Because of the threat to and demise of world forests and the consequent impact on human populations, there is great need to develop landuse systems that sustain both human and forest ecosystems. Social forestry and agroforestry address this need.

Social forestry directly involves the values, needs, institutions, and priorities of local people in the management of trees and forests. Agroforestry is a sustainable, synergistic landuse system that integrates trees, agricultural and horticultural crops, and animals to meet the needs of local farmers. Its goal is to optimize land use by conserving the natural resource base to attain a more diversified or sustainable production than exists under current forms of land use.

At MSU, the multidisciplinary programs in social forestry and agroforestry focus on forestry and its role in international development. Training and research emphasize solutions to biological, economic, and social problems while recognizing and accounting for the needs of local human populations. Current international projects include developing silvopastoral management systems on small farms in Jamaica, synthesizing endogenous and scientific knowledge systems to enhance agroforestry development in Rwanda, communitydriven forestry in the city of Detroit, intercropping of Paulownia winter wheat in China, quantifying the relationship between photosynthetically active radiation (par) and yield, and integrating social forestry into primary and secondary school curricula in Thailand.