AGROFORESTRY
We are working with a landowner in Scotland to help promote the planting of trees alongside existing agricultural systems
What is agroforestry?
Put simply it is the purposeful planting of trees within the existing agricultural systems on the same piece of land. It bridges between forestry and agriculture and can provide additional incomes for farmers. Along with many biodiversity and soil benefits.
Types of Agroforestry
Silvoarable systems - lines of crops growing between lines of trees
Silvopastoral systems - livestock grazing between lines of trees
Hedgerow with standards - new hedgerows that include a number large standard trees
Shelterbelts - placed in strategic places across a farm to create small woodlands or wider hedgerows providing shelter to crops and animals
Forest farming - includes traditional orchards
Riparian forest buffers - boarder rivers, streams and waterways. Provide bank stability, flood management.
The trees planted are usually selected because they will provide additional services:
- fruit and nut trees
- sawlogs or fuelwood
- native trees selected to provide ecological, physical and biological function
Why agroforestry?
There is great potential with these systems to enhance biodiversity and sequester carbon.
Trees within these systems help improve soil health. Helping to build resilience on our farms and food systems.
Around 72% of land in the UK is used for agriculture, however, only 3.3% has some form of agroforestry on it.
Why isn’t there more agroforestry?
Lack of knowledge, amongst farmers, of how to integrate trees within existing business models
Cost of the trees and long-term management are all daunting risks to take on
Add to this a lack of funding and you can begin to see why only 3.3% of agricultural land is agroforestry
What is 9Trees offering?
We are offering a unique opportunity for people and businesses to help plant and look after trees where we need them the most.
We will provide the support that farmers need to move into agroforestry
We will connect the local community to these trees
This will help farmers improve the soil, diversify the land, support food production, connecting local communities, education and voluntary/work opportunities
Who are we working with?
We are working with Johnnie, a Scottish farmer, who is looking to improve the soil health of his farm. He knows the best way to do this is by introducing trees into his existing farm system but hasn’t integrated trees into his farm previously, so we are working together
How you can help
The easiest way you can help is by giving directly into our agroforestry fund. This can be as little as £4 a month.
What this will do is allow us to plant trees onto farmland, look after them and help connect farmers and locals.
Which is why we want to make it clear that with the approach we are taking 9Trees will be responsible for the planting and management of the trees.
It is important to us that local people can benefit, the Soil Association state that agroforestry is vitally important to our farming and for people to get involved. But it is really difficult for people and farmers to make those connections.
This is where your money helps, it helps us to facilitate and connect those people, for new opportunities to form.
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