Last September 4, deputy Peter Drenth has given the go-ahead to the Agroforestry Network Gelderland. It is a new provincial network like already is existing in the province of Brabant (100 farmers connected).
The network brings together farmers who want to get started with agroforestry and supports these farmers with exchanges, training courses, workshops and excursions. Agroforestry combines trees and woody crops with arable farming, vegetable farming or livestock farming.
The province wants to use agroforestry to stimulate sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and better soil and water management. The province wants, authorised supervision in nature policy and some agricultural policies, wants to tackle also legal obstacles in the realisation of agroforestry and wants to promote this way of farming.
About 50 persons were present at the meeting on the 4th of September; farmers, environmental and governmental organisations and waterboards, etc.
Piet Rombouts