Prospects for silvoarable agroforestry at the European scale - Inra

Prospects for silvoarable
agroforestry
at the European scale
The end-users point of view...

Farmers’ issues
The SAFE project surveyed farmers from
7 European countries to describe their
attitude to modern agroforestry (WP2)

14 regions – 270 farmers

Are European farmers ready for
Agroforestry?
Face to face interviews with cereal farmers
who knew nothing about agroforestry

Are European farmers ready for
Agroforestry?
60%
Would you attempt a silvoarable project ?
50%
48%
40%
36%
30%
20%
16%
10%
0%
Yes Don't know No
48 % of European farmers interviewed would be interested to
introduce agroforestry plots on their farm…
(From 20% to 80 %, from Northern to Mediterranean countries)

Are European farmers ready for
Agroforestry?
They would envisage planting 20% of their farm with
agroforestry, in fertile or medium soil
But there is a strong variability depending on the
farmers’ objectives…

AF meets 8 objectives for European farmers
• Diversification
• Profitability
• Reversibility
• Feasibility
• Environnemental Impact
• Public perception of farmers activity
• Pleasure
• Social arrangement

Diversification

To diversify by planting trees in
agricultural land
LER = 1 LER > 1
Agroforestry is a progressive and productive
diversification of the farm activities

Profitability
This 60 year old walnut grove (156 trees/ha) is valued at 120 000 euros of
timber per hectare

Profitability
% of Farm Gross Margin without AF
175
150
125
100
75
Farm with 8% silvoarable area
Farm with 100 % of cropping area
178% 180% 191% 183%
Will significantly increase
the farm income in the long term
(x2 with walnut trees on 50%;
x1.2 with wild cherry on 20%)
50
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
% of the first tree rotation

Profitability
But farmers will not adopt agroforestry
only for long term profitability.
Profitability is relevant for successors who
will inherit of the trees.
The cash income during the first years
after the tree plantation is the major
financial concern for the farmer.

Reversibility

Feasibility
•Easy to master
•1 to 2 days/year/ha
• Labour optimization

Complying with GAEC and
European Directives...
Improving profitability
(hunting, inputs
Environmental impact

Farmer’s image

Pleasure and farm landscape

Tenant farmers and land owners can agree
to manage agroforestry plots
Social arrangement

What prospect for modern
silvoarable agroforestry in
Europe ?
The SAFE project predictions (WP8)

What potential in Europe?
• 90 Millions of hectares suitable for AF
• Including 65 millions d’hectares with
environmental problems that AF could mitigate
• But the concept is still confidential in most
countries (France is leading)

Where can SAF yield environmental benefits?
Arable land
Potential productive
growth of SAFE
tree species
natural
conditions
Problems of erosion
Low landscape diversity
N-leaching
‚Target area‘

Target areas
650’000 km 2
(40% of European
arable land)
Arable land
Potential productive
growth of SAFE
tree species
natural
conditions
Problems of
erosion
N-leaching
low landscape diversity
‚Target area‘

What future for Agroforestry ?
The French case
• Before 2001, agroforestry was not taken into account in the
French Regulations (CAP)
• In 2001, farmers obtained 3 reforms for silvoarable systems:
1. The intercrop area became eligible to the crop payment (1st pillar)
2. Owners could get a grant for tree plantation (2nd pillar)
3. Farmers could benefit from an agroforestry AEM
After 2001,
we observe a development of a modern agroforestry…

What future for modern silvoarable systems ?
The French case
1400
1200
Evolution of annual area planted in agroforestry
Years 2000-2005
1 500 ha
in 2006
1000
hectare
800
600
400
200
0 ha in
2001
0
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Year
Cumulated Existing In study Applicant

What future for Agroforestry ?
The French case
60%
50%
Interested
Undecided
Agains t
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Interview
Phone call
Evolution of the farmers’ interest 2 years after the interviews...

What future for Agroforestry ?
The French case
Interested
Undecided
Agains t
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
70 % of the
interested farmers
have already
initiated a project
0%
Interview
Phone call
Farmers maintained their interest 2 years after the interviews...

What future for Agroforestry ?
The French case
• It is considered in France that 20% of farmers may
introduce agroforestry on 10% of their farm within the next
20 years. This would result in 500 000 ha of agroforestry.
• It would reduce French agriculture production by less than
2%.
• It would produce enough high quality timber to meet France
needs for high quality timber in 2050.
• The environmental impact would be very positive

But existing regulations have to be improved
• The subsidy for tree plantation is currently not available for
most farmers : the regulations limit grants to experimental
projects including a follow-up work by a research institute!
• The AEM for agroforestry is no longer available, and was
only applied in two French Provinces.

In France also, the future of agroforestry
is therefore not bright
End-users need improvements of national
policies that would be facilitated by a
European example

What future for Agroforestry ?
80% of the farmers we interviewed want to be contacted again
Most of them want to visit some concrete experiences before taking decisions
“Your system is fantastic! Sorry to tell you
that, but if you don’t succeed to change the
European regulations to take into account the
agroforestry specifications, you are an idiot!
Sorry to tell you that but it’s true!!”
Mr Albert F. February 2004 – Champlitte France

But policy is another story…