Why this website? This site is an attempt to help you, the visitor, to connect to the locations, researchers, teachers, study coordinators and students within WUR with a research question in the filed of food forestry.

CURRENTLY THE SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION

A widely supported research program for food forests

There is great public interest in food forestry as a system innovation in land use. Next to the (small) bottom-up civil initiatives there is an increasing amount of larger scale commercial farming practices that are seeing the light of day, there is a lot of media attention, there is broad interest among HBO and WO students and existing practices have a desire to contribute to knowledge building through data collection.

Why?

Climate change and the associated challenges are forcing us to rethink the existing food system and land use. We need knowledge and skills to find a new balance in our relationship with living nature. We will have to start producing our food differently: we need sufficient, safe and high-quality food from climate proof systems that contribute to the recovery and development of soils, biodiversity and the landscape.

How?

In 2017, the Green Deal Food Forests started a partnership of governments, research institutions, training institutes and practical initiatives with the focus: research into the redeemability of the promises of food forests. This research takes the form of a co-production of citizens’ science, student research and research at scientific institutes, universities and colleges.

What?

We focus on developing a new paradigm for reintegration of biodiversity and food production in theory and practice. What does this system innovation need to be productive and bio-diverse? What different values can be generated, and what does that require from management?

In addition to funding for standardization of monitoring, data analysis, data access and translation into practice and policy, we are looking for funding for practical support to be able to guide the transition. We want to work on a solid foundation in the first few years and then follow the system innovation over the long term.