Future Challenge: A Paradigm Shift in the Forestry Sector - Smallholder Tree Growing for Rural Development and Environmental Services - page 447

estry systems: (i) secure land tenure and land use conditions; (ii) supportive policy
conditions; (iii) access to and knowledge regarding the management of quality
germplasm; (iv) tree management skills and information; and (v) adequate market
information and linkages (Roshetko et al. 2007b).
The first two factors, land tenure and policy support, are the basic enabling con-
ditions required to facilitate the development of smallholder systems. Developing
supportive tenure and policy conditions often requires broad-based negotiations
which include participation from local, regional and national governments as well
as the private sector and community organizations. A central part of such negotia-
tions is determining just what issues require careful regulation (Fay and Michon
2005); with successful negotiations leading to consensus land management agree-
ments and natural resource security for local farmers. More detailed decisions
regarding land tenure and policy support are found below.
The other three factors: quality germplasm, tree management and market linkages,
are technical issues that can be effectively addressed at the local level by government
extension agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), farmer organizations
and/or individual farmers - once the enabling conditions are satisfied. Scientific
research is an important means to compile and generate tree management specific
technology specific for smallholder conditions and would otherwise not be available
to farmers. Examples include, the studies on the alder-based cardamom agroforestry
systems in eastern Himalaya, India (Sharma et al., Chapter 18, this volume) and stud-
ies how to manage the ' Imperata regrowth window' best (i.e., the period between the
cessation of food-crop interplanting and tree canopy closure which controls Imperata
regrowth), for a range of planting patterns and tree species in Lampung (Indonesia)
and northern Mindanao (the Philippines; van Noordwijk et al., Chapter 20, this vol-
ume). Moreover, efforts should be made to link smallholders with sources of quality
germplasm (the formal seed sector) and technical support to effectively manage nurs-
eries and agroforestry systems. This should include the implementation of nursery
and system management training activities, linkages with effective institutional tech-
nical support, and the development of a cadre of farmer technical specialists. Training
and participatory nursery development are proven methods of building farmers
awareness, leadership, and technical skills; and independence regarding germplasm
quality, production and management capacity (Koffa and Garrity 2001; Roshetko
et al. 2004; Carandang et al. 2006). Specifically the development of farmer-to-farmer
extension capacity is an important step towards helping local communities to create
viable market-oriented smallholder agroforestry systems (Roshetko and Yuliyanti
2002; Roshetko et al. 2007b). Some strategies for strengthening market-orientation
and market linkages for smallholder systems are discussed in the following section.

21.6 Strategies for Market Orientation

Access to existing markets has also been found to be a vital criterion for the devel-
opment of market-oriented smallholder agroforestry systems (Scherr 1995, 1999;
Potter and Lee 1998; Landell-Mills 2002; Tukan et al. 2006; Manivong and Cramb,