Useful resources outside of Europe

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  1. A Tree Species Guide for Agroforestry in the UK

    This guide was produced by the University of Reading and Forest Research in partnership with Defra and the Expanding Agroforestry project stakeholder group. It aims to provide a simple and accessible overview of the key attributes (whether beneficial or detrimental) of tree species in UK agroforestry systems. Information on tree species characteristics has broader applicability within Europe. It is suitable for farmers interested in agroforestry, and other interested parties including farm advisers, foresters, and policymakers. It has been produced following a review of existing literature and databases, together with consultation with the stakeholder group. The guide comes with some important caveats, limitations and assumptions, which are discussed in the introduction.

  2. AFINET – A revitalization of a wood pasture in the Bakony

    This video is a Hungarian innovation tutorial video on wood pasture restoration aiming to share farmer experiences on agroforestry system management. Produced as part of the AFINET project, it features Antal Varga at Zöldág Farm in Hungary, which is a ReForest living lab farm. Find out more about it here https://agroreforest.eu/living-lab-hungary-olaszfalu/

  3. Agroforestry Pollinator Plantations for the Future

    The app will firstly give you access to Forest Research’s state-of-the-art Ecological Site Classification (ESC), APP model, giving you information on suitability of tree species, also allowing you to see how climate change will likely affect your holding. Future climate scenarios adopted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) show Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) of greenhouse gases concentration trajectory, all of which are considered possible depending on the volume of greenhouse gases emitted in the years to come. RCP is directly linked to global mean average temperature in Celsius. These tools will enable you to make an informed choice of which wild species trees have the greatest chance to survive climate change predictions on your land site. Information on other outputs from trees in farming to help you assess how it fits with your other enterprises and business is also included, as well as ideas for planting schemes and configurations. Planting in mixed species stands provides the best outcome for both tree species and their pollinators as this provides forage over a greater part of each season, helping ensure pollinators don’t starve. APP4future schemes also provide habitat and forage for pollinators, whose populations are declining. Supporting pollinators is vital for nature and our farmed landscape, increasing pollination and yields of all insect-pollinated crops.

  4. Association for Temperate Agroforestry

    The Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA) is a non-profit organisation working to promote and disseminate temperate agroforestry in North America. Its main focus is on education and outreach - including via a newsletter and technical publications. From the website you can access some information for free focusing particularly on definitions and benefits of different agroforestry systems, membership will give access to more in depth information via articles and a members only area. Every two years, AFTA hosts the North American Agroforestry Conference.

  5. ATTRA sustainable agriculture – Agroforestry

    National Center for Appropriate Technology’s ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program supports US farmers, ranchers, agriculture educators, and land managers. Trusted source of sustainable agriculture information and maintains a knowledge base of practical multimedia resources for farmers, ranchers, and educators. NCAT’s agriculture specialists work directly with farmers, ranchers, land managers, and others across the country to provide individualised technical assistance, offer practical learning opportunities, and facilitate meaningful connections among producers, experts, researchers, and industry professionals.

  6. Biochar for agroforestry in Poland

    Agroforestry, like any tree-related cropping system, has a problem with surplus wood and tree waster from pruning, harvesting and dead stock.This poster (presented at the EURAF 2024 conference) explores a potential solution of converting it into biochar and using it to improve soils or as charcoal to generate additional income. It focuses on biochar production in different locations in Poland.

  7. Can agroforestry systems be ordinary practices in Romania?

    In Romania, combining trees with crops and/or animals has been practiced over a long time in various forms and, at the same time, it is a concept not fully understood and not perceived as being based on independent science. This scientific paper aims to present a summary of the main types of agroforestry systems in Romania that were based on consulting relevant works and on the results of researchers and identifies what steps are needed to encourage promotion and implementation of agroforestry systems in the country.

  8. Czech Association for Agroforestry (CSAL)

    A voluntary non-profit organisation that promotes agroforestry practices in the Czech Republic. It connects the interests of agroforestry farmers, scientific organisations and agricultural consultants and focuses primarily on education, raising awareness and exchanging information about agroforestry between farmers, advisors and other groups. The goal of the association is to raise awareness of the alternative use of agricultural land in the style of agroforestry systems, and to improve the condition of the soil and the environment without reducing production. It is a very important platform for the exchange of information (the website hosts many useful resources such as videos, reports and newsletters), and organises meetings, educational events and presentations on agroforestry issues in the Czech Republic.

  9. Devon silvopasture network

    Seven farmers and a research farm in Devon, UK, are integrating trees with livestock on their farms and monitoring the impact on livestock behaviour, biodiversity and soil health metrics as part of a 12-year field lab through the Innovative Farmers programme involving the Woodland Trust, Organic Research Centre, Rothamsted Research and FWAG SW. Three designs are being tested, with a mixture of cluster planting, regular spacing and shelterbelts. The farm enterprises are a mixture of dairy, beef, sheep and arable. The Woodland Trust have worked with the farmers to design planting systems. Each design has been chosen to suit the grazing requirements of the farmers as well as fitting into the natural environment surrounding the chosen fields. Over 12 years, the farmers are monitoring tree establishment and factors that may affect this (fencing, wildlife, livestock interactions and the use of decoy rubbing posts and 'sacrificial willow' to distract livestock from protected trees and shrubs). The aim is to provide the first ever set of long-term data practically grounded in the reality of commercial farms. From this page you can access a series of short films featuring farmers explaining why there are researching silvopasture and detailed technical information on the three designs being tested.

  10. Farming with trees: a potential ‘win-win’ for sustainable food production and biodiversity?

    This downloadable pdf briefly explains the findings of a PhD study investigating the effects of integrating trees into arable land on biodiversity and food production. It provides information on the research questions, the farms involved, pests and weeds, benefits of allowing understoreys to flower, biodiversity and pollinators, and productivity and income. You can access the complete thesis and associated publications via the link.

  11. The Agroforestry Handbook

    This 150-page book, published in 2019, is downloadable from the Soil Association website. The handbook introduces the theory of agroforestry and looks at practical management and design considerations. There is also information on markets and pricing. It is divided into sections on what is agroforestry, agroforestry systems design, silvopasture, silvoarable, hedges, windbreaks, and riparian buffers, and the economic case for agroforestry. The authors are leading researchers and practitioners with decades of experience in agroforestry from around the world.

  12. USDA National Agroforestry Center

    Collection of agroforestry-related tools and information sources - vast library of training resources, publications, webinars, newsletters, technical guides, photos, and other media can be browsed and downloaded. You can also find more information about specific USDA programs and partner working groups and proceedings from agroforestry-related conferences.

  13. Wakelyns Agroforestry: Resilience through diversity

    Wakelyns, surrounded by a sea of large-scale conventional arable production, is an oasis of trees, alive with bird song and insects. Integrating trees for timber, energy and fruit production into an organic crop rotation, this 22.5 hectare innovative farm was established by the late plant pathologist, Prof. Martin Wolfe, to put into action his theories of agrobiodiversity being the answer to achieving sustainable and resilient agriculture. Marking 30 years of agroforestry at Wakelyns, this recently updated publication celebrates the work of Martin and Ann, fellow researchers from the Organic Research Centre and the wider research and Wakelyns community; as evolved and expanded on by their son David Wolfe and his wife Amanda from 2020. It tells the story of Wakelyns and includes sections on diverse cereal populations, impacts of added diversity on insects and birds, food and energy production, enterprise stacking, ramial woodchip trials, pond restoration and creation, research focused on tree / crop interactions, and sustainability assessments.

  14. Walnut in silvoarable alley cropping system. Startup and first results of a long-term practice-oriented agroforestry research field in Flanders, Belgium

    This poster (presented at the EURAF 2024 conference) presents the initial setup and early outcomes of a walnut-based silvoarable alley cropping system in Flanders, Belgium, demonstrating practical feasibility, ecosystem benefits, and tailored agroforestry practices to support adoption among Flemish farmers.

  15. World Agroforestry (ICRAF)

    The World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) is an international research centre based in Kenya that has been working on agroforestry in subtropical and tropical countries since 1978. The only institution that does globally significant agroforestry research in and for all of the developing tropics. Knowledge produced by ICRAF enables governments, development agencies and farmers to utilise the power of trees to make farming and livelihoods more environmentally, socially and economically sustainable at scales.