Agroforestry and Climate Change

As the climate continues to shift, agroforestry is increasingly seen as a critical solution for farms and forested landscapes both in adapting to changes as well as mitigating impacts that further negative effects on our climate. An ever-growing body of scientific evidence documents how various agroforestry practices help adapt to weather extremes (drought, inundation, heat) as well as mitigate the changing climate by sequestering carbon in plants and soil.

The USDA Forest Service has published a report: Agroforestry: Enhancing Resiliency in U.S. Agricultural Landscapes Under Changing Conditions based upon a national scientific assessment of agroforestry. With contributions from more than 50 experts from the United States, Canada, and Mexico, this report presents the first-ever synthesis on agroforestry as a mechanism for improving the resiliency of agricultural lands under climate change.

ACCESS THE FULL REPORT HERE: https://www.aftaweb.org/138-2018-vol-24/volume-24-no-2-august-2018/238-title-assessing-agroforestry-s-role-in-mitigating-and-adapting-to-climate-change.html

NORTHEAST REGIONAL SUMMARY: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/55738

New York State’s own Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) references the integration of trees on farms as a key strategy to mitigate and adapt to a changing climate. See Chapter 15 on Agriculture and Forestry, where scaling the implementation of agroforestry is recommended repeatedly.