EIP-AGRI Focus Group on Agroforestry: Final report

This report presents the findings of the EIP-AGRI Focus Group on 'Agroforestry: Integrating woody crops into specialised crop and livestock systems'. Agroforestry, here defined as the practice of integrating woody vegetation with crops and/or livestock systems, is a historical approach to farming that is being re-discovered. Agroforestry practices have the potential to be regenerative, improve and increase ecosystem services at the local and landscape level, and to improve farming productivity and profitability. These practices can be applied to create profitable systems, while capturing carbon, improving biodiversity, controlling erosion, and improving water resource management. Therefore, there is a growing interest in developing modern, viable agroforestry systems within the EU. The FG investigated challenges, opportunities, existing practices and ways forward to further develop agroforestry systems in Europe. The main question was: How to develop agroforestry as a sustainable farming system which can boost agricultural productivity and profitability?