Data-harnessing tools tap potential of agroforestry
Agroforestry (AF), which combines agricultural and forestry practices, is known to offer a range of benefits(opens in new window) such as better climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity enhancement and soil conservation. However, widespread AF adoption by farmers has been hampered by a lack of clarity about how to best plan for, and monitor, the intended economic, environmental and social benefits. “Another challenge is that agroforestry is highly context-dependent, reliant on local knowledge to maximise its productivity, profitability, sustainability and wider ecosystem services,” says Marie Gosme, coordinator of the EU-funded DIGITAF(opens in new window) project.
Co-designing to meet stakeholder needs
DIGITAF was launched to encourage AF uptake through leveraging advances in digital technologies. The idea was to collect, synthetise and analyse AF data, in order to create decision-making support tools with the help of farmers and other key value chain stakeholders. To achieve this, the project team identified three key groups to collaborate with. The first, AF practitioners, included farmers and landowners seeking increased productivity and economic performance through more sustainable practices. The second group included policymakers and administrations who create, apply and monitor AF-related regulations, at regional, national and European levels. Lastly, product and service beneficiaries, including wholesalers, retailers and organisations trading carbon sequestration and biodiversity benefits were identified. The DIGITAF project established Living Labs in six countries Czechia, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom(opens in new window) comprising representatives of these different target groups to identify priority needs, knowledge gaps and the limitations of existing tools. Work was also undertaken to map the relationships between stakeholders along the value chain. “Responsibility for successful agroforestry implementation doesn’t rest with farmers alone, the value chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” explains Waas Thissen, Living Labs coordinator. A financial analysis of a representative farm in each Living Lab was also conducted to enable comparisons between AF systems and baseline treeless systems. “Our results showed a huge diversity in the financial performance (of agroforestry),” adds Gosme. “For example, payback periods ranged from three in the Finnish case study to 13 years in the British case study.” This suggests the importance of locally sensitive financial support, such as subsidies.
Putting 20 agroforestry tools to the test
Some 20 tools were developed, or improved, and showcased in an open-access catalogue(opens in new window). The catalogue has been organised by AF stage (familiarisation, system design, planting, managing, assessing, predicting performance or understanding detailed mechanisms), and system type, such as silvoarable or silvopastoral. Each Living Lab selected tools to trial, based on their specific needs and interests – such as AF system design and performance, carbon farming, financial analysis, biodiversity and soil health. They were then rated for usability and usefulness, with users providing specific recommendations for improvements. Once the tools have been improved, they will be introduced to a wider audience through a series of webinars. Crucially, the tools were also assessed against ‘FAIR’ (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability and Reusability) principles using a DIGITAF-developed scoring sheet. Examples of successes include the LPIS integrator(opens in new window) and the LPIS Sustainability Compass(opens in new window), which, for the first time provide Europe-wide access to the Land Parcel Identification System (LPIS) overlayed with open-access Copernicus (and other) datasets. This allows detailed landscape analyses of environmental impacts and comparisons with neighbouring farms.
More data for more benefits
AF is recognised as a promising solution for climate change adaptation (e.g. through microclimate) and mitigation (e.g. through carbon storage in trees and soil), combined with increased resilience (e.g. through crop diversification) and biodiversity (e.g. through hedge use). Designed to enhance these benefits, the tools and techniques of DIGITAF align well with the aims of a range of EU policies such as the European Green Deal(opens in new window), farm to fork strategy(opens in new window) and forest strategy for 2030(opens in new window). “Some of our tools could already be having an impact, such as the ‘Tree Desert Map’(opens in new window) which identifies regions with the least tree cover, to help decision-makers better target their tree-planting efforts,” says Gosme. Meanwhile, through experimentation with pioneering farmers, the team continues to increase the available stock of AF data, poised to take advantage of technological advances in areas such as AI.
