10 October 2012: The European Parliament Intergroup on climate change, biodiversity and sustainable development convened a conference, titled “Agroforestry: Trees for a Sustainable European Agriculture,” in order to explore how agroforestry could be better integrated into agricultural policies and practices.

The Conference considered the contribution of agroforestry to addressing challenges from climate change, soil erosion and biodiversity loss while contributing to water regulation and rural development. Conference participants, including policy makers, representatives of NGO’s and scientists, highlighted the fact that European farms with 25% of their area devoted to high quality timber can double their annual economic production.

The Conference also considered the enhanced integration of agroforestry within the ongoing reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the contribution of the European Innovation Partnership on Agricultural Productivity and Sustainability to this process. Examples of issues to be considered during the CAP reform, as presented by participants, include, direct payments for diverse agricultural systems and the recognition of the multiple assets delivered through agroforestry systems. [Press Release]