Call to promote tree crop agriculture

Not only are tree crops essential to feed the world and for global economies, but they also hold immense potential for protecting biodiversity and the climate, as well as improving livelihoods for millions of people world-wide. An international research team, with the participation of Göttingen University in Germany, are urging policy-makers to develop specific agendas to promote sustainable practices in tree crop agriculture.

Tree crops – for example, apple, cherry, olives, nuts, coffee and cacao – cover more than 183 million hectares world-wide, yet remain largely overlooked in agricultural policies, despite their critical role in achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). 
 
Agricultural policies typically focus on annual crops – such as wheat, sunflowers or rice – which have much shorter life cycles, lasting just one year from germination to harvest. While fostering sustainable practices in crops like wheat is also important, the ecological benefits of these systems are often limited due to their simpler vegetation and shorter harvest cycle. Tree crops, by contrast, are more complex, including several layers of vegetation – herbaceous, shrubs, trees – and provide stable habitats that can support biodiversity when managed sustainably.
 
With their permanent root systems and extensive leaf litter, tree crops also prevent soil erosion, enhance its fertility and provide habitats for many species year-round. They contribute to greenhouse gas reduction through carbon sequestration, improve habitat connectivity for fragmented ecosystems and buffer protected areas from the impacts of intensive agriculture. Tree crops tend to be less mechanised and require more manual labour, offering vital employment opportunities, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where these crops are widespread.
 
The researchers call for the implementation of regulations, financial incentives and supportive policies aimed at improving agricultural practices for tree crops to maximise their contribution to global sustainability. 

(Göttingen University/ile)

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