The Billion Agave Project is an agroforestry ecosystem-regeneration strategy which combines the growing of agave plants and nitrogen-fixing companion tree species (such as mesquite), with holistic rotational grazing of livestock. The result is a high-biomass, high forage-yielding system that works well even on degraded, semi-arid lands reducing the dependence on expensive, high water footprint inputs such as hay or alfalfa and creating a circular economy for small scale farmers.
The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) estimates that arid and semi-arid lands make up 41.3% of the earth's land surface, including 15% of Latin America (most of Mexico), 66% of Africa, 40% of Asia, and 24% of Europe. Farmers and herders in these areas face tremendous challenges because of increasing droughts, erratic rainfall, degraded soils, overgrazed pastures, and water scarcity. They depend on expensive, unsustainable external inputs to feed their animals.
The BAP provides and affordable, accesible fodder using what naturally grows in semi-desert degraded landscapes. This is a pioneer agroforestry system which brings back soil, water retention, wildlife and other pants. By training small scale farmers on the multiple uses of agave (fiber, water, fodder, inulin, etc) we are bringing back life to impoverished communities which have traditionally used agave as a single purpose plant and regaining the traditional and modern uses of agaves.
1. Creation of accesible, affordable fodder for animals (sheep, goats, chickens, rabbits, pigs, cows) 2. Soil regeneration and restoration, water infiltration, carbon sequestration. 3. Source of income for rural communities (water, fodder, inulin,distills fiber, nurseries, honey, wood through controlled pruning) 4. Less dependence on external inputs. 5. Additional incomes for economic alternatives to reduce migration 6. Expansion of areas of implementation, each with its own agroforestry design
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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