What is Agroforestry?
Simply stated, Agroforestry is
growing trees in
agricultural fields or pastures. It is a relatively new term for a set
of age-old practices that are done because they make efficient use of
land. Agroforestry has three properties that set it apart from other
forms of land management: (1) crops or livestock and trees are
intentionally combined, (2) the interactions between these components
are planned and managed, (3) the enterprise is managed and evaluated as
a single system rather than as separate parts. Because the
crop/livestock and tree components can be managed to help rather than
to hinder each other, agroforestry systems are often more productive
and sustainable than traditional crop, livestock, or timber
systems.