(1) The Quesungual Slash and Mulch Agroforestry System (QSMAS) was developed as a sustainable alternative to slash and burn agriculture for smallholder farmers in Honduras. (2) Initial acceptance of QSMAS was due to high levels of soil degradation, dependence on erratic rainfall, and the importance of agriculture for subsistence. (3) Adoption of QSMAS was facilitated by access to credit, markets, capacity building, and collective action by communities and institutions. (4) Validation and dissemination of QSMAS requires at least 3 years, and short-term positive effects on farmers are key to its diffusion in new areas.

1. A. Castro1, K. Tehelen1,2, J. Rubiano2, L. Alvarez-Welchez3, E. Barrios4, E. Amézquita, M. Ayarza5, E. García6 and I.M. Rao1
Consortium for the Integrated Management of
Soils in Central America (1)CIAT-Colombia; (2)Challenge Program on Water and Food; (3)FAO-Honduras; (4)ICRAF; (5)CORPOICA, Colombia; (6)CIAT-Honduras
Inappropriate use of resources Efficient use and conservation
of resources
Soil degradation
Regeneration of forests
Food insecurity
Food security & Surpluses
Poverty
Diversification & Income
Negative effects on the
environment Community welfare
Positive ecological footprint
Quezungual is the name of an ancient rural village in The answer is the widespread adoption of the From 2005 to 2007 CIAT and its partners in Central
southwest Honduras, Central America. The village’s America conducted research activities that confirmed
name is drawn from three indigenous words that mean the eco-efficiency of QSMAS through the efficient use
soil, vegetation, and convergence of streams. and conservation of resources, defined the four key
principles behind its agronomical success and identified
Although today the steep slopes surrounding QSMAS was developed as an option to improve the potential areas for its adaptation. However, some
Quezungual are peppered with tall trees and produce resilience and productivity of smallholder systems in sub- doubts remained about its potential for acceptance and
bountiful crops, just two decades ago the region was humid hillsides of western Honduras, Central America. dissemination in other similar areas.
suffering from a long period The main objective of this
The system had to be a suitable alternative to the
of inappropriate agricultural study was to identify the
traditional slash and burn (SB) agriculture, which can lead
practices that had resulted factors that have favored the
to land degradation if growing population pressure reduces
in loss of forest cover and adoption of QSMAS in
the fallow period needed for recovery of natural resources.
soil degradation leading to Honduras, to use this
Therefore, the development of QSMAS implied the close
declining crop yields. information to facilitate
collaboration of farmers and organizations that were
How did such change committed to improve food security and protect natural developing and implementing
come about? forest and water resources in the region. adoption pathways for the
system in similar regions.
(based on semi-structured interviews and the River of Life method applied to farmers, technicians and local authorities)
Slash and burn agriculture Quesungual Slash and Mulch Agroforestry System
•Subsistence agriculture with no traditional production technologies • Agriculture
based on principles (no slash and burn, permanent soil cover, minimal
•Shifting cultivation (rotations every 1 to 3 years) disturbance of soil, and efficient use of fertilizers) • Rotation every 10 to 12 years
1980’s 1990’s 2000’s
Food insecurity Arrival of El Niño Hurricane Incentives Referendum 1st National Environment On-farm Community organized,
emergency institutions drought Mitch against against Prize of the protection participatory access to credit,
(1992) (1992) (1997) (1998) burning burning Green incorporated research reforestation projects,
(1999) (2001) Municipality in high school (2003-2007) training to foreign
curriculum farmers and
Institutions: CRS • FAO • CARE • Religious Development of QSMAS: technicians on QSMAS
Extensive land Accelerated QSMAS (present day)
congregations • Local authorities • Local committees •Field trips & exchange of
degradation and two adoption due to its
for development, management of water, etc. experiences Quantification of
years of erratic resilience to this
•Design of QSMAS by integrating natural events Collective biophysical and
precipitation Common message:
local practices & improved socioeconomic benefits,
no more use of slash & burn agriculture Facilitated action of
technologies present and introduction of new
Capacity building: Family & house • Organization elimination of
•Evaluation, adjustments and future technologies (improved
• Micro-credit • Organic agriculture • Integrated pest
slash and burn
dissemination of QSMAS generations pastures, optimization of
management • Environment • Human rights, etc. agriculture
•Introduction of improved varieties fertilization)
“We were leaving our landscape like a •Initial acceptance of QSMAS in Honduras
desert…”. A. Díaz, farmer was mainly due to: (1) the importance of
agriculture for subsistence; (2) the level of
“Once convinced we had identified the soil degradation; and (3) the dependence
problem we came into a win-win alliance on a gradually more erratic precipitation.
against it. Everybody helped. This was a
learning alliance of many”. L. Alvarez- •Adoption of QSMAS in Honduras was
Wélchez, FAO facilitated by: (1) access to credit and
markets for inputs and sale of surpluses;
“Our leaders received training to start the (2) capacity building on the new set of
process, because we knew one day we had technological options; and (3) collective
to stop practicing slash and burn action of communities and institutions.
agriculture”. J.M. Bonilla, Professor
Extrapolation Domain Analysis for QSMAS: bivariate map showing potential areas for implementation of QSMAS •The validation and initial dissemination of
“The process doesn’t have a name or a across the Pan tropical world (performed combining Bayesian and frequentist statistical models)
QSMAS requires at least 3 years. Short term
lastname. The protagonists are all the positive effects experienced by farmers in
organizations and the town, from the sub-humid regions as the ones identified in
beginning to the very end, the the extrapolation analysis are key for the
congregations, the community, the local diffusion of QSMAS in new communities.
authorities, we all played a role to
impulse the process. We all collaborated”. •There are not reports of disadoption of
Farmers from south-western Honduras. the system.
Acknowledgements: This was a complementary study of the project ‘PN15: Quesungual Slash and Mulch Agroforestry System (QSMAS): Improving crop
Eco-Efficient
water productivity, food security and resource quality in the sub-humid tropics’, both funded by the Challenge Program on Water and Food of CGIAR. Agriculture
Research results mentioned here correspond to activities co-executed by CIAT; MIS consortium (Central America); National University of Colombia for the Poor
(Palmira); and CPWF. We thank the CIAT staff in Honduras, and the CPWF and TSBF staff in Colombia for their contributions to this work.