The Kuleana Curriculum

Part of "Pastures & Forests"

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Agroforestry is a group of agricultural practices that uses trees combined with crops and/or animals in ways that create benefits from their interactions. 

 

Agroforestry includes food forests, shade cropping, trees as windbreaks, growing timber trees together with livestock, growing trees for coastal protection, and many other practices. All of these agricultural systems can increase productivity and improve soil health compared with conventional practices such as row cropping.

 

Agroforestry systems as a whole also tend to have less pest and disease problems, provide natural weed control, and require less external inputs compared with conventional agriculture. They also provide long-term benefits for the watershed.

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Silvopasture is one form of agroforestry that combines trees with forage and livestock production. The trees in a silvopasture system are typically managed for timber and, at the same time, provide shade and shelter for livestock and forage. The partial shade created throughout a silvopasture can reduce stress on the animals, and in some cases, it can increase forage production and quality.

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Start this Course segment Agroforestry & Silvopasture Basics with a video on the benefits of agroforestry then work your way through the other Useful Links of this Course segment.

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