Maren Oelbermann

26 May, 2009 | Maren Oelbermann

Agroforestry, the deliberate integration of woody species with agricultural crops or pastures, is an ancient practice that is coming back into vogue. In Europe, farmers used to integrate apple orchards with sheep pasture, and timber or nut trees with cereal crops. In tropical latitudes, farmers imitated vertical forest structure and diversity by planting a variety of crops with different growth habits.