Agroforestry Futures
Lead Research Organisation:
Newcastle University
Department Name: Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
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
- Newcastle University (Lead Research Organisation)
- Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (Collaboration)
- Fera Science Limited (Collaboration)
- FOREST RESEARCH (Collaboration)
- Forestry Commission England (Project Partner)
- Northumberland County Council (Project Partner)
- Fera Science (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Agricultural Development Advisory Service (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Woking Borough Council (Project Partner)
- BioDiversity International Ltd (Project Partner)
Description | DEFRA Agroforestry report |
Organisation | Department For Environment, Food And Rural Affairs (DEFRA) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | lead: Francisco Areal , Northumbria University. Collaborator. Lynn Frewer and Beth Clark, Newcastle University. |
Collaborator Contribution | Quantitative survey triangulated against focus groups to understand the preferences of English farmers for Agroforestry practices . Report submitted and under review by DEFRA |
Impact | This is a multidisciplinary project, in particular combining for this report environmental economics with modelling. |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | FERA |
Organisation | Fera Science Limited |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Developing policy outcomes |
Collaborator Contribution | Codeveloping research approaches |
Impact | CoDesign of interventions |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Forest England |
Organisation | Forest Research |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | collabaoration re: reserch design, surveys for farmers |
Collaborator Contribution | collabaoration re: reserch design, surveys for farmers |
Impact | yes- enviorenmntal sciences and environmental economics |
Start Year | 2023 |
Description | Collaborative workshop with an increasing range of stakeholders |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
Results and Impact | Codesign of food system with stakeholders: Food and Drink Federation; Spoon Guru; Derry City & Strabane (District Council); Ards and North Down (Borough Council); Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs; Department of Health; Food NI; Food Standards Agency; Seafish; Apex Community Supermarket; McDonald's; Devenish; Moy park; Fish City; Eurofir - QUADRAM; QUADRAM; Omniaction; Restore nutrition |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |