26/09/2019
On 5 September 2019 Dr. Paul Burgess, Reader in Crop Ecology and Management, joined agroforesters from across Britain at the official launch of the first “UK Agroforestry Handbook.” The book, which is published by the Soil Association, is written specifically for farmers and advisors.
Speaking at the launch, he explained that the publication of a farmer-friendly handbook on agroforestry was particularly timely. In August, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published a new report on “Climate Change and Land” which identified agroforestry – growing trees on farmland to promote healthier soil and higher yields - as one of the top two ways for land managers to address the challenges of climate change, land degradation, and food security. In the same week as the book launch, the National Farmers Union published their report “Achieving Net Zero; Farming’s 2040 goal” which highlights the importance of farm businesses storing carbon using hedges, trees, and soil to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint.
Dr. Burgess also explained that agroforestry can offer benefits in terms of reducing ammonia emissions, nitrate leaching and soil erosion along with enhancing on-farm biodiversity. As highlighted in a recent Cranfield research paper, these benefits mean that it is economically rational for the UK government to support agroforestry because of the public, social and environmental benefits.
The intention of the UK Agroforestry Handbook is to give farmers and advisors the confidence and inspiration to start their own agroforestry systems. To help encourage this, the book launch was followed by a visit to see an agroforestry system integrating apple trees and organic vegetables, on the Prince of Wales’ farm in Gloucestershire. Silvopastoral systems which combine trees with livestock, or with arable and horticultural crops, are some of the most common forms of UK agroforestry. The production of the handbook builds upon research completed at Cranfield University over the past 27 years, such as the silvoarable system planted at Silsoe in 1992 - part of a UK network of sites that determined the effects of agroforestry on-farm profitability, biodiversity, and carbon storage. The experiment also formed a basis of some of the thesis projects for Cranfield alumni.
Dr. Burgess states that the evidence showing the public benefits of agroforestry are clear. He anticipates that the drive for farms to achieve net-zero emissions will mean that the amount of agroforestry in the UK will only increase.
The UK Agroforestry Handbook is available to download online, through the support of the John Ellerman Foundation.
More information and support on best practices for farming with trees can be found from The Farm Woodland Forum, based at Cranfield University.