The Role of Agroforestry Systems in Climate Change Adaptation Benefits and Challenges

Document Type : Scientific Views

Authors

1 Corresponding author, Assistant Prof., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Prof., Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

10.22092/irn.2026.371424.1707

Abstract

Today, climate change is considered the most important threat to humanity and the greatest challenge of the 21st century due to its negative impacts on the economy, agricultural production, social communities and natural resources (Sabbaghi ​​et al., 2020). Although climate change is a natural process, human activities have significantly accelerated its effects, leading to changes in precipitation patterns, temperature changes, sea level rise and more frequent and extreme weather events. Agricultural activities such as deforestation and the increased use of fossil fuels, pesticides, agrochemicals, monoculture and livestock farming are recognized as major causes of global warming, with local, national and global consequences (Wang et al., 2021). However, the agricultural sector is inherently the most sensitive to climate change and is directly affected by changes in precipitation levels and patterns, as well as temperature changes (Bhattacharjee et al., 2018). The negative impacts of climate change on agriculture are compounded by the combination of natural resource degradation, land use change and water overexploitation (Cui, 2020). Climate change is projected to reduce agricultural production by 25% by the end of 2050 (IPCC, 2018). Furthermore, it is projected that by 2050, an additional 2.3 billion people will be added to the global population, leading to a 70% increase in food consumption (Hunt et al., 2018). Therefore, agricultural uses and practices must be significantly improved to meet the needs of future generations without placing further pressure on global ecosystems.

Keywords


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