Planting seeds for future as agro-forestry sector grows

“Take a look at this one. Sure, she looks messy. But check under the hood: it’s got barely 8,000 years on the clock and is still going strong. This baby will feed the world for years to come. Best of all, it’ll do it while locking away lots of climate-warming greenhouse gases. What’s not to like? Come on, guv’, give her a ride! What do you say? You don’t trust her? Come on, I know she’s a bit straggly, what will all those trees, but trust me. This is the future of food production. Those trees are your salvation.”

No, I’m not trying to sell you a rusty old banger pierced by a vigorous sapling. However, as an agro-forester, I sometimes feel like I need all the second-hand-car- salesman grease I can get.

Consider the situation. You’re a farmer. Your grandfather painstakingly cleared your fields of stones and trees. Generations of labour created this perfect jewel of a field, where the golden tops of wheat are swaying in the breeze.