The TRACE | Tropical Farming Systems & Ecological Economics research group focuses its activities on (sub-)tropical and development-oriented research of agricultural production and use of natural resources in the tropical zone, less developed regions, remote and/or isolated areas, and at rural-urban gradient. The role of traditional practices and knowledge, (semi-)subsistence systems, as well as the cultural and economic value of local agro-ecosystems, receive specific attention. Used methodological approaches are of interdisciplinary character, depending on the close collaboration between social and biophysical sciences.
Research activities include those associated with documenting, understanding, analysing and/or promoting:
- stability, productivity and intensity of agricultural production
- the interactions between commercialization tendencies, living standards, food security and agro-biodiversity
- effectiveness of poverty alleviation strategies related to agriculture
- local agricultural markets of produced/collected products from local agro-ecosystems (forests)
- value chains of neglected and underutilised plant species
Keywords: agroforestry, agro-biodiversity, contract farming, ecosystem services, ethnic minorities, farmer-to-farmer, homegardens, household living standard (food, nutrition and cash security), land-use systems, markets, non-timber forest products, out-grower schemes, poverty alleviation, traditional knowledge, value chains