Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Agri Food Tech News
SUBSCRIBE
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Agri Food Tech News
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle
No Result
View All Result
Agri Food Tech News
No Result
View All Result

How agroforestry can improve agriculture and fight climate change

by agrifood
November 9, 2022
in AgriTech
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
0
Home AgriTech
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter


Like many regenerative and restorative agricultural practices, agroforestry is a newish term for an ancient concept.

Cultures around the world have for centuries relied on traditional land-use practices that link trees, crops and livestock together. This intersection has provided critical access to food, fuel, medicines and other necessities.

Modern agriculture stifled agroforestry for decades in favor of mono-cropping. Fortunately, that is beginning to change as around the world farmers, ranchers landowners and rural communities re-introduce practices into their operations.

There are numerous reasons, financial, ecological and otherwise, to adopt agroforestry. It is also increasingly seen as a critical part of fighting climate change.

But what does it entail and who should practice it?

Read on for a quick guide to all things agroforestry.

So what exactly is agroforestry?

The United States Department of Agriculture defines it as “the intentional combination of agriculture and forestry to create productive and sustainable land use practices.”

The United Nations’ Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) gets even more specific, calling agroforestry “a collective name for land-use systems and technologies where woody perennials (trees, shrubs, palms, bamboos, etc.) are deliberately used on the same land-management units as agricultural crops and/or animals, in some form of spatial arrangement or temporal sequence.”

The common element here is the presence of trees (and shrubs) in crop and livestock farming. And yet, agroforestry is about much, much more than trees. Through various practice methods (see below), it can boost food security and income for farmers and rural communities while simultaneously protecting and restoring biodiversity and wildlife.

As World Agroforestry (ICRAF) notes, “Most trees have multiple uses, including cultural ones, and typically provide a range of benefits.” Agroforestry seeks to leverage these uses to the good of people, animals and the planet.

Silvopasture with Yearling stockers. Image credit: USDA National Agroforestry Center

What are the different types of agroforestry?

FAO lists three main types of agroforestry systems:

  • Agrisilvicultural systems combine of crops and trees. Alley cropping is one example of this.
  • Silvopastoral systems combine forestry and grazing of domesticated animals on pastures or farms.
  • Agrosylvopastoral systems integrate trees, animals and crops.

There are several agroforestry methods within these systems:

Alley cropping involves planting agricultural crops between widely spaced rows of trees or shrubs. Some examples include hay between pecan trees or wheat between chestnut trees. The idea is to provide income to farmers while the trees mature.

Silvopasture is the practice of managing trees and grazing livestock on the same land. Trees can provide timber, fruit, nuts and fodder for animals. They also provide shade and shelter to the animals, which can reduce stress from heat, cold wind and heavy rain.

Windbreaks are linear plants of trees and shrubs to protect crops, animals and soil from snow, dust, wind and other elements.

Riparian forest buffers are natural or re-established areas along rivers and streams made up of grasses, trees and shrubs. These areas can intercept agricultural runoff before contaminates water and also aid against erosion. Trees and shrubs might produce a harvestable crop that provides growers and landowners with additional income.

Forest farming, also called multi-story cropping, produces high-value crops such as herbs or mushrooms under managed forest canopy that can provide the ideal level of shade plants need.

Syntropic farming, also called “dynamic agroforestry,” involves arranging plant groupings so they can develop into productive systems that don’t require inputs. It’s frequently thought of as process-based agriculture rather than input-based agriculture.

A Propagate agroforestry project in Kentucky. Image credit: Propagate. [Disclosure: AFN’s parent company AgFunder is an investor in Propagate.]

How can agroforestry help agriculture?

The benefits for humans, animals and the earth are numerous. Among other things, agroforestry can:

  • Provide additional income for farmers, ranchers and landowners
  • Protect animals, people and crops from extreme weather events
  • Sequester carbon
  • Keep agricultural runoff out of streams and lakes
  • Increase biodiversity and wildlife habitat
  • Improve pollinator habitats
  • Increase economic vitality for rural communities

In some cases, agroforestry may provide a more accessible way for farmers and landowners to adopt climate-forward practices. As Propagate co-founder and CEO Ethan Steinberg recently told AFN, “There’s more efficiency on the agroforestry side, [and] the costs are less aggressive than other climate solutions.” [Disclosure: AFN’s parent company, AgFunder, is an investor in Propagate.]

Is agroforestry new?

Nope. While the term itself was coined in the 1970s, cultures around the world have practiced various agroforestry techniques for millennia, albeit under different names.

The practices of integrating trees, crops, and livestock virtually disappeared in the 20th century as Big Ag moved towards monocultures and commodity crops and agriculture and forestry became two separate entities.

Agroforestry, as we know it today, was originally outlined in the early twentieth century but largely ignored for decades. It wasn’t until the formation of the International Council for Research in Agroforestry, now known as World Agroforestry, that it joined the list of sustainable agricultural practices that could counter the negative environmental impacts of the green revolution.

intercropping between coconut and corn to increase productivity in coconut plantations in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. Image credit: iStock

Which regions practice agroforestry?

It happens all over the world and takes on many different forms.

In Nepal, for example, farmers are returning to agroforestry practices with initiatives like the World Neighbors program. This is improving food security and biodiversity as well as benefiting women farmers.

“Programs that utilize agroforestry are key to improving the food security of households, as they help meet some of the nutritional needs of people,” Rakshya Shah, senior livelihood programs manager at IUCN-Nepal, recently told nonprofit Monga Bay.

World Agroforestry notes that in Central America, farmers may plant “more than 20 different species of plants on plots of no more than one-tenth of a hectare, each with a different form, together corresponding to the layered configuration of mixed tropical forests.”

These systems might contain everything from papaya to a lower layer of bananas, a shrub layer of coffee, and ground cover like squash. The benefits include not just a wide range of food but also shade for people and animals, improved soil health, and less erosion.

World Agroforestry also operates projects throughout the rest of Latin America, many parts of Asia, and Eastern, Southern, West and Central Africa.

Recently, the U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded The Nature Conservancy and partners $60 million to fund a five-year project advancing agroforestry in multiple US states. The project is one of 70 awards that the USDA is funding through the Climate-Smart Agriculture and Forestry Partnership Initiative.

These are just a few examples of agroforestry around the world.

Reforestation in the Amazon region with Parica and hay production. Image credit: iStock

What are the challenges to wider adoption?

Like many other types of sustainable farming, adopting agroforestry can prove financially challenging for farmers and landowners. As is the case with practices like cover cropping, a return on investment may not be immediate, which presents financial barriers to adoption.

The practice of agroforestry is also at odds with the foundation of modern-day farming, which relies on single-species land use and monocultures. Agricultural policies typically support the commodity crops grown in such systems, providing various incentives and tax breaks.

FAO points out several other challenges that have to be addressed in order to accelerate agroforestry adoption. Those include underdeveloped markets, a lack of awareness and education about agroforestry and under-developed markets for tree products and crops compared to commodities.



Source link

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • More
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

Like this:

Like Loading...
Tags: AgricultureagroforestryChangeclimatefightImprove
Share30Tweet19
Previous Post

More than half of palm species may be threatened with extinction, study finds

Next Post

Food safety tips for those in Hurricane Nicole’s path

Recommended For You

Bees Are Starving After Extreme Weather Events

by agrifood
November 9, 2022
0

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The extreme weather that has battered much of the U.S. in 2022...

Read more

Agriconomie lands €60m to help farmers transition to sustainable practices

by agrifood
November 8, 2022
0

Online agribusiness marketplace Agriconomie has closed a €60 million ($60 million) Series B round. Treïs Group, Temasek, and Aliment Capital (formerly Pontifax AgTech) co-led the round with participation...

Read more

[Video] Naïo Technologies Bringing AI to the Field with ORIO

by agrifood
November 7, 2022
0
[Video] Naïo Technologies Bringing AI to the Field with ORIO

Naïo Technologies seeks to level the playing field with their new ORIO ag robot. Each unit comes complete with 100% electric, autonomy and built-in RTK GPS which allows...

Read more

This Organization Aims to Provide Black Farmers With Capital

by agrifood
November 5, 2022
0

When farmer-activists Olivia Watkins and Karen Washington met at a conference in 2017, they recognized there weren’t any programs geared towards Black farmers that addressed their economic needs....

Read more

Nutjobs wins AgSharks Pitch Competition and $6 million

by agrifood
November 4, 2022
0

Western Growers and S2G Ventures have selected a company called Nutjobs as the winner of the 2022 AgSharks Pitch Competition, earning a record equity investment offer of $6...

Read more
Next Post

Food safety tips for those in Hurricane Nicole's path

LATEST UPDATES

Food Safety

Food safety tips for those in Hurricane Nicole’s path

by agrifood
November 9, 2022
0

Tropical Storm Nicole has been forecasted to form into a Hurricane today and strike the east coast of Florida tonight....

How agroforestry can improve agriculture and fight climate change

November 9, 2022

More than half of palm species may be threatened with extinction, study finds

November 9, 2022

‘The stage is well-set for us to eclipse $100m next year,’ says CEO

November 9, 2022

Singapore alt-protein startups rule Innovative Foods in Asia-Pacific

November 9, 2022

Delayed Indigenous ‘Man of the Hole’ burial reveals dispute over his land

November 9, 2022

Get the free newsletter

Browse by Category

  • AgriTech
  • Farming
  • Fertilizers
  • Food Safety
  • FoodTech
  • Lifestyle
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Organic Farming
  • Uncategorized
Agri Food Tech News

Agri FoodTech News provides in-depth journalism and insight into the most impactful news and updates about shaping the business of Agriculture

CATEGORIES

  • AgriTech
  • Farming
  • Fertilizers
  • Food Safety
  • FoodTech
  • Lifestyle
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Organic Farming
  • Uncategorized

RECENT UPDATES

  • Food safety tips for those in Hurricane Nicole’s path
  • How agroforestry can improve agriculture and fight climate change
  • More than half of palm species may be threatened with extinction, study finds
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Cookie Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Contact us

Copyright © 2022 - Agri FoodTech News .
Agri FoodTech News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • AgriTech
  • FoodTech
  • Farming
  • Organic Farming
  • Machinery
  • Markets
  • Food Safety
  • Fertilizers
  • Lifestyle

Copyright © 2022 - Agri FoodTech News .
Agri FoodTech News is not responsible for the content of external sites.

%d bloggers like this: