Expanding farm forestry

The aim of expanding forestry on farms is to encourage the incorporation of commercial tree growing and management into farming systems for the purpose of wood and non-wood production, increasing agricultural productivity and sustainable natural resource management.

Key indicative areas to be addressed include: the viability of low rainfall agroforestry (species, products, markets); high value timber species, products and markets; non-wood products; improving the availability and coordination of seed, site selection and silvicultural information for native forests and farm forestry systems.

Farm forestry takes many forms, including timber belts, alleys and widespread tree plantings. Farm forestry provides farmers with an alternative source of income, improves agricultural production by providing shelter for stock and crops, and provides substantial environmental benefits such as water table improvement and salinity reduction.

Key indicative areas to be addressed in farm forestry include: the viability of low rainfall agroforestry (species, products, markets); high value timber species, products and markets; non-wood products; improving the availability and coordination of seed, site selection and silvicultural information for native forests and farm forestry systems. A particular focus must be on forging stronger links between researchers and the broader farm forestry community and on disseminating research and other information to regional stakeholders.

This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities. Agenda 21 recommends analysing and identifying possibilities for economic integration of agricultural and forestry activities and taking effective measures to encourage forest management and growing of trees by farmers (farm forestry) as an option for resource development.