A participatory framework to assess multifunctional land-use systems with multicriteria and multivariate analyses: A case study on agrobiodiversity of agroforestry systems in Tomé Açú, Brazil

In a participatory framework, the multifunctionality of agroforestry systems was assessed by applying multicriteria and multivariate analyses to identify ecological, agronomic and administrative proxies and integrate these into factors, and evaluate their effects on system performance. The assessment framework was tested in 70 farms in the municipality of Tomé-Açú in the Brazilian Amazon, an area well known for its long-standing practice of agroforestry. The overall goal was to identify management decisions that ensure sustainable production of goods together with the provision of ecosystem services, with special emphasis on agrobiodiversity. Three groups of farmers were considered based on their period of settlement, property size, technological know-how, organization and access to the market. The results show that the determinant factors of multifunctional farming are the farmers’ technical qualification, good adaptability, environmental commitment and the search for financial profitability. However, the optimization of these factors leads to trade-offs such as a decrease in biomass and woody species diversity and the decline of by-product production. By considering stakeholders’ opinions and being adaptable to various demands, the proposed framework enhances the legitimacy of the results, and supports both the assessment of complex issues and decision-making.