Agroforestry
Introduction
Agroforestry combines forest and agricultural systems, including crop and animal farming, on the same land. In this integrated land-use approach trees, woody perennials, or forestry side-products are used for energy purposes. At the same time, they provide shade for crops, wind shelter, or fodder for livestock, and help keep water in the soil.[1][2]
Types of Agroforestry Systems
There are three main types of agroforestry systems:[3]
- agrosilvicultural (trees combined with crops);
- silvopastoral (trees combined with animals);
- agrosilvopastoral (trees, animals and crops).
FAO estimates that agroforestry can be found on more than 43% of all agricultural land globally.[4]
Benefits and Challenges of Agroforestry Systems
In addition to sustainable energy production, agroforestry offers several further economic, environmental and social benefits and therefore contributes to a wide range of the Sustainable Development Goals. The benefits include improving soil, increasing yields and thus strengthening food security and increasing incomes.[5][6]
Agroforestry systems are more resilient to environmental shocks and the effects of climate change than conventional agriculture. Depending on the system and local conditions, agroforestry systems can contain 50–80 percent of the biodiversity of comparable natural forests.[3]
Agroforestry can also help rehabilitate degraded and marginal land and plays an important role in sustainable bioenergy production.[6]
Because of its potential to transform agri-food systems to make them more adaptive and resilient, agroforestry is becoming increasingly important. Agroforestry is included into many of the national determined contributions (NDCs) and part of REDD+ projects.[3]
Challenges of agroforestry include necessary intersectional planning, awareness raising of small-scale farmers and, most importantly, its long-term investment: In contrast to annual crops, which only need 1-2 years, profitable yields are expected after 3-8 years.[5]
Further Information
- FAO: The State of the World’s Forests 2024.
- https://www.fao.org/agroforestry/en
- https://www.cifor-icraf.org/
- Transforming lives and landscapes with trees.
- Agroforestry in the European Union. European Union, 2020.
References
- ↑ ‘What Is Agroforestry?’, World Agroforestry | Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees, accessed 4 January 2023.
- ↑ Agroforestry. U.S. Department of Agriculture, accessed 25 March 2025
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 FAO: The State of the World’s Forests 2024.
- ↑ https://www.fao.org/agroforestry/en, accessed 25 March 2025.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 FAO, The State of the World’s Forests 2022
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Uwe R. Fritsche et al., ‘Energy and Land Use’ (UNCCD, IRENA, 2017, Global Land Outlook working paper).
