Agroecology is a promising component of Swiss agricultural and food policy. One practical example are 'agroforestry systems' (AFS). These systems incorporate trees and shrubs into agricultural land, offering benefits such as carbon storage, improved water management, soil quality, and increased biodiversity.
However, AFS are highly context-dependent, and need to be designed locally to optimise benefits in terms of productivity, profitability, sustainability, and provision of ecosystem services. There are still scientific uncertainties regarding natural processes and competition in the interaction between woody plants and crops, and there are also social concerns such as the willingness to introduce AFS or their economic feasibility. Therefore, exploiting the potential of AFS under Switzerland's diverse pedoclimatic and socio-economic conditions remains an open challenge.
The project aims to improve the understanding of economic, social and natural processes, to enable continuous monitoring and to provide the information needed for sound decision-making at farm and policy levels. Consequently, the project will fortify and endorse agroforestry in Swiss agricultural practice.