Agroforestry Futures
Lead Research Organisation:
Robert Gordon University
Department Name: Gray's School of Art
Abstract
UK nature-based solutions, such as tree planting, must engage with the agricultural sector, given that agriculture uses more than 70 per cent of the land in the UK and is a major emitter of greenhouse gases (GHGs). Meeting the UK's tree planting targets and reducing agricultural GHG emissions may require converting current agricultural land to alternative land-uses. Agroforestry, where trees are deliberately combined with agriculture on the same piece of land, is one alternative land-use that maintains food production, but which can also drive down GHG emissions, deliver key ecosystem services, and create and improve (rural) livelihoods. Agroforestry supports several goals not only relevant to Net Zero, but for the UK government's 25 Year Environment Plan and Clean Growth Strategy. However, the environmental and societal benefits of agroforestry can only be realized through widespread adoption by key stakeholders, including farmers and land managers. The overall objective of the AF Futures project is to co-develop strategies to overcome barriers to, identify facilitators of, and increase opportunities for agroforestry practices in different UK contexts. Research focused on understanding the similarities in preferences and perceived challenges identified by different stakeholder groups, as well as how these might be addressed in local and national contexts will be conducted with AF futures, using a multidisciplinary approach. Integration of the natural, social and economic, sciences and arts and humanities is central to activities within AF Futures. Research addressing how regulatory structures, economic incentives, socio-economic drivers and impacts, and agronomic intervention shape agroforestry practices will be integrated through different disciplinary lenses. The arts and humanities will be used to create visual transitions from past representations of agroforestry to agroforestry futures, which integrate socio- economic outcomes and future biodiversity and ecosystem services, if adoption of different particular agroforestry approaches occurs.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
Jennifer Clarke (Principal Investigator) |
Title | Weathering the Forest |
Description | This is a new moving image work that considers the theme of sensory ecology: "Weathering the Forest: Boundaries, atmosphere, breath" (working title) - one outcome from a cross-disciplinary project (Agro-Forestry Futures/Treescapes) that aims to 'co-create' agro-forestry futures. This work explores new materialist ideas around climate imaginaries, specifically transcoroporeality and 'weathering' (Neimanis & Walker, 2013) through movement and breath, in the forest. Taking a feminist approach, employing performative, visual and anthropological practices, this multi-modal work attends to the complexities of forests in terms of weathering and weather-bodies, asking how might we develop sensorial awareness of entangled human-nonhuman relations? |
Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
Year Produced | 2023 |
Impact | The exhibition will be held in May, 2023. I will update this with relevant impacts after the exhibition. |
Description | Creative Carbon Scotland |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | News article ": Robert Gordon University research supports the expansion of treescapes in the UK" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/news-treescapes-research/ |
Description | Guest Blog on the role of arts in climate research by me |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/guest-blog-power-of-arts-in-climate-action/ Blog post by me (Jen Clarke) on Creative Carbon scotland |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
URL | https://www.creativecarbonscotland.com/guest-blog-power-of-arts-in-climate-action/ |
Description | MERL (Museum of English Rural Life) Youth Panel Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Creative Sensory Workshop for the MERL's Youth Panel participants, in collaboration with artist/consultant Simone Kenyon. This event will be followed by a series of events in summer 2024. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Research Presentation to Architecture Dept. |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Talk : Research Presentation to Architecture Dept. which led to invitation to a public talk in Edinburgh SEDA Health and Wellbeing group on Thriving with Trees, |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |