In response to the growing need for farmers and businesses to monitor and report their carbon, the AgForC project, with funding from AFN Network+, has looked into how agroforestry systems can be added into existing carbon calculation tools.

Agroforestry has been widely recognised as a climate-smart agricultural practice that enhances carbon sequestration, improves soil health, and provides economic benefits. In addition, the Woodland Trust suggests that integrating agroforestry on 30 per cent of livestock farmland and 10 per cent of arable land could play a significant role in meeting the UK’s 2050 climate commitments. The AGForC project looked at one free-to-use tool, the Cool Farm Platform (CFP), bringing  together practitioners, academics and computer modelling specialists to identify how agroforestry could be included within an existing module. Participants of two working groups looked into the feasibility of integrating both biomass and soil organic carbon models for an agroforestry system. A key finding was consensus on the need for flexible model inputs and agroforestry system definitions, which account for the complexity and variability of agroforestry designs. More specifically, the group found tree type needs to be specified in any module, as hedgerows, broadleaf, conifers and nitrogen-fixing shade trees all have specific measurements for biomass or nitrogen fixing, for example. Priority agroforestry systems were identified as coffee, cocoa, silvopasture, riparian buffers and hedgerows, as well as key management practices, including pruning, mowing, pollarding, shade management. Participants agreed that fruit and nut trees alongside grass is a relevant system for the UK, but silvopasture – integrating trees, forage and livestock – has the most potential within a UK setting.

One of the key limitations in the carbon assessments of agroforestry is the fact there are few long term measurements of soil carbon stocks under the system, making it hard to validate models. Other knowledge gaps, such as how pruning impacts below-ground biomass, were collated in a technical document along with guidance for implementation. Overall, this project has highlighted that there is demand for an agroforestry carbon accounting module, which may accelerate as agroforestry policy continues to change within the UK.