In the 1970s, research on agroforestry in the UK and Ireland occurred in a piecemeal manner. Due to difficulties in applying conclusions from isolated experiments across the countries, it was decided to establish experimental sites to carry out research on silvopastoral agroforestry based on experiments with common protocols. This was the Silvopastoral National Network Experiment.
The success of achieving outputs that could be compared across geographic regions led to the later establishment of a network of three sites in England for studying silvoarable agroforestry, the National Network Silvoarable Agroforestry Experiment.
Research from these pioneering projects has led to a rapid growth in interest around agroforestry in the UK from researchers, policy makers and farmers alike. Numerous grant systems have been trialled, such as the Woodland Trust's 'Trees for your Farm'. More recent research projects into agroforestry include the REFOREST EU Horizon project. Part of this is exploring the barriers to agroforestry across the UK and EU, with a particular focus in the UK of promoting agroforestry in the North of England.
Agroforestry Research in Europe - link to a seminar given by Gerry Lawson, Vice President of EURAF, to the School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, 15th March 2017.
The Forum used to produce a Newsletter, the UK Farm Woodland Forum Newsletter, which included up-to-date articles and comment on the then current research in agroforestry.
The issues are still available to load as pdf files:
- The UK Farm Woodland Forum Newsletter No. 1, December 2000
- The UK Farm Woodland Forum Newsletter No. 2, January 2002
- The UK Farm Woodland Forum Newsletter No. 3, May 2002
- The UK Farm Woodland Forum Newsletter No. 4, July 2007
- The UK Farm Woodland Forum Newsletter No. 5, July 2008