Not All Agroforestry Systems Are Created Equal (or Funded Equally)

"A new comment article published in Nature Climate Change makes the case for more forest-based agroforestry - integrating crops into existing forests - as an underutilized climate and livelihood solution. The authors find that there's a noticeable lack of funding for forest-based methods compared to field-based agroforestry, in which trees are added to pasture and croplands, which they say has led to missed opportunities for carbon storage and biodiversity."

"A lack of consensus and understanding on how to define agroforestry is another factor in the misalignment of intentions and outcomes of agroforestry as a climate solution. The authors call on policymakers and scientists to fund and study forest-based agroforestry methods with more rigor, especially in places where people depend on rural livelihoods such as agriculture. Not all agroforestry projects are funded equally, suggests a new comment paper published in Nature Climate Change."

"The article, published in late May, draws on literature and real-world examples of the lesser-known practice of mixing crops with standing trees. The authors define two categories of methods as "forest-based" versus "field-based" agroforestry. Forest-based refers to integrating crops into existing forests and ecosystems, whereas field-based refers to adding trees to pasturelands or croplands. The latter is not only much more common, but also much better funded, the authors report, in part because of misconceptions that forest-based methods lead to deforestation."

Forest-based agroforestry integrates crops into existing forests and ecosystems, while field-based agroforestry adds trees to pasturelands or croplands. Funding and project support are disproportionately directed toward field-based approaches, creating missed opportunities for additional carbon storage and biodiversity protection in standing forests. Lack of a clear, agreed definition of agroforestry contributes to misaligned intentions and outcomes for climate solutions. Misconceptions that integrating crops into forests inherently causes deforestation have skewed support away from forest-based methods, even though such methods can restore temperate ecosystems and support rural livelihoods. Policymakers and scientists should prioritize rigorous funding and study of forest-based agroforestry where rural communities depend on agriculture.

Read at Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine