On 12–13 November, the Irish Agroforestry Forum (IAF), in collaboration with Teagasc Forestry, hosted Ireland’s National Agroforestry Conference titled “TREES, FOOD AND THE FUTURE” in Athenry, County Galway. The event included a field visit to Teagasc’s agroforestry demonstration plots and brought together leading voices from farming, research, advisory services, and public policy to discuss the future pathways of agroforestry in Ireland.
AF4EU played a central role in the conference programme, as John Casey, representing the Irish RAIN group, presented the final outcomes and achievements of the AF4EU Horizon Europe project. His presentation highlighted:
the establishment of 11 Regional Agroforestry Innovation Networks (RAINs) across Europe,
the identification of 33 sustainable business models for agroforestry farming, and
the development of the AF4EU Knowledge Platform designed to support advisory services and strengthen value chains.
Aligned with European innovation strategies, AF4EU’s results were shown to demonstrate how agroforestry can boost rural development, enhance resilience, stimulate local economies, and provide concrete pathways for farmers to transition towards climate-smart and multifunctional production systems.
The conference was officially opened by Michael Healy-Rae, Minister of State for Forestry, Horticulture and Farm Safety, followed by contributions from a strong line-up of researchers, practitioners, and farmers sharing technical expertise and real-life experiences on agroforestry integration, orchard systems, poultry production, hazelnut agroforestry, mixed hedgerows, forest gardens and agroecological design.
Panel discussions and Q&A sessions encouraged dialogue between experts, policymakers, and farmers, offering a platform to connect innovative solutions with local needs and national priorities.
IAF, one of the Irish AF4EU RAIN partners, had already been collaborating with the project for the past two years through farmer-focused field events and forester training initiatives, reflecting the project’s commitment to building long-term capacity and accelerating agroforestry adoption throughout Europe.
Photographs from the event will be shared with AF4EU to showcase the strong engagement of Irish stakeholders and to document the project’s European impact.
This conference represented an important milestone in AF4EU, positioning Ireland as an active contributor to Europe’s agroforestry transition and giving national visibility to the project’s final results.
