Support of the DeFAF

Agriculture and climate are closely intertwined. On the one hand, food crops are suffering dramatically from the effects of climate change. Extreme weather conditions delay the growing seasons, droughts cause fruit and vegetables to wither, and heavy rainfalls drown and damage the harvest. On the other hand, agriculture itself makes a significant contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions.

The German Association for Agroforestry (DeFAF) e.V. is committed to increasing the promotion and use of agroforestry in Germany.
Combining woody plants, agricultural or horticultural crops, and possibly keeping livestock characterises agroforestry. Such multifunctional land use has many ecological, but also economic advantages. There are summarised in an overview by DeFAF .

On September 29 and 30, 2021, the conference took place in Bernburg (Saale) under the slogan “Thinking agriculture differently”. More than 300 participants from science, agriculture and society took part in the event to discuss the benefits, advantages, and disadvantages. In addition to questions pertaining to nature conservation and environmental services, various cultivation methods and the potential of agroforestry for communities and regions were highlighted. Interested participants were also able to visit two agroforestry research projects on site.
Despite current funding obstacles, some individuals have decided to think about agriculture differently.