Agroforestry: trees provide a way forward for sustainable farming

Illustration Agroforestry: trees provide a way forward for sustainable farming © INRAE / NICOLAS Bertrand By combining trees with crops or livestock on a single agricultural plot, agroforestry is increasingly viewed as a significant element in the agroecological transition to sustainable farming and food systems. Here, we take a closer look at the ongoing work of INRAE and its teams on the complex systems involved. Agroforestry can be defined as a dynamic management system for natural resources based on ecological principles which introduces trees into farms and the agricultural landscape, thereby facilitating a form of diversified and sustained production that improves social, economic and environmental conditions for all land users. (Sources: Ministère de l'agriculture et de l'alimentation , ICRAF ). The traditional forms of agroforestry seen in France are either bocage or orchard systems combining full-size fruit trees with pasture. More recently, this repertory has expanded to include either fruit trees or forest trees grown in association with pasture, arable crops or market gardening. Trees can be incorporated in the middle of an agricultural plot (known as intra-plot agroforestry) or along its margins (in the form of a hedgerow, for example).