africa, generating sustainable ecosystems with positive impact on local communities, and on women, looking for models where this impact is greater. In vegetation management systems preference should be given to local species, to avoid potential unintended consequences linked to the introduction of alien species;
• Assessment of local multi-purpose agroforestry species and breeds with benefits for food, pharmaceutical uses as well as ecosystem functions for the soil, biodiversity and their functions in a vegetation mosaic;
• Assessment of specific agroforestry management measures aiming at preserving/enhancing biodiversity;
• Assessment of the potential of carbon farming as a possible future business for farmers and foresters, and analysis of its potential to contribute to reaching climate-neutrality in a few decades;
• Identification of the structural needs of agroforestry crops and animals in different geographical regions in Africa, including the analysis of production burdens, suggesting solutions and addressing traceability of all steps in the production chain to measure the effectiveness of solutions;
• Supporting this new value chain with knowledge and capacity building to be efficient, fair, and easily adopted, or not abandoned, by landowners and farmers;
• Establishing local agroforestry pilot plots.