Analog Forestry-An Inductive effort in Agriculture:

      Analog forestry is a particular method of agroforestry that was originally developed in Sri Lanka. It restores the productivity of degraded land and provides new sources of food and income to local people. In other words, an analog forest imitates the original native forest and possesses similar structures and ecological functions. Analog forestry adds certain crops and trees which provide food and marketable products such as pepper, cinnamon, other spices, mangoes and fruits. Tea and coffee also grow well in the shadow of the trees. This forest management system combines the value of local forest biodiversity with organic crop cultivation. It seeks to establish a forest type environment, analogous in architectural structure and ecological function to the original forest ecosystems that once existed in the area. Making use of the design of the natural forest, land is redesigned to incorporate economically viable trees and plants in a poly cultural system that aims to unite biodiversity and economic gain for the small-scale farmer.

History

The term ‘Analog Forestry’ was coined by the Sri Lankan biologist Ranil Senanayake in 1987; his ideas of creating an agricultural system adapted to the local context have been further investigated by the Neo Synthesis Research Centre (NSRC) in Sri Lanka. Over 30 years ago, a group of environmentalists from the Neo Synthesis Research Centre (NSRC), developed an agricultural method which would encourage native biodiversity to flourish. This system provided an alternative to monocrops which were being widely promoted for “reforestation” purposes. The name Analog Forestry was coined in 1987, and in April 1994 it was accepted as a methodology integrating the protection of biodiversity within the context of sound landscape management by scientific experts at the Open-ended Intergovernmental Meeting of Scientific Experts on Biological Diversity (sponsored by the UN) in Mexico City.

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