Agroforestry's impact on costs, benefits, revenue models and chain operation

For a lot of start-up agroforestry applicators, understanding costs, benefits and revenue models is a big question. At the moment, there are hardly any long-term trial designs that can provide information as input for complex business models that attempt to analyze in great detail the economic impact of agroforestry. Nevertheless, farmers currently have to decide whether or not to invest in agroforestry systems. Nevertheless, to suggest smart economic decisions in this situation, we offer some tools from our research.

By performing some simple business calculations, we try to describe the potential profitability of a number of concrete, inspiring agroforestry cases and thus give an idea of what to expect financially and what factors determine a success story. We conduct this exercise for relevant cases and the results in each case are described in a fact sheet. The farm that is simulated is fictitious, but was chosen in consultation with growers in order to present a case that is as realistic as possible. The assumptions made are described in each case. At the bottom of the page you can find the already elaborated cases (laying hens with low stem fruit, food forests, walnut cultivation combined with dairy cattle, walnut cultivation combined with pigs, fruit cultivation combined with laying hens and fruit cultivation combined with dairy cattle).
Global information on the expected costs of establishing and managing an agroforestry plot can be found here.
Within the Project Nood aan noot, the potential of Flemish nut cultivation and processing was examined. Through a market study, in which different actors were surveyed, we outlined a picture of the balance between supply and demand in 5 fact sheets (1. Market study, 2. Profit models, 3. Nut core analyses, 4. Potential valorization of walnut residual streams and 5. Consumer survey).
On our Agroforestry Planner you will find a link to INTACT: an interactive agroforestry cost-benefit tool (available in English).

At the bottom of this page you will find more interesting resources on costs, benefits and revenue models for agroforestry systems.