What is agroforestry?

Agroforestry is a method of integrating agriculture and/or livestock within managed forest-based systems.

Agroforestry was practiced by the Indigenous people of the United States, and holds a lot of potential as being massively productive in terms of food production, resilience, and environmental benefit.

In their Training Manual for Applied Agroforestry Practices, the Center for Agroforestry notes that agroforestry is not taking an existing forest and letting animals graze the area, nor is it placing monocultural areas side-by-side. Instead, agroforestry methods must be implemented intentionally.

Examples of agroforestry include:

• planting trees in a pasture to provide shade and fodder for livestock, with the potential for a human food source as well
• planting 3-4 rows of annual crops between 2 linear rows of trees, and repeating this pattern throughout the farm landscape
• creating a food forest that intentionally mimics the natural forest land, planting a canopy layer, a bush layer, a herbal layer, a ground cover layer, and a root crop layer, where each plant has a purpose for either food, medicine, fodder, fuel, or other ecosystem services

The Agroforestry Brief from the USDA shares a way to think about agroforestry: “the right tree in the right place for the right reasons.”

the 6 kinds of agroforestry practices in temperate zones

According to the University of Missouri’s renowned Center for Agroforestry’s Training Manual, there are 6 main ways that agroforestry can be implemented in temperate zones.

1. Windbreaks, which provide protection to soil, plants, humans, animals, and buildings. In turn, crop yield can increase and watering needs decrease.
2. Riparian forest buffers, which are agroforestry systems near rivers and other water ways that filter the water and prevent erosion. The Center for Agroforesty adds that riparian forest buffers can also regulate the temperature of the water, offering protection to the fish, amphibians, and reptiles that populate the waterway.
3. Silvopasture is the practice of integrating trees into a pasture so that animals are able to forage from and around the trees. The trees can be fruit and nut trees which offer a harvest for humans as well. Dr. Sarah Lovell of the University of Missouri shares that “animals perform better in terms of weight and milk” when they are in silvopasture systems.
4. Alley cropping is a system where linear forest is alternated with rows of crops, in many cases the ratio of linear forest to row crops is about 50/50 and the trees are food or lumber crops, which offer a bonus harvest for the farmers.
5. Forest farming systems are designed after the layers of the forest system - canopy, shrub, herbal, ground cover, root crop, and vines. There is a lot of economic value in forest farming systems, as herbal remedies and other specialty foods grow well in this environment.
6. Urban food forests are systems modeled after Forest Farming, but integrated into smaller spaces, for example, in community gardens, parks, and backyards.

the many benefits of agroforestry

When viewed from an ecological perspective, agroforestry benefits every aspect of earth stewardship.

Air level: agroforestry offers areas of higher air quality, and also can screen odors

Animal level: agroforestry calls in biodiversity, including pollinators and other beneficial insects; it also offers protection to livestock and helps to reduce heat, wind, and cold stress

Water level: an aspect of agroforestry includes riparian buffers, which act as a filter for water runoff and so the water ends up being cleaner

Soil level: agroforestry prevents erosion, protects soil, builds soil health, and stores carbon

-USDA Agroforestry Brief

On top of all of this, agroforestry offers more resilience to extreme weather events due to the creation of microclimates and diverse crop plantings.

Farmers who practice agroforestry are able to reduce their levels of management, fertilizer input, and water usage, while creating more streams of revenue at the same time.

is agroforestry a solution to climate change?

Scientific research and modeling show that agroforestry offers a nature-based solution to climate change, through the potential of agroforestry to sequester carbon.

In the review of literature paper “Reconciling productivity with protection of the environment: Is temperate agroforestry the answer?,” the authors note that when weighed up against monoculture or pasture, agroforestry sequesters significantly more carbon.

They share that the amount of carbon sequestration potential can vary depending on the location of the farmland and the soil type.

It is projected that carbon sequestration could be 9 metric tons/ha yearly in semiarid locations, up to 63 metric tons/ha yearly in temperate regions. For reference, 1 hectare is equal to almost 2.5 acres.

This means that there is a lot of potential for areas of the United States and Europe to integrate agroforestry systems into their existing farmlands for environmental benefit.

The paper goes on to highlight that agroforestry systems not only sequester carbon, but also prevent carbon emissions from occurring in the first place.

This is because agroforestry methods of growing food call for less (or eliminated) fertilizer. Synthetic fertilizer manufacturing, application, and excess is a large part of the total greenhouse gas emissions in agriculture. One reason for not needing so much fertilizer is that the leaf litter from the trees offer nitrogen to the nearby rows of annuals.

An internationally authored study published in Circular Agricultural Systems estimates that if we integrated trees into existing global farmland by just 10%, over 10 years more than 18 Pg of Carbon would be sequestered. That’s equal to 18 billion metric tons!

For context, in 2022 the United states carbon emissions were found to be 4,970 million metric tons according to the US Energy Information Administration, and so over 10 years a 10% global increase of farmland would balance out around 1/3 of the emissions of the United States.

agroforestry and climate change resiliency

Agroforestry not only sequesters carbon, but it also helps our farmlands to be more resilient to the extreme weather events that have become more common due to climate change.

The US Forest Service shares the following ways that agroforestry can help farms and the surrounding areas to have a reduced negative response to climate change:

• Prevention/reduction of flooding: During times of heavy rainfall, trees and shrubs will not be as impacted by high water lines, and agroforestry can prevent flooding in the first place since it helps to increase water absorption of the area. Since agroforestry can serve as a buffer, it can reduce the speed of water flow and help prevent resulting soil runoff.
• Protection from heat: Tree canopy creates a microclimate for the surrounding bushes, herbs, and annuals, and for livestock as well.
• Protection from wind: Agroforestry can become a windbreak to help prevent soil erosion and livestock stress. A windbreak can also protect crops from wind damage and destruction.

can agroforestry feed the world?

Dr. Sarah Lovell, the Director for the Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, shares the concept of “production agroforestry” in her video lecture, “Introduction to Agroforestry.”

If we have 4 types of growing areas: annual crops, orchard, agroforestry, and forest, the forest is the most resilient and has the highest ecological benefit, with agroforestry being 2nd best, orchard being 3rd best, and annual crops coming in last.

On the contrary, annual crops are often more productive than orchards, which are often more productive than agroforestry, which is often more productive than forest in terms of food harvest.

Production agroforesty is a way to merge the high resilience and ecological benefit that already exists within agroforestry, and to merge that with high productivity techniques.

When agroforesty is optimized for food production and practiced at scale, it becomes akin to vertical gardening, where more food is grown in a smaller footprint due to taking advantage of the different layers available.

how are regenerative no-till agriculture and agroforestry complimentary?

Regenerative agriculture and agroforestry are two systems with enough similarities that they can work together on the same farm, especially since they share many of the same goals.

Similar Aspects of Regenerative Agriculture and Agroforestry:

1. Soil Health: Both practices prioritize the improvement of soil health with techniques like organic matter building, erosion control, and minimizing chemical inputs.
2. Environmental benefits: Both practices work towards maximizing environmental benefits including carbon sequestration within each of their systems.
3. Biodiversity: Both practices have an emphasis of biodiversity to improve the ecology of the land and to boost resilience.
4. Livestock Integration: Both systems often include the integration of livestock, in order to enhance soil health through nutrient cycling and vegetation management.

what are the similarities and differences between syntropic food forests and permaculture food forests?

Syntropic food forests and permaculture food forests are the same in terms of their core motivation, but some of the design and upkeep systems are different.

Similarities between syntropic + permaculture food forests:

• Ecosystem Mimicry:Both approaches aim to emulate natural ecosystems in order to create self-sustaining food production systems.
• Biodiversity:Both are looking to increase biodiversity, and aim to grow a wide range of plant species in order to boost ecosystem resilience and productivity.
• Organic Practices:Both approaches prioritize organic and regenerative practices, avoid synthetic chemicals, and focus on soil health and biodiversity.

Differences between syntropic + permaculture food forests:

Origin:

• ‍Syntropic agriculture was developed by Ernst Götsch, a Swiss farmer and researcher. It emphasizes the succession of plants over time, specifically designed to mimic the natural regeneration of forests.
• Permaculture is a broader ecological design approach based on Indigenous practices and popularized in recent years by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren. Permaculture food forests are one aspect of permaculture design.

Design + Management:

• ‍Syntropic food forests follow a distinct succession process, where pioneer species are initially planted and serve as support for subsequent species. The system aims to generate biomass and organic matter quickly. Maintenance within the syntropic agriculture involves strategic pruning which maximizes both succession and the productivity of the system.  Syntropic systems involve periodic and controlled disturbances, such as cutting down certain plants, to promote regeneration and biomass accumulation.
• Permaculture food forests offer more flexibility in design and implementation. Permaculture food forests often integrate companion planting and diverse polyculture systems, combining plants that mutually benefit each other.

5 agroforestry examples

This video from Regenerative Films features James from Tap o' Noth Farm in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He implements permaculture principles on his farm, integrating various elements such as food production, fuel generation, fodder cultivation, fiber production, and even herbal medicine. He focuses on incorporating fast-growing trees that contribute to soil building and provide wind protection for the livestock.

To sustainably feed his sheep and goats, James utilizes tree fodder as part of their diet. His farm's design and fencing systems help maintain trees that need to be protected from goat damage, while employing windbreaks to extend the lifespan of other trees.

Additionally, he incorporates poultry, specifically chickens and geese, into his farm management. Chickens are housed in movable tractors, and the geese are placed in small areas of woodland inaccessible to the goats and sheep or in areas with excessive weeds that can be reseeded with more ecologically friendly plants. The geese, being primarily grass eaters, assist in grass maintenance without harming the trees, unlike goats.

James employs a range of agroforestry practices on his farm. This includes alley cropping and silvopasture, where crops are grown between rows of trees and livestock graze in wooded areas, respectively. Forest gardens are cultivated, hedge rows are established, and riparian agroforestry techniques are utilized. Additionally, James practices coppice/pollard methods, which involve periodically cutting back certain trees to stimulate regrowth, and the trimmings can be used for fodder or wood stove fuel.

On this farm, the incorporation of trees provides increased shelter and protection. The focus on self-sufficiency creates a more resilient farm that ensures a consistent supply of fuel, food, and fodder for the animals - all through agroforestry.

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This video from Happen Films illustrates a food forest that is now over 30 years old.

Robyn and Robert transformed a run-down property into a 2-acre temperate food forest in New Zealand.

The food forest is home to an extensive variety of plants, with 480 different species in total. They are able to harvest various fruit for 10 months of the year. They cultivate biennial perennial herbs, edible and medicinal bulbs, root crops like parsnips and wild carrots, as well as vines such as grape, kiwi fruit, hops, and gooseberries. Approximately 70% of their food is sourced from their own property.

Robert shares in the video that the forest garden differs from conventional gardens in terms of mindset and actions. It invites us to observe, be open to change, and allow the forces of nature to guide the garden's development.

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This video by Paragraphic interviews a backyard permaculturist, Justin, and his food forest in Arizona.

Through a combination of permaculture practices, such as mulching, compost, and compost tea, Justin focuses on nourishing microbial life in order to enhance soil quality and grow more food. His garden calls in beneficial insects to help with pollination and best control.

Even in Arizona heat, he notices that in his food forest, temperatures a much cooler, and the air is easier to breathe.

The crops he grows in his desert-type food forest are wide in range: orange trees, carrots, mango, beans, guava, peaches, tomatoes, salad, herbs, rosemary, spinach are all present.

To be able to have an abundance of food in a backyard, in a hot and dry climate showcases that food forests are a powerful step toward self-sufficiency and climate resilience that anyone with a yard can undertake.

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Keith and Trish live in Ontario, and tend to a permaculture food forest that needs to be cold hardy, as they are growing in a zone 4 climate.

Keith is an engineer by trade and offers lots of advice on permaculture, food forestry, and biodiversity on his Youtube channel.

In this video, he showcases how growing a food forest became a way for him to change his lifestyle to something that is more nature-based and is rooted in activism while fostering food security for him and his family. He saw the destructive problems of modern "big agriculture" and wanted to do something that was better for the planet.

Keith demonstrates how you can have a successful and lush food forest, even in a cold climate. He grows sea buckthorn, peaches, pawpaws, persimmons, figs, and kiwis that are all cold hardy.

In his food forest, he utilizes all layers of vertical space, from ground cover to herbaceous plants to bushes to tree canopy, all intertwined with vines to grow as much food as possible in one space, and to utilize the permaculture principle of guilds and interplanting.

He speaks to the benefit of "maximizing photosynthesis" and how in a regenerative growing area, when we grow more plants and have more leaf area available as "solar panels," we build soil health while sequestering carbon at the same time, and grow healthier plants because of it. In order to encourage as much carbon storage as possible, he leans towards growing perennial food crops.

One thing that stood out to me in this video is how he lets his garden become a solution to any problem, letting nature itself solve the issue instead of needing to bring in something external. For example, when rabbits were eating down his food crops, he could have fenced off his land or discouraged the rabbits in some other way. Instead, he planted a large patch of clover - a favorite for rabbits - so that they could have a space to eat and not even want to hoard all of his salad greens. Then, he put a "wall" of onions around the clover so that the rabbits wouldn't go past the clover patch, since the smell of onions is distasteful to them.

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Phố Phạm tends to a food forest in the heat of central Texas, where she is doing something unique - she grows all of her food in containers! I really like how she exemplifies that you can grow a food forest in any space, regardless of if you have access to topsoil or not.

Phố grows an impressive amount of food considering they are all in containers, and is able to supply a good portion of her food. The containers allow her to grow more heat-loving plants, as when winter temperatures get below freezing she is able to move all of her plants into her garage to keep them warm.

Phố preserves food and shares her abundance with friends and family. With 100 citrus trees and 75 guava trees, with different varieties of each offering an abundance of flavors and a wide range of harvest periods. She is also able to grow her own peaches, and brings the flowering branches into her home for Lunar New Year.

She tends to her trees by pruning, adding in worm castings and homemade compost, and she fertilizes with fish fertilizer that she makes herself.

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Are there any disadvantages to agroforestry?

Agroforestry, like any agricultural practice, has some potential disadvantages that might not work with everyone’s goals and resources. The following disadvantages were highlighted in the Savanna Institute mini-documentary, “Persistence”:

1. Initial cost and labor: Setting up and managing an agroforestry system can require significant upfront investment and work.
2. Complex management: Agroforestry systems often involve the integration of multiple plant species, which can be challenging to manage effectively. Balancing the needs of different crops, trees, and livestock requires careful planning and monitoring.
3. Needs planning: In agroforestry systems, crops and trees may compete for resources such as water, sunlight, and nutrients. Without proper planning and management, this competition can negatively affect crop yields.
4. Time to mature: Trees in agroforestry systems typically take several years to reach maturity and provide significant benefits. This means that initial returns may be delayed compared to conventional farming, which relies primarily on annual crops.
5. Market demand and pricing: Agroforestry products, such as timber or non-timber forest products, may have limited market demand or face fluctuating prices. Ensuring a consistent and profitable market for agroforestry products can be a challenge.
6. Knowledge and technical expertise: Successful implementation of agroforestry practices requires knowledge and technical expertise in both agriculture and forestry. Farmers need to acquire the necessary skills and information to effectively design and manage agroforestry systems.

In my opinion, the environmental benefits and the ability to have a more resilient food system outweigh these disadvantages. While it may take initial time and energy, once the plants are established the amount of work can decrease while the harvest continues for years to come.

regenerative farming + agroforestry: a perfect match

Regenerative agriculture and agroforestry are two ways of tending to the land and growing food while fighting climate change at the same time. When we combine these two techniques, we can encourage biodiversity, build soil health, improve water management, and feed our population.

Together, regenerative agriculture and agroforestry present us with a pathway to create resilient and sustainable food systems while contributing to the larger goal of addressing climate change and nurturing our planet for future generations.

learn more about regenerative techniques:

Dive into regenerative agriculture principles and methodology

Learn how regenerative agriculture can feed the world

Discover how regenerative agriculture benefits the environment