Agroforestry in the Netherlands: Practices and Implementation Guide

Agroforestry in the Netherlands combines trees, shrubs, and agriculture to improve sustainability, biodiversity, and farm resilience. Practices include silvopastoral systems with grazing animals, orchard grazing for pest control, alley cropping in arable and horticultural settings, and forest farming for mushrooms and livestock. Riparian buffers reduce erosion and nutrient runoff. Species selection focuses on functionality—willow and poplar for metal remediation and fodder, nitrogen-fixers like alder and robinia for soil fertility, and salt-tolerant species in coastal zones. Fodder trees, hedges, and fruit trees support livestock and pollinators. The FOREST4EU project promotes knowledge transfer across Europe, offering guides on food forests and nature-inclusive farming, with links to Dutch initiatives like Proeftuin Agroforestry and the Louis Bolk Institute.