Turning the externality provided by agroforestry into a valued asset

The growing demand for wood and food has put increasing pressure on agricultural and forestry sectors. Agroforestry (AF) can relieve this pressure, since AF practices applied in agricultural areas contribute to improving the yield of agricultural and wood products while increasing the ecosystem services of cultivation systems. To meet growing expectations, agricultural sector must strive to realize sustainable food and wood production by internalising the value of ecosystem services – especially of carbon and biodiversity - in business models. One of the key challenges currently limiting the expansion of such practices is the lack of knowledge on the (valorisation of) ecosystem services within stakeholder groups.