Defra's decision not to make agroforestry projects eligible for funding under Pillar Two of the reformed Common Agricultural Policy has been slammed by sustainable farm groups. The groups have written to the Environment Secretary to complain.  

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In a letter to Defra boss Owen Paterson, sent last Tuesday (11th March), the Organic Research Centre, supported by more than 20 other organisations, said Defra had failed to recognise the potential of agroforestry. The letter called on the government to reverse its decision not to adopt measures to support agroforestry under the next English Rural Development Programme.

According to the ORC, more organisations have added their support since the letter was sent last week.

Agroforestry is essentially the reintegration of trees into farmland, which research suggests can provide more diverse, profitable, resilient and environmentally sustainable agriculture systems. Although in some areas the long time-frame and high set up costs associated with agroforestry projects has hindered wider roll-out, research suggests that there are manifold benefits from the interactive effects of combining trees with crops or livestock.

In the Southern United States silvo-pastoral (trees and livestock) systems have flourished, whilst French agricultural research institute INRA suggests 3,000ha are being given over to agroforestry in the country each year.

In October 2013, the EU Parliament announced €1 million (£844,000) funding for a new pilot project aimed at improving uptake of agroforestry. The scheme - Towards an integrated European agroforestry sector – seeks to drive 'genuine ownership' of agroforestry projects by farmers in the EU.

In the UK, Elm Farm is involved in the €6m (£5m) Agforward project, alongside INRA. The rural development project began in January this year and aims to take agroforestry forward in Europe over the next five years.  

Lack of government support

However, sustainable farm advocates at Elm Farm said they were concerned by the government's failure to support agroforestry under new CAP schemes.

Last week's letter to the environment secretary was written in response to an announcement in the House of Lords by Lord de Mauley (a minister in Mr Paterson's department) on 21st January. De Mauley said that, despite the potential benefits, Defra would not adopt Pillar 2 agroforestry measures as provided for under Article 23 of the new EU rural development regulation, or include an agroforestry option in the New Environmental Land Management Scheme.

OFC researchers responded that the government risks ignoring the "substantial environmental benefits of agroforestry, including biodiversity, soil, water and flood protection, combined with improvements in agricultural productivity." They said that, as a result of the government's failure to support agroforestry, farmers may under-estimate the approach, or be unable to find the necessary support to adopt agroforestry practices.

ORC Director Prof. Nic Lampkin, commented, "We feel that the time has come for agroforestry. Our research and that of many others has clearly demonstrated the potential benefits. By deliberately ignoring it, the government is missing a significant opportunity to deliver increased agricultural productivity, together with enhancement of environment and landscape."

UN rapporteur on the Right to Food, Olivier de Schutter, who released his final report last week, called on governments worldwide to increase funding for agroecological practices such as agroforestry, arguing that private sector support for these measures will not be forthcoming as, though they benefit farmers, the public and the environment, such measures have little to offer agribusinesses. He elaboarated, "Private companies will not invest time and money in practices that cannot be rewarded by patents and which don’t open markets for chemical products or improved seeds.”

Even so, there are clear benefits to investing in agroecology, as the ORF researchers showed. They pointed to an open letter to the Prime Minister by leading flood management experts, published in the Daily Telegraph on 21st February as just one example of an area where support for agroforestry could pay dividends. In their February appeal, the flooding experts urged for more tree planting to play a key part in future flood management efforts.