The industrial agricultural system is destroying our planet (see the introduction of the previous blog). But this can be done differently, the agricultural system can be redesigned into a impact-positive regenerative food producing system. It all starts with a proper understanding of (eco)system at the location. This understanding is a necessary input for the system that is to be designed. Every location at this planet is different, so every location at this planet requires a (slightly) different design.
The system that is to be designed must maximize the links and dependencies in between plants, but also between plants, soil life and animals, in order to achieve the greatest possible diversity and stability, which ensures the highest possible yield in the long term (multi-layer polyculture instead of monoculture). Although this results in a lower yield per hectare per cultivated crop, you can achieve a greater total yield per hectare. You get the multi-layer system by including shrubs and trees in the design in addition to herbaceous plants. This brings you to the field of agroforestry. Where agroforestry can play a role in the change of the agricultural system and what that requires, that is what this blog is about.
The system that is to be designed must maximize the links and dependencies in between plants, but also between plants, soil life and animals, in order to achieve the greatest possible diversity and stability, which ensures the highest possible yield in the long term (multi-layer polyculture instead of monoculture). Although this results in a lower yield per hectare per cultivated crop, you can achieve a greater total yield per hectare. You get the multi-layer system by including shrubs and trees in the design in addition to herbaceous plants. This brings you to the field of agroforestry. Where agroforestry can play a role in the change of the agricultural system and what that requires, that is what this blog is about.
Agroforestry
In a study carried out in 2015 a very useful scheme was published, that shows how agricultural systems can be built. The scheme is a triangle chart, consisting of 3 axes: amount of trees, crops and animals. Our very efficiently made agricultural systems are actually all in one of the corners of the triangle:- Crop cultivation is in the corner with 0% trees, 0% animals and 100% crops,
- Animal husbandry is in the corner of 0% trees, 0% crops, and 100% animals, en
- Forestry and fruit growing is in the corner of 0% animals, 0% crops and 100% trees.
|
| Source: https://www.agupdate.com/agriview/news/crop/agroforestry-fantastic-for-farms/article_13972a28-09eb-581e-85ec-c2e096eebbd7.html |
This brings you into the field of agroforestry. Agroforestry mimics the natural system. An important characteristic of natural systems is a rich diversity and a very high interdependence. The agroforestry system must therefore be designed in such a way that that natural spider web of an excess of interrelations and dependencies is created, so that a natural ecosystem is simulated. Then you will automatically work towards "growing with nature".
This involves a number of paradigm changes (see ook this training):
- Transition from traditional agriculture to agroforestry systems
- Transition from annual crops (in arable farming) to a mix consisting mainly perennials
- Transition from only herbaceous plants (in arable farming) to a mixture of herbaceous and woody plants as well
- Transition from monoculture to polyculture
- Transition from an open system to a closed system (closed cycle), and therefore much less inputs
- Conscious combination of trees, animals and plants
- Intensive management of the land, fertility, grazing and water
- Interactive relationships between trees, plants and food
- Integrated values of the farm and nature, erosion control.
In the image shown above there are some examples (but with your own creativity you can come up with many more possibilities):
These examples also show that it just depends on how much you want to adjust the system: do youturn it completely upside down (food forest), will the trees contribute mainly on the edges while the core of the system remains the same (row cultivation, wind barrier, or bank buffer), or do you find yourself somewhere in between? Ultimately, it is up to the landowner to choose what kind of system is designed on her/his land.- Forest farming/multistory farming and agroforests - this includes food forests
- Homegardens - the backyard, and perhaps the allotment, where trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants grow and bloom together
- Silvopastoral systems - the grazing fields with trees (shade for the animals, but also production)
- Alley cropping - row cropping with crops between rows of trees
- Riparian forest buffers - a riparian buffer or a stream buffer, a vegetated zone along a body of water
- Windbreaks - edges of fields that have been overgrown in order to remove the adverse effects of, for example, a cold northerly wind.
Conclusion
Traditional industrial monoculture farming works in the most effective food-producing system possible, with devastating consequences for the ecosystem. A switch is needed. The multi-layer food production is an agroforestry system, in which plants, shrubs and trees are planted in a well-thought-out system.
The crux here is to broaden the agricultural sectors that are fully focused on 1 product (only animals, only trees, or only crops) to a combination of these 3 aspects.
However, switching from traditional industrial monoculture agriculture to a regenerative system is also a paradigm change, which requires a completely different way of producing food, but also a different way of thinking from the farmer.
|
| Source: https://www.agroforesterie.fr/agroforesterie-contributions.php |
Sources:
- https://www.agroforesterie.fr/agroforesterie-contributions.php- http://www.agroforestry.net/overstory-back-issues/258-overstory-7-agroforestry-a-way-of-farming-that-can-work-for-everyone
- https://www.agupdate.com/agriview/news/crop/agroforestry-fantastic-for-farms/article_13972a28-09eb-581e-85ec-c2e096eebbd7.html
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275647662_Preliminary_stratification_and_quantification_of_agroforestry_in_Europe
- https://www.savannainstitute.org/courses/introduction-to-agroforestry/
Comments
Post a Comment