Agroforestry in Flanders

What is agroforestry? Agroforestry is an integrated land-use management system in which trees or shrubs are combined with agricultural crops or livestock on the same land. In a well-functioning agroforestry system, both components have a neutral or positive influence on each other, and negative interactions are avoided as much as possible through careful design. Agroforestry can also provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, shade for livestock or air purification. What we offer This website contains useful information about agroforestry in Flanders. For instance, knowledge is bundled in the Knowledge hub, and decision-support tools are made available in the Agroforestry Planner. For agroforestry-related questions, you can reach the members of the Consortium via mail and telephone. Finally, the Consortium also offers farm guidance if you wish to proceed with personal advice (including plan elaboration and design advice for a standard fee).Please visit the Dutch website (NL) and use your browser’s translation feature to access the most up-to-date information, as the English version (EN) is not regularly updated.

Projects

Quick links

Agroforestry: an economically profitable answer to the demand for agro ecological production methods?

Agroforestry offers many opportunities to enhance farm resilience and respond to future challenges in Flemish (and West European) agriculture. Some examples are diversification in production and supplying a wide range of ecosystem services. Economically speaking, the expected increase in demand for locally produced fruit and nuts, but also biomass and high-quality wood products may make agroforestry a shock-proof investment for farmers. Agroforestry potentially meets the social demand for eco-efficient agro-ecological production methods while being economically profitable.

Nevertheless, experience with agroforestry in Flanders remains rather modest. In addition to stumbling blocks regarding legal and administration issues, several technical, organizational and economical questions remain unanswered. It is the objective of the Consortium Agroforestry Flanders to tackle these issues throughout their activities and projects.

Consortium Agroforestry Flanders

To (re)introduce this cultivation system in Flanders, the Consortium Agroforestry Flanders was founded with ILVO, Ghent University, Soil Service of Belgium, Inagro, Boerennatuur Vlaanderen, Wervel, BOS+ and Praktijkpunt Landbouw Vlaams-Brabant. The consortium conducts scientific research, provides support to farmers and feedback on policy.

Research projects

AFaktive

In progress

Digital Tools to help Agroforestry meet climate, biodiversity and farming sustainability goals: linking field and cloud

Complete

More research projects

In this fact sheet we list the possibilities and conditions regarding the agroforestry planting subsidy (BLS) and the agroforestry maintenance subsidy (BLO).

Information sheet 30/10/2025