SMART PROJECT : Agroforestry systems using fruit trees and vegetables in France

Summary

Agroforestry systems mixing fruit trees and annual crops are very well developed and studied in tropical countries, but they have been forgotten or neglected during the last 40 years in France and Europe. Current trends and challenges in agriculture (land access, periurban agricultural forms, inputs reduction through functional biodiversity and crop diversification) lead small farmers in France to combine annual plants and fruits with the aim to increase their field performance on a multifunctional basis. The SMART project identified about 150 projects (mostly all being organic) and further explored 40 of them, to better understand organization and adoption criteria.