While Europe was suffering from a heatwave, it became clear at the 2026 EURAF Conference, held June 22–26 in Neuchâtel, that: Agroforestry is developing rapidly—and could become a crucial building block for the agriculture of the future.
The IfLS, represented by the AFaktive project, also participated in this intensive exchange. On Tuesday, the project team organized a two-part workshop on agroforestry and water management. The focus was on sharing expertise and addressing how to overcome key challenges—ranging from governance and implementation issues to data bases and monitoring, as well as regionally varying framework conditions.
On Wednesday, the focus shifted to practical applications. Several field trips gave participants the opportunity to explore agroforestry systems on-site and engage in conversation with practitioners. One topic in particular came to the forefront: climate adaptation. The exceptionally high temperatures vividly illustrated the pressure agriculture is already under today—and the urgent need for resilient production systems.
In line with this, the IfLS presented the results of a deliverable on the administrative framework for agroforestry and water during Thursday’s poster session. The analysis shows that in many places, there are still significant gaps between policy objectives, legal requirements, and practical implementation. At the same time, however, the analysis also highlighted the great potential that lies in closer integration of agricultural, water, and climate policies.
One conclusion ran like a common thread through the conference’s numerous discussions: agroforestry will have to play a central role in the future—not only as a measure for climate adaptation, but as an integral part of resilient, productive, and biodiversity-promoting agricultural systems.
And the current heat wave delivered what was arguably the most powerful message of the entire event: The question is no longer whether agroforestry can be part of the solution—but rather how quickly its potential can be scaled up.
Contact am IfLS: Holger Pabst (pabst[at]ifls.de)
