Practice and science develop a basis for a Europe-wide knowledge platform on the subject of agroforestry
The third RAIN workshop in Germany took place in Cobbel (Stendal district, Saxony-Anhalt) on the 19th of June, where scientists, practitioners, agricultural advisors, entrepreneurs and a representative from the Federal State Ministry of the Environment came together to discuss further support for agroforestry systems. The meeting was organized by the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) with the working group “Agricultural Economics and Ecosystem Services” as the German partner of AF4EU. The workshop was held in cooperation with Warnke-Agrar GmbH, a Naturland organic farm with over 1,000 hectares, which is one of the largest agroforestry pioneer farms in Saxony-Anhalt.
The European funding project AF4EU undertakes extensive activities to promote agroforestry systems across Europe by creating a basis for knowledge creation and further training, developing innovative agroforestry value chains and providing decision support for practitioners and advisors in the future. As we have mentioned, the third workshop meeting of the AF4EU project in Germany took place in Cobbel, a rural area in the Stendal district of the federal state Saxony-Anhalt, to discuss these important topics in more detail with interested stakeholder groups while collecting suggestions, impulses and ideas to be incorporated into the further development of the project. One major aspect of this workshop was to collect suggestions for topics of different dissemination materials, which are to be incorporated into a joint knowledge platform. Dr. agr. Peter Zander, head of the working group «Agricultural Economics and Ecosystem Services» at ZALF, explained:
The AF4EU knowledge platform will create a central, Europe-wide knowledge tool for providing a wealth of relevant information on agroforestry and ecosystem services. RAIN members and other interested parties will have the opportunity to contribute to the content of these information materials.
In addition, the regional extension and training plan for future agroforestry advisors was presented and discussed. The theoretical part of the workshop was supplemented by the presentation of a first prototype of the online decision support system and small group work on agroforestry value chains.
A special highlight of the event was an agroforestry excursion tour through the farm of Christian Warnke. Under the title «Land for Tomorrow», he and his colleague, Dr. Uta Mitsch, are currently developing one of the largest agroforestry systems in Saxony-Anhalt. Since 2020, numerous trees and shrubs have already been planted in strips over an area of around 120 hectares. The participants of the workshop were inspired by the special landscape characterized by the alternation of fast-growing rows of poplars and species-rich agroforestry strips on a sustainably managed arable site. This atmosphere was accompanied by numerous buzzing and humming insects indicating a high level of biodiversity.
When it comes to agroforestry Christian Warnke, agricultural manager at Warnke-Agrar GmbH, whose farm was also the winner of the national competition “Land.Vielfalt.Leben.” in 2021 due to its insect-friendly farming practices, explains his motivation as follows:
Agroforestry systems represent a future-oriented solution approach for agriculture, as versatile ecosystem services emanate from them. These ecosystem services are becoming increasingly relevant in the fight against climate change, the prevention of erosion and in other areas of resource protection. As a farmer, I can also continue to maintain the status and agricultural productivity of my land, as agroforestry systems can be established with legal certainty in Germany since 2023.
