Yale-led Study Highlights Benefits of Forest-Based Agroforestry

The benefits of forest-based agroforestry have been overshadowed by tree-planting efforts, a new study led by Yale School of the Environment scientists found. Forest-based agroforestry integrates crop production into existing forests, and the study reveals that it can support forest health and biodiversity, enhance carbon sequestration and storage, and generate economic benefits for local communities through sustainable harvesting of forest products (such as fruits, nuts, and medicinal plants). Furthermore, it can align with Indigenous and traditional land stewardship practices. In their consideration of potential benefits, the study authors distinguish between industrial agroforestry practices in the tropics and sustainable, forest-based agroforestry management systems that could be used in temperate and boreal forests.
Related ATTRA podcast: Episode 371: Forest Farming with ‘Joe Ginseng’