agroforestry

American  

[ag-roh-fawr-uh-stree, ‑-for-] / ˌæg roʊˈfɔr ə stri, ‑ˈfɒr- /

noun

1. a method and system of land management involving the simultaneous cultivation of farm crops and trees; agriculture incorporating the growing of trees.

   Agroforestry ensures a continuous food supply, some continuous economic return, and the avoidance of soil degradation.

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agroforestry British  

/ ˌæɡrəʊˈfɒrɪstrɪ /

noun

1. a method of farming integrating herbaceous and tree crops

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agroforestry Scientific  

/ ăg′rō-fôr′ĭ-strē /

1. A system of land use in which harvestable trees or shrubs are grown among or around crops or on pastureland, as a means of preserving or enhancing the productivity of the land.

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Other Word Forms

• agroforester noun

Etymology

Origin of agroforestry

1930–35; agro- ( def. ) + forestry ( def. )

Explanation

When trees are planted on farms alongside food crops, it's called agroforestry. Farmers often use agroforestry to grow trees that can be used for fuel or lumber. Agroforestry is from the Greek agros, "field," and a Latin root meaning "woods." This agricultural system, sometimes called "forest farming," involves managing farmed land in a way that mixes pasture, crops, trees, and shrubs. Planting so diversely tends to be good for the soil and water quality, and it supports more wildlife and pollinating insects too. Integrating apple trees, lavender plants, dairy goats, and pine trees on one farm would be an example of agroforestry.

Example Sentences

Combined with agroforestry - where livestock is housed in fields where trees are planted - the Climate Change Committee concludes that the total offsetting potential in Scotland is 200,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide.

From BBC • Nov. 3, 2025

Professor John Bosco Okullo, a leading agroforestry expert from Uganda's Makerere University who has been studying shea nut trees for more than two decades, also blames years of widespread insecurity for the problems.

From BBC • May 1, 2025

Using true cost accounting as a guide, policymakers could reallocate some of these vast sums of money toward production methods that deliver net-positive benefits, such as expanding organic agriculture, agroforestry and sustainable fisheries.

From Salon • Feb. 28, 2024

A nonprofit he founded, Restor, connects community projects, such as an agroforestry farm in Ethiopia, with potential supporters.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 13, 2023

When it comes to biodiversity conservation, organic shaded coffee farms beat intensive-sun coffee plantations, just as multistory agroforestry systems outperform monocultural forestry plantations.

From Science Daily • Sep. 18, 2023