Agroforestry as a Dual Model for Food Security and Public Health: A Comprehensive Review and Research Agenda

This study synthesizes 31 years of research (1993–2024) to evaluate agroforestry’s dual role in advancing food security and public health amidst climate change and population growth. Agroforestry—integrating trees, crops, and livestock—enhances agricultural yields, sequesters carbon, and supports biodiversity, while emerging as a critical public health intervention. Analyzing 179 articles from the ISI Web of Science, supplemented by health-focused terms (e.g., "nutrition," "disease resilience"), we document a post-2013 re-search surge. Results reveal agroforestry’s capacity to improve dietary diversity (e.g., +0.231% food security per 1% tree density increase, Singh et al., 2023), reduce malnutrition (e.g., 15–20% lower stunting rates in Kenyan agroforestry households, Quandt et al., 2021), and mitigate climate-related health risks (e.g., 30% reduced heat stress via shade, WHO, 2021). Environmentally, it sequesters 0.5–2 Mg C/ha/year (Jose, 2009), enhancing resili-ence. Yet, longitudinal health impact studies and policy integration remain limited. We propose a transdisciplinary framework uniting agriculture, health, and environmental sectors, prioritizing nutrient-rich agroforestry systems, farmer health education, and cli-mate-health modeling. This positions agroforestry as a scalable solution for sustainable food systems and population health.