Executive Summary, Agroforestry: Enhancing Resiliency in U. S. Agricultural Landscapes under Changing Conditions

Authors

Toral Patel-Weynand, United States Department of Agriculture, National Agroforestry Center, Southern Research Station, Forest Service, Lincoln, Nebraska
Gary Bentrup, United States Department of Agriculture, National Agroforestry Center, Southern Research Station, Forest Service, Lincoln, NebraskaFollow
Michele M. Schoeneberger, United States Department of Agriculture, National Agroforestry Center, Southern Research Station, Forest Service, Lincoln, Nebraska

Document Type

Report

Date of this Version

2017

Citation

General Technical Report WO-96a

Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service

doi: 10.2737/WO-GTR-96a

Comments

United States government work

Abstract

Agroforestry, the intentional integration of trees and shrubs into crop and animal production systems, is being deployed to enhance productivity, profitability, and environmental stewardship of agricultural operations and lands across the United States. The full assessment at https://doi.org/10.2737/WO-GTR-96 and summarized here provides a science-based synthesis on the use of agroforestry for mitigation and adaptation services in the face of climatic variability and change. It provides technical input to land-use sector issues in the National Climate Assessment (NCA) and serves as a framework for including agroforestry systems in agricultural strategies to improve productivity and food security and to build resilience in these landscapes. It also provides follow-up to the technical input report by Walthall et al. (2012) that established the need for innovative strategies to address significant climatic variability challenges faced by United States agriculture.