akar.earthAgroforestry: Definition
What is agroforestry? Growing trees with crops or livestock, why it matters for carbon and smallholder incomes, and how it is treated under EUDR in Indonesia.
Agroforestry is a land use system in which trees are deliberately grown together with crops or livestock on the same land, for example coffee under shade trees, cocoa with fruit and timber trees, or rubber mixed with forest species. In Indonesian it is often called wanatani or kebun campur.
Why it matters
Agroforestry stores more carbon than open cropland, diversifies farmer income and supports biodiversity, soil and water. It is one of the most practical ways to bring trees back into landscapes where smallholders farm, without taking land out of production. That makes it central to removals projects, corporate insetting under FLAG targets and community-led restoration.
How it is measured
- Map plots and record tree species, numbers and sizes.
- Estimate biomass with allometric equations and wood density, plus below-ground biomass.
- Track growth over time with repeat field measurement and remote sensing.
- Use methodologies such as Verra’s VM0047 for tree planting, or Plan Vivo for community-based projects.
Our coffee agroforestry carbon guide shows typical approaches.
Indonesia and Southeast Asia angle
Indonesia has long agroforestry traditions: Sumatran jungle rubber, damar gardens in Lampung, mixed home gardens in Java, and shade coffee and cocoa in Sulawesi, Bali and Flores. Many coffee and cocoa farms that export to the EU are agroforestry. Under EUDR, they must show no conversion of forest after 31 December 2020, which requires careful mapping because agroforestry can look like forest from space. See EUDR and agroforestry.
Permanence and leakage need attention. Farmers harvest timber and replace old trees, so projects need rules on harvesting, replanting and buffer contributions. If agroforestry reduces food crop area, production may shift elsewhere, which methodologies may treat as leakage.
Common mistakes
- Treating all tree cover on farms as permanent; trees are cut for timber or replanting.
- Applying monoculture growth models to mixed systems.
- Ignoring farmer priorities, such as fruit and timber value, when choosing species.
Compare systems in agroforestry vs monoculture plantation and visit the agroforestry hub.
Frequently asked questions
Can agroforestry generate carbon credits?
Yes. Trees added to farms store carbon in biomass and sometimes soil. Projects can use ARR or agricultural land management methodologies, depending on land history and design.
Is agroforestry counted as forest under EUDR?
The EUDR forest definition excludes land predominantly under agricultural use, so many agroforestry systems are agricultural. Each case depends on land use and history; see our EUDR agroforestry page.