Agroforestry: The way Ag probably should be done

Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes, 50 seconds.

Summary

• Articles on Agriculture

• Why Agroforestry is amazing

• A happy pig

What you missed in Agriculture

• McKinsey Survey on Agriculture: A McKinsey survey shows that growers are embracing new products and technologies to manage market unpredictability.

• Propagate raise $10 million: Propagate have built a tool that lets farmers examine their farm and calculate how they could improve their yields with agroforestry

• USDA to invest $2.8 billion in Climate Smart Commodities: This effort will expand markets for America’s climate-smart commodities, leverage the greenhouse gas benefits of climate-smart commodity production, and provide direct, meaningful benefits to production agriculture, including for small and underserved producers.

Agroforestry?

Nerds dominate agroforestry. We probably have different definitions of nerds. Nerds are, people who do things not for any motive other than their own interest. Farmers are restoring land by applying ancient methods, to build agroforests. Agroforests are where cropland, pasture and forest all intersect.. When you visit one you feel like you’re in nature, but you’re actually on a productive farm.

Industrial farming methodologies have destroyed the worlds soil. A third of the world’s soil has disappeared and 90% could be gone by 2050, according to the FAO.

Agroforestry is a when two production systems exist on the same plot of land. This generally involves trees and crops together, but can include animals. This combination creates a full ecosystem that balances itself out. Crops and trees don't need fertiliser because of animals. Animals have a buffet that they help provide for. Trees can provide valuable products. This system working together can create a diversified income stream that protects a farmers land.

Iberian pigs in a Spanish Dehesa

Agroforestry lacks a specific definition. This can be cork trees and pigs, in the Montados of Portugal. Or Cocoa farms under canopies of trees in Western Africa and South America. Income from crops or livestock is supplemented by products like hardwood, nuts and fruit.

This flexible definition gives standards bodies have a difficult time with agroforestry. The challenge is in defining when a piece of land becomes an agroforest and getting farmers to buy in. Often, agroforestry farmers don't get certified when these opportunities exist. When you speak to agroforestors, you realise that they do this out of desire to improve the quality of their land.

Why does it work?

Industrial farming creates monocultures. These farms have high yields, but exploit the soil. This creates soil erosion, and forces farmers to use artificial fertilisers to balance their soil.

Agroforestry allows more species to live in and contribute to an ecosystem. This protects topsoil, increases productivity, and improves water quality. These benefits come to the soil without human intervention.

Agroforestry is an age old technique. The practice has existed across the world for thousands of years. The last century was devastating to agroforestry. Traditions such as hedgerows between fields have been reduced in the name of yield per sq. meter.

Hedgerows in a German Field

Agroforestry can even improve yield and product quality. For example, beef. Cows are heat sensitive. The shade from agroforestry can give them refuge during hot summers, and build a better end product.

Carbon credits present a massive opportunity for agroforestry. As we’ve spoken about in the past, Carbon Credits are a market incentive to reduce pollution or innovate. They offer a mechanism for companies to offset their emissions and support projects that sequester carbon.

What’s hard about it?

While agroforestry is beginning to gain traction, it does have some headwinds. Conventional farmers, need two elements in a new project; profitability and an example.

European farmers need their EU subsidies. The code for subsidies makes agroforestry systems more difficult to get. The convoluted code disincentivises farmers to adopt these techniques. Oftentimes agroforestry projects aren't accepted in the CAP programs, because of their complexity.

Agroforestry takes time. Its profitability generally doesn't arrive until years after the first investments. Planting trees and changing systems is expensive. High value trees take years to grow. Switching to an agroforestry system takes a lot of learning and stumbling for farmers.

While Carbon Markets can be profitable in the future, they aren't there yet. At current prices, the market can't support the transition to agroforestry systems.

Agroforestry is also difficult to automate with modern farm equipment. Industrial agriculture is great for machinery, because there are no obstacles. As soon as you plant crops among trees, the variables become much harder to handle. This makes agroforestry systems are more labor intensive than industrial farms.

Where could it go?

While Agroforestry has its challenges, it is seeing explosive growth globally. Farmers in developing nations have turned to agroforestry to stabilise yields and income. Many companies are building technology solutions that help agroforestors maximise their land usage.

Cocoa plants living in a forest

The big barrier to agroforestry adoption is low price of carbon credits. Since the math doesn't add up yet, farmers are hesitant to begin. Agrofroestry projects are some of the highest quality Carbon Credits available. This allows them to command a high price over time. As more companies begin setting net 0 goals, the carbon markets will support more sustainable agriculture. As the demand for credits continues to outpace the supply, the prices for credits will explode within the next decade. This will help more farmers adopt these practices.

The EU Green deal promises to make Europe the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050. A major pillar of that is the farm to fork initiative. This focuses on sustainable food supplies across Europe. EU wide programs recognise agrofroestry as an important tool more often. As we say again and again, pay attention when governments incentivise a practice.

These policy initiatives, and innovation in the space give agroforestry potential to grow. From how model generation to biome research, the field is growing.

The best part of agroforestry is seeing it in action. It's agriculture in a way you've never seen. Walking through these areas is magical and feels alive. It’s what you imagined as a kid when you thought of a forest.

GIF