Agroforestry

What is agroforestry?

Agroforestry is a farming model existing for over 7000 years, which combines trees with vegetable crops, forestry or livestock in order to enjoy mutual benefits. There are 3 types of agroforestry, where Treesition exercises: agrisilviculture, which combines crops and trees, silvopastoralism combining breeding animals and trees and agrosilvopastoralisme joining trees, crops and livestock.

The benefits of agroforestry

Trees stabilize soils and increase their fertility , thanks to the roots or leaves which, when falling, will increase the proportion of organic matter. The choice of the tree must therefore focus on a species whose roots are deeper than the crops, to avoid competition for nutrients and have maximum benefits. The Paulownia is a perfect species for this. The roots of the trees help clean up the soil, regulate water flow and increase soil moisture. These also sequester CO₂, which regulates the climate. Agroforestry makes it possible to cushion climatic accidents, better manage natural resources and preserve biodiversity.

Limit the risks associated with agroforestry

The highest risk of agroforestry remains the possible competition between crops and trees. This competition can be for space, light, water, and soil nutrients. The choice of Paulownia nevertheless avoids this risk. Its roots develop in depth, and allow nutrients to rise to the surface. The pruning of Paulownia will be different depending on the type of agroforestry: for an association with animals, a dense canopy to serve as shelter for livestock will be chosen while a small canopy will be preferred for crops.

Another limit is the space occupied by trees on the field. An optimal inter-tree space is calculated to be as beneficial to the crops as it is to the trees. For farmers , the loss of land will be compensated by better yields, the development of resources and a financial return thanks to the wood from the trees.

The extra labor and costs that trees entail can cause problems for farmers. However, thanks to the partnership with Treesition, the planting, maintenance and sale of wood from the trees will not be the responsibility of the farmer but that of Treesition, and this free of charge.