Context
After the Second World War, trees were systematically eliminated from the fields to intensify crops: agriculture became artificial. However, just like natural ecosystems, agricultural systems are dependent on a minimum biodiversity in order to optimize production and ensure their sustainability as they are confronted to disturbances (diseases, invasive species, physiological stress, etc.). This observation is all the more valid in a context of proven climate change, where the extremes are accentuated.
Agroforestry, by multiplying plant strata, makes it possible to increase diversity in terms of species, habitats, ecological functions and occupation of space, in order to improve the capture, fixation and resource recycling. It is now restoring the tree to its ancestral place in cultures. It is a method of planting rows of trees in the heart of agricultural plots. The challenge is to play on the possible interactions between cultivated plants and selected rare species, but also with the animals bred to optimize and diversify its production by limiting inputs.
Supported project
The L'OCCITANE Foundation supports the AF-TER financing fund of the Association Française d'Agroforesterie, whose objective is to support the transition to a sustainable agriculture in France and thus participate in the conservation of natural resources, in the regeneration of agricultural soils but also in the improvement of the energy and economic resilience of farms.
The purpose of the fund is not just to plant trees; this program also guarantees lasting results followed over 3 years. It includes a personalized support for the farmer by experts from the national network and a training in agroforestry techniques. The farmer is thus supported in the design of the project, in the choice of species, in planting and in monitoring.
More specifically, the supported project is divided into 3 different sub-projects:
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A project to plant hedges in vine plots in the Vaucluse, in order to bring coolness in summer and bring in crop auxiliaries and biodiversity.
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A project for the development of routes for poultry and the composition of an orchard in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence with the aim of creating a healthy environment for wildlife and promoting biodiversity within the orchard.
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A project to establish apple and pear trees and to diversify walnut and loquat trees in the Vaucluse with the aim of creating a summer site as a pre-orchard for animals, protecting the soil and promoting the development of ecosystems.
Some Figures
2021-2022 Budget 30,000 euros
Objectif 6 preserved plant varieties
Result 1565 planted trees and shrubs
Result 22,3 hectares of soil surfaces regenerated
