Agroforestry to meet climate, biodiversity and farming sustainability goals

Achieving sustainable agricultural production that fosters both climate change mitigation and adaptation and biodiversity preservation and enhancement is a policy objective that implies finding a balance with farm productivity, socio-economic viability and wider sustainability goals. Agroforestry systems include both traditional and modern land-use systems where trees are managed together with crops and/or animal production systems in agricultural settings. These systems have the potential to increase ecosystem services - including soil carbon sequestration, water retention, erosion control, soil nutrients, pollination, pest- and disease-control - and biodiversity, while improving farming productivity, profitability and sustainability of farmers’ incomes. Implementation of agroforestry in the EU and Associated Countries needs to be boosted in order to maximise this potential. The management of agroforestry systems is critical for their positive impact on climate and the environment as well as to ensure a balance with productivity and profitability for farmers. This is essential to promote the uptake and long-term sustainability of agroforestry.

Proposals should increase knowledge of the contribution of agroforestry to ecosystem services underpinning climate change mitigation and adaptation, increased biodiversity and farming resilience and boost the implementation of this type of farming systems in different pedo-climatic zones across the EU and Associated Countries. Proposals must implement the 'multi-actor approach' and ensure involvement of farmers and all other relevant actors in the value chain. Proposals should cover the conventional, agroecological and organic sectors. Proposals should build on and expand existing knowledge, tools and initiatives developed by Horizon 2020 projects, and where relevant ensure coordination with those projects/initiatives. Proposals should include a clear plan to collaborate with other projects selected under this topic. In order to achieve the expected outcomes, international cooperation is strongly encouraged. In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content is not a mandatory requirement.

Proposals should address at least five of the following activities:

• Design agroforestry systems for climate change (mitigation and adaptation) and increased (agro-)biodiversity that also ensure farming resilience to fluctuating climate, environmental and socio-economic conditions, farm income stability and enhanced ecosystem services, in different regions and pedo-climatic conditions;
• Develop methods and indicators that allow the identification of newly established agroforestry systems and monitor their performance over time. Analysis of trade-offs and synergies (e.g. between ecosystem services and between the environmental and socio-economic benefits) should be included;
• Develop models and tools adapted to real farm conditions and considering the full amount of food, feed (for systems including livestock), timber or biomass and ecosystem services produced, to allow the configuration and efficient management of agroforestry systems that take into account aspects such as tree renewal, adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses, selection and improvement of agricultural varieties and animals most suited for agroforestry, recovery and improvement of biodiversity, soil water related aspects, and erosion control, in different regions and pedo-climatic zones;
• Building on existing tools and methods where available, enhance quantification of the contribution of agroforestry to ecosystem services underpinning climate change (mitigation and adaptation) in relation to aspects such as carbon sequestration potential, stability of organic carbon in the soil (top- and sub-soil), reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, soil erosion control, pest and disease control, increased organic matter in (top- and sub-) soil, and nutrient recycling, and develop indicators. When animals are present, animal production, health and welfare aspects should be considered;
• Enhance quantification of the contribution of agroforestry to increased (agro)biodiversity, including on pollinators, and the linkages with soil quality and water quality and quantity, and develop indicators, as well as guidance for species selection;
• Improve knowledge of the economic, environmental and social performance of agroforestry systems and their contribution to sustainable food and feed / non-food biomass production, analysing their productivity and profitability for farmers and factors influencing farmers’ decision-making, and considering aspects such as crop / tree and livestock / tree combinations, factors explaining yield response variability, tree size, animal production, a mix of traditional and new systems and applications, etc. Identify needs for new equipment, machinery and management tools;
• Building on existing tools where relevant, develop a model to measure the impact of policies on agroforestry, both in terms of barriers or incentives to maintain existing agroforestry systems and to establish new ones. Sharing of experience among stakeholders as regards relevant common agricultural policy (CAP) support to agroforestry should be promoted. The potential of labelling of products linked to agroforestry in support of and complying with the current relevant legal framework and, when the scope of activities would cover the food system, the future EU framework for sustainability food labelling, should be investigated;
• Design and implement a plan to boost networking and research and innovation (R&I) support to agroforestry at regional level, building on and expanding existing networks and initiatives where available and relevant, and involving policy makers, regional authorities, institutions, researchers, consumers and other key stakeholders;
• Develop a training package and guidelines to support farmers in designing business plans linked to value chain development to put in place and manage agroforestry systems in different regions.