Network to Innovate: Agroforestry
This time Network to innovate team joins forces with FOREST4EU and AF4EU Horizon Europe projects. The online workshop “Agroforestry” will take place on April 8, 2025.
In a nutshell, agroforestry means combining agriculture and trees. But what does it mean in practice - how to best combine trees, shrubs and hedges with crop farming or grazing?
What are the benefits of agroforestry? How could it best be applied in the Baltic Sea region?
Welcome to get inspired by agroforestry examples and to discuss the topic further.
The first part of the event will feature three inspiring presentations on the topic of agroforestry.
Following the presentations, we'll dive into a discussion round where participants can leave their questions to the speakers.
To facilitate communication, we are using the Padlet dashboard, allowing you to share inspiring solutions, express interest in cooperation, or raise questions related to the workshop's theme.
- Simply provide the name of your idea or area of expertise,
- offer a brief description, and
- include your contact details.
- Padlet will be available shortly
More information about the event:
Tuija Kallio
Network Coordinator on AKIS and Innovation at the Rural Network of Finland
[email protected]
1. Introduction of FOREST4U and AF4EU - Tanja Kähkönen
2. “Advancing agroforestry in Southern Finland: Lill-Nägels Agroforestry Pilot Site”.
Joshua Finch, Project Manager (Agroforestry in Nyland, https://www.novia.fi/en/nylandagroforestry/) and Green Ecosystem Services Team Leader, RDI Team, Faculty of Bioeconomy, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Finland.
Joshua Finch is a self-taught agroecologist who has interest in practical projects to alleviate social challenges and support communities adapt to climate change. Together with the farm owner and Novia, he started the Lill-Nägels Agroforestry Pilot Site (https://www.novia.fi/en/lill-nagels/), a successional silvoarable agroforestry system, in Kirkkonummi, Finland in 2022. The pilot site aims at remediating degraded agricultural land primarily through applied biodiversity while also producing quality food products with a community supported agriculture model (CSA). Joshua Finch is active in the Finnish Agroforestry Network, a bottom-up initiative for advancing agroforestry in Finland and connections between people interested in agroforestry (https://sites.google.com/view/puustoinenmaatalous).
3. Northern climate and apple varieties as a source for innovation on countryside, Andreas Sundgren, Brännland Iscider, Umeå, Sweden
EIP-AGRI Operational Group “Commercial productive apple growing in a northern climate – innovation for new climate resilient agriculture in northern Europe” was run in Umeå, Northern Sweden between 2020 and 2024. More than 12000 apple trees were planted in total in 10 hectares in plots with an aim of commercial viability in collaboration with local growers, both farmers and those aspiring to become farmers. The long-term goal was to contribute to climate resilient sustainable agriculture and to create favourable partnerships between farmers and food processing companies to develop further products in local, regional and global markets such as ice cider.
4. “Farmers’ bottom-up approach in development of agroforestry innovations, networks and business in the Netherlands” Piet Rombouts, Agroforestry Netwerk Nederland, the Netherlands.
Piet Rombouts is an agroecologist with special interest in soil and water management and agroforestry systems. He started working with regional agroforestry networks in Agroforestry Netwerk Nederland (https://www.agroforestrynetwerk.nl/) in the Netherlands 8 years ago. Currently the whole Netherlands is covered with agroforestry networks developed with bottom-up approach, led by farmers. Besides advancing agroforestry in the Netherlands, Piet Rombouts is a Dutch delegate to European Agroforestry Federation (EURAF, https://euraf.net/) which aims at promoting the adoption of agroforestry practices throughout Europe.
5. “Developing agroforestry in the Netherlands through “Small scale agroforestry pilot experiments ” in the province of Noord-Holland” Marieke Booij-den Nijs, Program Manager Biodiversity, Nature and Environment Federation North Holland, De Natuur en Milieufederaties, the Netherlands.
“Small scale agroforestry pilot experiments” developed an integrated approach to stimulate the integration of agroforestry on farms in the province of Noord-Holland in the Netherlands. The project realized over 10 small scale (1 hectare) plots of agroforestry to allow farmers to experiment with agroforestry. The coming three years six more plots will be realized at different farms in Noord-Holland.
The activities include development of a feasible step-by-step plan with practical guidelines and concrete designs for establishing agroforestry on farms, and an inventory of practical opportunities for agroforestry systems in the Netherlands. The current project built forward on results during the EIP-Agri Operational group addressing agroforestry in the Netherlands in 2018-2020, during which three “proeftuinen agroforestry” were realized.
In a nutshell, agroforestry means combining agriculture and trees. But what does it mean in practice - how to best combine trees, shrubs and hedges with crop farming or grazing?
What are the benefits of agroforestry? How could it best be applied in the Baltic Sea region?
Welcome to get inspired by agroforestry examples and to discuss the topic further.
The first part of the event will feature three inspiring presentations on the topic of agroforestry.
Following the presentations, we'll dive into a discussion round where participants can leave their questions to the speakers.
To facilitate communication, we are using the Padlet dashboard, allowing you to share inspiring solutions, express interest in cooperation, or raise questions related to the workshop's theme.
- Simply provide the name of your idea or area of expertise,
- offer a brief description, and
- include your contact details.
- Padlet will be available shortly
More information about the event:
Tuija Kallio
Network Coordinator on AKIS and Innovation at the Rural Network of Finland
[email protected]
1. Introduction of FOREST4U and AF4EU - Tanja Kähkönen
2. “Advancing agroforestry in Southern Finland: Lill-Nägels Agroforestry Pilot Site”.
Joshua Finch, Project Manager (Agroforestry in Nyland, https://www.novia.fi/en/nylandagroforestry/) and Green Ecosystem Services Team Leader, RDI Team, Faculty of Bioeconomy, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Finland.
Joshua Finch is a self-taught agroecologist who has interest in practical projects to alleviate social challenges and support communities adapt to climate change. Together with the farm owner and Novia, he started the Lill-Nägels Agroforestry Pilot Site (https://www.novia.fi/en/lill-nagels/), a successional silvoarable agroforestry system, in Kirkkonummi, Finland in 2022. The pilot site aims at remediating degraded agricultural land primarily through applied biodiversity while also producing quality food products with a community supported agriculture model (CSA). Joshua Finch is active in the Finnish Agroforestry Network, a bottom-up initiative for advancing agroforestry in Finland and connections between people interested in agroforestry (https://sites.google.com/view/puustoinenmaatalous).
3. Northern climate and apple varieties as a source for innovation on countryside, Andreas Sundgren, Brännland Iscider, Umeå, Sweden
EIP-AGRI Operational Group “Commercial productive apple growing in a northern climate – innovation for new climate resilient agriculture in northern Europe” was run in Umeå, Northern Sweden between 2020 and 2024. More than 12000 apple trees were planted in total in 10 hectares in plots with an aim of commercial viability in collaboration with local growers, both farmers and those aspiring to become farmers. The long-term goal was to contribute to climate resilient sustainable agriculture and to create favourable partnerships between farmers and food processing companies to develop further products in local, regional and global markets such as ice cider.
4. “Farmers’ bottom-up approach in development of agroforestry innovations, networks and business in the Netherlands” Piet Rombouts, Agroforestry Netwerk Nederland, the Netherlands.
Piet Rombouts is an agroecologist with special interest in soil and water management and agroforestry systems. He started working with regional agroforestry networks in Agroforestry Netwerk Nederland (https://www.agroforestrynetwerk.nl/) in the Netherlands 8 years ago. Currently the whole Netherlands is covered with agroforestry networks developed with bottom-up approach, led by farmers. Besides advancing agroforestry in the Netherlands, Piet Rombouts is a Dutch delegate to European Agroforestry Federation (EURAF, https://euraf.net/) which aims at promoting the adoption of agroforestry practices throughout Europe.
5. “Developing agroforestry in the Netherlands through “Small scale agroforestry pilot experiments ” in the province of Noord-Holland” Marieke Booij-den Nijs, Program Manager Biodiversity, Nature and Environment Federation North Holland, De Natuur en Milieufederaties, the Netherlands.
“Small scale agroforestry pilot experiments” developed an integrated approach to stimulate the integration of agroforestry on farms in the province of Noord-Holland in the Netherlands. The project realized over 10 small scale (1 hectare) plots of agroforestry to allow farmers to experiment with agroforestry. The coming three years six more plots will be realized at different farms in Noord-Holland.
The activities include development of a feasible step-by-step plan with practical guidelines and concrete designs for establishing agroforestry on farms, and an inventory of practical opportunities for agroforestry systems in the Netherlands. The current project built forward on results during the EIP-Agri Operational group addressing agroforestry in the Netherlands in 2018-2020, during which three “proeftuinen agroforestry” were realized.
