A meeting with an enthusiast, who reminds us that although the term "agroforestry" was coined in the 1970s, it covers a range of practices on all five continents that emerged in the early days of agriculture.
Working for agriculture is what Fabien Balaguer has always wanted to do, ever since he was a child. After a DUT in agronomy, he took the academic route and entered Montpellier SupAgro. He finally specialised in agroforestry, through a Master's degree at Bangor University (Wales), the European reference in this field. His first steps took him to cooperation in Africa, " where you immediately understand the challenges facing agriculture and the agronomic principles to overcome them ". He saw how trees and forests are at the heart of solutions for the future of Western agriculture, 'both for building sustainable fertility and for better managing climatic upsets'. On his return to France, he became involved with the French Agroforestry Association, which, since 2007, has aimed to support farmers towards a complete agro-ecological transition "from soil to landscape". Today, Fabien Balaguer leads a team of about twenty people. It was therefore natural for the HECTAR team to seek his advice on setting up the pilot farm and developing the applied agro-ecology modules that will be integrated into the training courses.
A meeting with an enthusiast, who reminds us that although the term "agroforestry" was coined in the 1970s, it covers a range of practices on all five continents that emerged in the early days of agriculture.
Monoculture and intensive farming methods have degraded soils and simplified landscapes to the extent that yields are now affected by significant natural disturbances. Productivity declines are seen everywhere, especially in hilly areas with shallow soil and limited water resources.
Farmers are paying a high price for this race to standardise, stimulated by high investment. And in a tangible way: as soon as there is a drop in yield, even an 'ordinary' one, the profitability of farms is undermined. Production is becoming more and more expensive, because the soil and ecosystems are getting tired. We end up being condemned to record yields every year, simply to balance the costs. In short, we have reached the end of the system and it is now vital that agriculture restores the fertility cycles. More and more farmers are reacting and coming to us. We are trying to respond as best we can to this exponential increase in expectations from the field.
Agroforestry is about putting trees and vegetation cover back into the agricultural production cycle, based on the grassland and forest model. Trees increase soil cover and enrich the soil in many ways, for example with organic matter. It acts as a climatic buffer and thus allows the associated crop to better resist variations in temperature, air flow or water regime. In addition, trees are an economic resource for farms, as they produce fruit, wood (renewable energy, organic amendment, building material) and possibly even fodder for livestock. Agroforestry practices help to cushion "accidents of course", increasing the agronomic and economic resilience of systems in all sectors. For example, more and more winegrowers are working to rebuild a landscape network in their vineyards to mitigate the extreme summer temperatures that are becoming more and more common earlier in the year. This is also the case in breeding. Let's take the example of laying hens or broiler chickens: the free-range rearing of these birds does not make much sense if the grazing areas made available to the animals are like ecological and climatic deserts, as we still see too often. The animal needs an environment adapted to its physiology, where it can scratch, romp, feel safe from predators and diversify its diet. In the end, it will produce better quality eggs and meat, for better control of costs.
Training is the primary lever for agricultural development. Farmers know that the transition is essential to their survival, but they are often isolated from the challenge. Jumping into the unknown is not easy for anyone; it is therefore essential to accompany them and provide them with feedback from the entire community. Linking knowledge and experimentation, science and know-how, is the key. Agroforestry knowledge is very scattered. However, expertise is first and foremost experience. At the French Association of Agroforestry, we capitalize on these experiences and we forge work and follow-up themes with farmers. We energize a network that is growing day by day. This is why we consider ourselves as much as technicians as animators. Each farmer, depending on his territory and his sector, has a piece of the puzzle. It is up to us to assemble all the pieces of solutions to allow a continuous improvement of practices. We simply play the role ofaccelerator ; the experts are the farmers.
Agriculture is the first profession of mankind, and it is by definition a profession of the future, very gratifying when you do well. The agro-ecological transition requires an infinite capacity for discovery and learning. It offers many opportunities for all the "good wills" who go through it. To embark on this path today is to join a collective dynamic, certainly full of challenges, but also deeply exciting, both technically and humanly.
