The Future of Temperate Agroforestry in the United States

Abstract

Agroforestry has been practiced in the United States since the 1930s in the form of windbreaks; however, science-based agroforestry research and practice gained attention only in the1970s. Even then, the progress of agroforestry and its acceptance by practitioners, farmers, and policy makers were hindered by the paucity of hard evidence to support the practice. The scientific foundation that has been laid, over the past decade in particular, has elevated agroforestry’s role as an integral component of a multifunctional working landscape in the United States. Recent trends in the agriculture sector necessitate farm diversification as an essential strategy for economic competitiveness in a global market. The realization that agroforestry systems are well suited for diversifying farm income while providing environmental services and ecosystem benefits has increased receptivity on the part of some landowners. Agroforestry systems offer great promise for the production of biomass for biofuel, specialty and organic crops, pasture-based dairy, and beef, among others. Agroforestry also offers proven strategies for carbon sequestration, soil enrichment, biodiversity conservation, and air and water quality improvement not only for the landowners or farmers but for society at large. The USDA Agroforestry Strategic Framework released in 2011 identifies agroforestry as an important component of a much-needed national strategy to “enhance America’s agricultural landscapes, watersheds, and rural communities.” Minor shifts in national agricultural policy can serve to catalyze the growth of agroforestry further. In an era of environmental sustainability and green business, the realization that agroforestry is an environmentally sound, ecologically sustainable, and economically viable alternative to traditional farming will propel its adoption to newer heights in the coming decades.