AF4EU Final Conference ‘Think Agroforestry: Enhancing Business Models and Advisory Services’
The Final Conference of AF4EU “Think Agroforestry: Enhancing Business Models and Advisory Services,” took place on November 10th 2025 at COPA-COGECA headquarters in Brussels.
Organised by the University of Santiago de Compostela and FEUGA, the event gathered experts, researchers and practitioners from across Europe for a full day of knowledge exchange and discussion on how agroforestry can strengthen business models, improve advisory services, and enhance farmers’ position within agricultural value chains.
A milestone event for European agroforestry
The conference opened with welcoming remarks from COPA-COGECA, followed by an overview of the project’s strategic objectives. Presentations throughout the programme addressed a broad range of topics, from agroforestry monitoring and assessment to business innovation and advisory cooperation.
Elaine Springgay from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) shared insights on global agroforestry monitoring frameworks, while María Rosa Mosquera-Losada, AF4EU Project Coordinator (USC), reflected on the project’s efforts to empower farmers through knowledge exchange and policy support. John Casey from Teagasc discussed the present and future of agroforestry advisory services, Seyed-Ali Hosseini-Yekani from ZALF about agroforestry business models, and Anastasia Pantera from the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA) presented experiences from Mediterranean mountain systems, highlighting the importance of integrating traditional practices with innovation.
An interactive demonstration of the AFI-Bus Decision Support System allowed participants to explore one of AF4EU’s key tools to support agroforestry planning and decision-making. The event also welcomed contributions from related European projects such as EU4ADVICE, CORENET, and GREENCOOP, which showcased complementary approaches to strengthening advisory networks, short food supply chains, and cooperative business models that can support the wider adoption of agroforestry across Europe.S
Looking ahead
The day concluded with final reflections led by María Rosa Mosquera-Losada, summarising the project’s main achievements and discussing future perspectives for agroforestry research, policy, and practice in Europe.
The Think Agroforestry conference marked an important milestone in the AF4EU project, reinforcing collaboration among European initiatives and showcasing the collective progress made toward more sustainable and resilient land use systems. The discussions and exchanges held in Brussels highlighted AF4EU’s continued contribution to promoting agroforestry as a multifunctional, economically viable, and climate-smart agricultural approach, fully aligned with the objectives of the European Green Deal.
