Message-ID: <96Jan11.114735est.11523@gateway.edf.org> Date: Thu, 11 Jan 1996 11:32:27 -0500 From: Kenneth Walsh <mailto:wild@EDF.ORG> Subject: Promise of Prosopis To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
The following invitation was posted to this list earlier. I am reposting it now as a reminder.ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND 1875 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 1016 Washington, D.C. 20009 Tel: (202) 387-3500 Fax: (202) 234-6049
To: Persons Interested In Sustainable Development January 11, 1996
From: Ken Walsh, EDF on behalf of Bruce Rich/Dr. Peter Felker
Discussion Announcement
The Promise of Prosopis (Mesquite):
A Worldwide Resource Overlooked by Sustainable Development and Social Forestry Programs
Preview to the March 1996 International Workshop at the National Academy of Sciences
January 18, 1996 3:00-5:00
Environmental Defense Fund 1875 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Suite 1016
Prosopis, a nitrogen-fixing genus with more than 40 species native to Africa, Asia and the Americas, is an important source of fuelwood and fodder for some of the poorest people in Mexico, Haiti, Sahelian Africa and India. Naturally occurring in arid wastelands and saline conditions, this weedy tree is also used for lumber, charcoal and human consumption.
You are invited to join Dr. Peter Felker (project leader for the Center for Semi-Arid Forest Resources, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, Texas A&M University-Kingsville), and other organizers of an upcoming international conference, to discuss the potential of Prosopis for improving the lives of subsistence populations in the harshest climes around the globe. Following a slide presentation, the discussion will explore ways to increase awareness of this overlooked resource.
The Prosopis conference will be held at the National Academy of Sciences in D.C. from March 13-15, bringing scientists from Asia, Latin America, and Africa to address women's issues, the environment and sustainable development.
Final Announcment
Prosopis: semi-arid fuelwood and forage tree Building Consensus for the Disenfranchised
A workshop 13-15 March 1996 2101 Constitution Avenue U.S. National Academy of Sciences Building Washington, D.C.
PHOTOS
A Oulof woman in Dakar, Senegal with mesquite pods obtained from a roadside planting to take to her landless, urban home to feed to her sheep.
Haitian girl collecting Prosopis firewood.
Two year old, erect, thornless Prosopis with sweet pods cloned in in Indian Rajasthan desert progeny trials.
The assistance and support of the following organizations is gratefully acknowledged.
CARE Center for Semi-Arid Forest Resources-Texas A&M Univ. Kingsville The Environmental Defense Fund The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Henry Doubleday Research Association The International Foundation for Science (Sweden) Los Amigos del Mesquite (USA) Los Amigos del Prosopis (Argentina) New Forests Project The Organization of American States The Prosopis Society of India. The U.S. Agency for International Development U.S. Department of Agriculture The Worldwatch Institute ?The nitrogen fixing genus Prosopis has more than 40 species native to North and South America, Africa and Asia that range from 1 meter tall shrubs to 18 m tall trees. Hundreds of hectares of Prosopis occur naturally in Death Valley, California that is the hottest location in the Western Hemisphere. Other Prosopis species have become naturalized to harsh semi-arid areas of Haiti, Sahelian Africa and India. Prosopis pods, which are high in sugar (30%), with moderate levels of protein (12%) have been used for human and animal food by indigenous people for millenia. In Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, Prosopis pods are a critically important source of animal feed. In Peru, pods of especially sweet varieties are used for human food. In North America soils under the canopy of Prosopis have 1,000 kg/ha more soil nitrogen and 8,000 kg/ha more soil carbon than soils outside the canopies of the trees. In India Prosopis has been used to reclaim high pH (10.4 soils). Prosopis strains have been found that will grow in salinities equal to ocean water. In Somalia it has been used for sand dune control. In many places of Sahelian Africa it is important for fuelwood and forage. In western India and Haiti Prosopis provides more firewood than any other species. While the reddish/brown lumber of Prosopis is usually less than 2 m in length and 0.4 m in width it finishes very well, is harder than oak and more dimensionally stable than all lumber measured to date. Thus production of flooring, fine furniture and artisanal products is a very active growth industry in the United States and Argentina.
Despite the widespread importance of Prosopis for firewood and forage for very poor people of Mexico, Haiti, Sahelian Africa or India, due to very limited communication between these poor people of arid regions there has been little international awareness of the problems and potential for Prosopis. With recently improved genetic strains, soil management techniques, native stand management techniques and marketing efforts, there is great opportunity to rapidly improve the lives of very poor people in some of the world's most harsh ecosystems.
Given the fact that 1/3 of the earths land surface is semi-arid or arid, when the local experiences with Prosopis are aggregated on a worldwide scale, Prosopis is a significant worldwide resource.
It is the intent of this workshop to stimulate awareness of the worldwide magnitude of the contribution that Prosopis has already made and to outline immediate concrete steps to rapidly improve the lives, economies and the ecosystems of some worlds poorest people.
? March 12: Reception: State Plaza Hotel 7:00- 9:00 p.m.
March 13 8:30. Acknowledgement of workshop organizers, Peter Felker, Texas A&M University-Kingsville.
Introduction: Michael D. Benge, Senior Agroforester, U.S. Agency for International Development
Welcome address: Betty Alberts, President's Office, National Academy of Sciences.
Inaugural address: Congressman E. (Kika) de la Garza, Ranking Member, U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee. The role of goverment in arid land economic development.
Session 1. Role in fertility, land stabilization and sand dune movement.
Moderator: Rebecca Butterfield, CARE, Niger 9:30 Dr. Gurbachan Singh, Central Soil Salinity Research Institute, Karnal India. The role of Prosopis in reclaiming high pH soils and in meeting firewood and forage needs of small farmers.
10:00 Refreshment break.
10:15 Dr. Ousman Diagne, Direction des Recherches sur les Productions Forestieres(DRPF). Nitrogen fixation in Prosopis juliflora in Senegal and Prosopis utilization in Senegal.
10:45 Dr. Rafiq Ahmad, Biosaline Project Univ. Karachi, Pakistan. Use of Prosopis in Arab/Gulf states including possible cultivation with saline water in deserts.
Session 2. Role of Prosopis in the gender/fuelwood/land tenure complex.
Mooderator: Lene Poulson, UNSO/UNDP Special Office to combat drought and desertification.
11:15 Lene Poulson, UNSO/UNDP. Role of women and fuelwood in context of implementation of UN convention on desertification.
11:45 Discusssion from morning session.
Lunch 12:00-1:00 1:00 Dianne Rocheleau, Clark University, U.S.A. The other property map/the other science: Gendered domains in dry forest systems.
1:30 Linda Roth, Clark University, U.S.A. Multiple perceptions of Prosopis from dryland experiences in Dominican Republic.
2:00 Rebecca Waterfield, CARE Niger. The experience of development agencies with Prosopis: a regional case study from West Africa.
Discussion 2:30
Refreshment Break 3:00
Session 3. Human Food and forage uses of Prosopis pods. Moderator: E.H. Sene, Chief Forest Conservation, FAO, Rome, Italy.
3:15 Michele Silbert, Nature Conservancy, Flagstaff, Arizona. U.S.A. Mesquite pod use for economic development in Central Mexico.
3:45 Ing. Jose Inacio da Silva, Rancher, Pernambuco State, Brazil, Commercial plantations of algarrobo for human and animal feed.
4:30 Dra. Maria Vergara, Facultad de Ingeniera, Laboratorio de Quimica, Universidad de Piura, Piura, Peru. Development of human food products from Prosopis pods.
Discussion 5:00-5:30
Thursday morning
Session 4. Management of native stands and genetic improvement. Moderator: Sabine Bruns, International Foundation for Science..
8:15 Dr. Phil Harris, Henry Doubleday Research Association, UK Prosopis genetic improvement trials in Cape Verde.
8:45 L.N.Harsh, Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur India. Performance of different Prosopis in arid regions of India and Prosopis utilization.
9:15 Peter Felker and Nancy Patch. Texas A&M Univ Kingsville, U.S.A. Managing coppice, sapling and mature Prosopis for firewood, poles and lumber.
9:45 Mariano Cony, IADIZA, Mendoza, Argentina. Genetic potential of Prosopis in Argentina for use in other countries.
Discussion 10:15
Refreshment break 10:30
Session 5: Management of Prosopis for higher value products. Moderator: Peter Wood, Chairman, Commonwealth Forestry Association, UK
10:45 David Miller, President, Los Amigos del Mesquite, U.S.A. Advantages of a mesquite association and overview of mesquite lumber industry in Texas.
11:15 Mr. David Perino, San Pedro Mesquite, Tucson, Arizona, Development and marketing of Prosopis furniture lines.
11:45 Dicusssion
12:00 -1:00 Lunch
1:00 Mr. Jerry Lawson, President W.W.Woods, Retail marketing techniques for Prosopis barbecue products. 1:30 Peter Wood. Need for value added products in development projects. 2:00 Ing. Judith Ochoa de Cornelli, Universidad National de Santiago del Estero. A review of the social and economic opportunities for Prosopis in Argentina. 2:30 Discussion 3:00 Refreshment Break
Session 6: Country and regional case studies: Moderator: Carlos Gonzalez Vicente, INIFAP, Mexico 3:30 Dr. Sabine Bruns, International Foundation for Science (IFS)- IFS programmes in arid lands. 4:00 Dr. Ashok Varshney, Dy. Conservator of Forests Gujarat, India. Overview of use of Prosopis for livestock feed and charcoal in Gujarat India. 4:30 Ing. Carlos E. Gonzalez Vicente, Vocal Division Forestal, INIFAP, Mexico. "Overview of past, current and potential uses of Mesquite in Mexico". 5:00 Discussion 5:30 Adjourn for evening.
7:30 Banquet National Academy of Sciences Building
Friday morning
8:10 Ing. Jose Delatorre Herrera, Desert Agriculture Dept, Use of Prosopis tamarugo in the Atacama desert of Chile. 8:40 Russell Greenberg, Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D.C. Use of Prosopis-like trees for migratory bird habitat.
9:40 Discussion 10:00 Refreshment break 10:20 Additional contributed speakers.
Lunch 12:00- 1:00
1:00 Panel Synthesis and Wrap up: Peter Felker, Moderator Panel: Benge, Conway, Butterfield, Poulsen, Rich, Sene, Wood, Bruns, Vicente-Gonzalez. Opening remarks by panelists: 1:00 Who are the organizations involved in these ecosystems and how can they be better supported to assist their clientele i.e. E Mail, newsletter, semi-technical journal? How can we work together develop these systems. How do we create the awareness and support for our objectives. 2:00 General Discussion of action plans in small groups. 3:00 Refreshment break 3:15 Reports of individual action plans. 4:00 Final resolution and adoption of action plans. 5:00 Acknowledgement of workshop organizers & Adjournment.
Updates for the workshop are also provided on the Prosopis email network. To subscribe mail to mailto:Listserv@taiu.edu and type Subscribe Prosopis
The proceedings will be published. Authors are requested to bring a hard copy and a copy of the manuscript in Wordperfect. Further instructions to authors will be forthcoming.
Patrons willing to support this workshop would be most appreciated. Especially needed are sponsors to support the foreign travel of our participants. If desired, your company or agency, would be appropriately recognized with a block on the cover of the final announcement. Contact Peter Felker, 512-595-3966 (P- mailto:Felker@taiu.edu) for more information.