Agroforestry: introducing woody vegetation into specialised crop and livestock systems

How to develop agroforestry as a sustainable farming system which can boost agricultural productivity and profitability?

The Final report of this Focus Group has now been published.

Get all the information at a glance in the Agroforestry factsheet.

Tasks:

• Provide and compare relevant examples of the integration of woody vegetation with crop and livestock farming systems on the basis of traditional and/or innovative designs of agroforestry system in Europe. 
• Identify and analyse the opportunities for the integration of woody vegetation into specialised farming systems and assess the potential economic benefits linked to additional sources of income (e.g. product diversification, green marketing, public incentives such as payments for biodiversity and landscape scenery,…).
• Identify and describe limiting factors generated by the combination of agricultural and forestry practices (e.g. farm size, labour and management, knowledge, legislation, equipment, market outlets, land tenure,…) that can hinder the adoption of agroforestry at farm level.
• Provide practical indications for the further development and introduction of agroforestry, identify innovative approaches combining scientific and practical knowledge with new business models, modern technologies and practices. Consider the role played by advisory systems and the existence of relevant value chains.
• Provide recommendations in terms of further research needs and ideas for Operational Groups and other innovative projects.

Results:

• Final report
• Factsheet
• Starting paper (EN)
• Minipaper: Organising added value of agroforestry
• Minipaper: Education in agroforestry
• Minipaper: Tools for optimal design and management
• Minipaper: Databases on agroforestry
• Minipaper: Practical tree knowledge on farm level
• Minipaper: Financial impact of agroforestry
• Minipaper: Territorial landscape management
• Minipaper: Ecosystem services assessment in agroforestry
• Minipaper: Agroforestry as a mitigation and adaptation tool

Other information:

• Agenda 1st meeting, 30 November - 1 December 2016. Melle, France
• Agenda 2nd meeting, 21 March - 22 March 2017. Portogruaro, Italy

Focus Group members: