There’s a recognized need to improve the viability and benefits of agroforestry systems in Europe. While agroforestry offers significant environmental and socioeconomic advantages, there are gaps in farmers’ knowledge and significant technical, administrative, and financial hurdles preventing its wider adoption. The AGFORWARD project developed a stakeholder-focused toolkit designed to help farmers, advisors, and landowners integrate trees with various farming systems, including horticulture. This toolkit was field-tested to boost the benefits of agroforestry. It addresses the lack of practical knowledge by providing guidelines on how to establish economically viable agroforestry practices.
The toolkit has the potential to increase the uptake of agroforestry in Ireland. It provides practical guidance through 46 innovation leaflets and 10 best practice leaflets, detailing successful tree-crop interactions and management techniques. By using these resources, farmers can explore diverse revenue streams and business benefits, leading to enhanced economic and environmental outcomes. The approach used to develop the toolkit can also be replicated in an Irish pilot program to encourage collaboration between farmers and stakeholders.
An example management technique from one of the 46 leaflets is the routine pruning of high-value trees to produce valuable, knot-free timber from the bottom part of the trunk, which significantly increases its future market value. This practice is highly suitable for Irish farmers, as the guidelines were developed using data from similar agricultural climates, ensuring the method is well-adapted to local conditions.
The integration of agroforestry aligns with Key Strategic Action 8 (Innovation and Diversification) of Ireland’s National Strategy for Horticulture 2023-2027. Furthermore, the adoption of agroforestry supports the goals of the CAP Strategic Plan by promoting viable farm incomes and environmentally sustainable food production, which helps meet climate ambitions. The Irish Agroforestry Forum is an active organisation that can help disseminate these learnings and represent Irish interests at a European level.
The AGROFORWARD toolkit can be accessed here or from the project webpage.
