Agroforestry för svenska förhållanden 2024 - Flipbook - Page 50
Fencing cropland can be a
major expense. Vadakste,
Latvia.
the referral SOU 2020:4 “Vägen mot en klimatpositiv framtid” (DNR M2020/00166/Kl) and in
the government assignment “Underlag för strategisk
planering för ökad kolsänka” (Report 2022/14).
The reports emphasise that these systems are still
uncommon in Sweden but have significant potential
for carbon storage on Swedish arable land through,
for example, alley cropping, woody edge zones and
windbreaks. The findings suggest that agroforestry
can be integrated into existing land use without
significantly affecting the land or reducing the
landscape value. However, despite its potential to
increase in scale, the interest of farmers to invest in
these systems is crucial. Farmers in turn depend on
knowledge of agroforestry, favourable regulations,
access to financial support and product demand
[20].
Agricultural subsidies under development
Currently, the majority of Swedish farmers are
dependent on a functioning support system. For
those who wish to establish an agroforestry system,
there are also additional costs in the form of maintenance, harvesting, fencing, purchase of plants,
etc. Today we have a number of pioneers who
either finance their agroforestry systems themselves or with the help of project funding. For
more people to be willing to invest, the economic
conditions for starting up this type of production
must be iproved. Without financial support, agroforestry will probably remain a niche in future agri-
Värmländska skogsfår föredrar att lamma i skydd av träden. /
Värmland forest sheep prefer to lamb in the shelter of the trees.
Sid 49-50
culture, even if a transition to these systems can be
profitable in the long term [20].
Historically, there have been strict limits on the
number of trees grown on pastures eligible for
farm subsidies, as woody perennials were associated with overgrowth. This resulted in farmers cutting down a large amount of trees in order not to
lose, or risk deductions from, their farm subsidies,
environmental subsidies or compensatory payments
[20]. Furthermore, there has been no definition of
agroforestry on arable land within the agricultural
subsidies. Instead, agroforestry practitioners have
been creative within the framework of the ordinary
agricultural subsidies, but administering co-cultivation has been extremely complicated. As a result,
agroforestry has been a financially unfavourable
option for farmers in Sweden [30].
But now things are heating up! By order of the
European Commission in 2022, each member state
must define agroforestry in the national strategic
plan from 2023, which means that agroforestry is
now recognised for farm subsidies - a big step for
agroforestry, many pioneers are celebrating [36]. A
clear definition naturally affects what practical
implementation and design is eligible for support.
With the Swedish Board of Agriculture’s new definition, it is now also possible to systematically identify
the current extent and the future increase in agroforestry. Until now, this has been problematic, as we
have had no clear idea of how widespread the use
of agroforestry has been in the agricultural landscape [20].
It is important to note that the 2024 definition of
agroforestry does not include shrubs, but it is most
