The 9th Forum Agroforestry Systems will take place from 27-28.09.2023 in Freiburg.
The Forum Agroforestry Systems is an event for the exchange of science and practice on agroforestry that has been taking place since 2009. Next year, DeFAF is co-hosting the forum with the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg. With various field trip opportunities on Sept. 27 and the main conference day for technical papers and discussions on Sept. 28, there will be something for everyone interested in agroforestry. For further information check the DeFAF website.
Fact sheet on the multiple use of soils with agroforestry systems, the diverse design options of agroforestry are vividly presented. In addition to forest gardens and the keeping of farm animals, the cultivation of special crops and edible mushrooms is also examined in more detail. Once again, it becomes clear that agroforestry is an important approach for efficient land use and also for a sustainable intensification of agriculture. This is because multiple land use makes sense not only because of the possible synergies between woody plants and arable crops or farm animals. The topic sheet, which was developed as part of the AgroBaLa project, is thus the second edition of the DeFAF topic sheets, which take up different aspects of agroforestry.
DeFAF guideline to Soil Surveys in Strip-Shaped Agroforestry Systems. Agroforestry systems are highly variable in terms of design. In order to be able to carry out comparable investigations in the different systems despite this, a uniform approach for the collection of the individual parameters is required. A new DeFAF guide presents a research design that is recommended as a minimum standard for conducting pedological surveys in stripe-shaped agroforestry systems. In addition to the pedological "hard facts" such as sampling depth and time, the guideline focuses on sampling in transect design. This method makes it possible to mirror and study the heterogeneity of the soil in a strip-shaped agroforestry system.
The guidelines were produced as part of the project "Agroforstsysteme Hessen", funded by the Hessian Ministry for the Environment, Climate Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection.
A new children's book by DeFAF deals with this question, which explains the meaning and purpose of agroforestry systems in a child-friendly way. On a total of 48 pages, it tells the story of 9-year-old Alex, who experiences first-hand why planting and using trees in agriculture can be very useful. Not only does she encounter the wind sweeping across the fields, but she also gets to know different animals, their needs and why trees are so useful to them. With Sonja and Florian, who create an agroforestry system on their farm, Alex finds answers to her many questions.
The book was financed by the German Postcode Lottery with the aim to develop a book that describes to children the benefits of trees in agriculture for the production of raw materials and food as well as for climate and species protection
Klimapraxis is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote a constructive, sustainable agriculture and thus to put climate protection into practice.
Such regenerative agriculture includes a system of cultivation methods and principles. As a result, humus can be built up, soil fertility improved and carbon sequestered in the soil. In this way, regenerative agriculture contributes to climate protection.
Soils can store more water and are therefore better protected against drought and erosion by wind or heavy rain. Biodiversity is increasing. Landscape design can improve local water cycles. Overall, the resilience of the food and agriculture system is increasing.
In order to achieve these goals, Climate Practice offers the following services: project development, project and cooperation management as well as communication and accompanying research.
This year, for the first time, DeFAF e.V. is offering extensive training on agroforestry for farmers and consultants. The two annual courses take place within the framework of the Agroforestry Academy, which is to be developed in the long term as a recognized educational center for topics related to agroforestry. Registration for the courses is possible from 7 February 2022.
As a climate-adapted and sustainable form of land use, agroforestry is receiving increasing attention in politics and society – from 2023, agroforestry systems will be eligible for funding via agricultural policy and the increasing interest in the establishment of new agroforestry systems is already evident. With the Agroforestry Academy, an offer is now being created with which agricultural practitioners and consultants can acquire the knowledge for the planning and management of agroforestry systems in a practical manner. In addition to theoretical basics, the courses convey practical knowledge on topics such as planting techniques, woody species selection and concrete planning methods. The content is partly conveyed in the form of online seminars as well as on several face-to-face dates at a total of three different locations in Germany. In addition, especially in the agroforestry planning course, concrete tasks must be prepared in self-study and presented in the group. For the most direct practical relevance possible, both courses are linked to each other: on two dates, both course groups come together and the operating areas of the participating practitioners can serve as practical case studies in the course for the consultants. The number of participants per course is limited to 15.
The participants of the agroforestry practical course receive a certificate of participation after completion of the training. In the agroforestry planning course, the participants conclude the training with the presentation of their own agroforestry project, which is reviewed by an expert committee. Upon successful completion, a course certificate will be issued by DeFAF e.V.
The project focus on opportunities for sustainable land use and regional value creation in the Dresden region. The research focuses on the investigation of microclimatic effects of agroforestry structures on their immediate surroundings, such as streams, as well as analyses of woody plant physiology and vegetation development in and around the agroforestry system. OLGA aims to promote the implementation of agroforestry systems along streams. The project has a duration of 5 years (04/2020 – 03/2025) and will develop a transferable solution for the implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive, taking into account regional economic relations, interests of landowners, flood prevention, and participation of the population in equal measure. The project results intensify the economic development of rural areas through urban-rural cooperation and social cohesion in the region of Dresden..
Agroforestry systems are hardly implemented in agricultural practice in Germany, despite their numerous beneficial effects. Existing woody structures such as hedgerows, copses or windbreaks are little recognized and are predominantly seen as a disruptive factor of efficient farming.
The reasons for the insufficient attention paid to agroforestry systems are diverse and vary from region to region. They range from a lack of information
regarding their environmental performance and innovative value creation opportunities, inadequate advisory services, economic and technical inadequacies, a lack of regional utilization options, as well as legal uncertainties. The few research projects that have so far focused on agroforestry in Germany have focused on the survey and evaluation of the on the collection and evaluation of basic scientific data.
Against this background, the Innovation Group (IG) AUFWERTEN has dealt intensively with practice-relevant questions on agroforestry.
AUFWERTEN has formulated options for action to establish agroforestry more firmly in Germany. The handbook comprehensively analyzes the current situation of agroforestry in Germany and provides ideas and impulses for improving the framework conditions. It is intended to convey the essential possibilities and opportunities of agroforestry in a concise form in a way that facilitates thinking in contexts. The user will therefore find numerous cross-references to tools and methodological formats to successfully take the necessary steps towards more agroforestry. Both practical experiences and conceptual ideas are presented in a concise and topic-specific manner.
The project investigates the contribution of agroforestry to climate and soil protection as well as the perception of the effects on society. The focus is on a "citizen science approach", i.e. the collection of data on existing agroforestry areas with the close participation of citizens. The project has a duration of one year (2021 – 2022) and it is funded by WWU Münster Foundation.
The field data collections within the project take place on the areas of currently six farms (see map below). These are several rows of trees arranged in parallel (so-called "Alley Cropping Systems", as the most common design of modern agroforestry systems in Germany).
The aim of the project funded by the MLUK Brandenburg within the framework of the promotion of conceptual cooperation for market-oriented and site-adapted land management (Part A) is to provide scientific and organizational support for the implementation of agroforestry as a new AUKM for an innovative and environmentally sound land management method envisaged in Brandenburg. The planned work in the implementation period 23.03.2020 to 31.12.2022 is carried out in coordination with the Ministry of Agriculture, Environment and Climate Protection (MLUK) and builds on the predecessor project "UKM Agroforst - Agroforestry as an agro-environmental and climate measure". The concept support project covers the fields of action public relations (I), identification of further reference areas (II), the perception of consulting services of agricultural enterprises (III), the implementation of the control capability in practice (IV) as well as the technical evaluation of the intervention proposal (V). The individual focal points represent building blocks of the planned concept management, which serves to accompany a possible implementation of the concept for an AUKM agroforestry and to contribute to the implementation of the land use from agroforestry as a new, eligible measure of environmentally sound agricultural production methods within the framework of the Cultural Landscape Program (KULAP) of the state of Brandenburg.
