June 24, 2019 Project deliverable Open Access

"Trees in the field" as a selling argument HD

Léo Godard

Agroforestry, being still a marginal form of farming nowadays in France, is not yet well-known by the consumers. However, we now know that this way of producing food, combined with a global agroecological approach, leads to more sustainable systems. Agroforestry goes beyond simple food production, providing ecological and social services. Various studies also suggest that those changes in practices tend to lead to higher quality products (taste and nutrition), improving the health and pleasure of the consumers. Taking into account these characteristics, agroforestry products can be marketed as such, so as to provide added value for the farmers and, probably as important, raise awareness among the wider audience. Some producers have already taken this opportunity and added to their marketing strategy an adapted story-telling to explain and display their practices. Today, a significant part of the market share is occupied by educated and increasingly demanding consumers who look for quality and meaningful purchases. This is a clear opportunity for agroforestry products that, if well-marketed, can comply with both expectations. In France, this marketing trend is adopted by both individual farms and the larger food value chain.