On the 27th and 28th June, EMEA hosted and corganised the second meeting of the REFOREST project at Sant Pau Recinte Modernista, Barcelona, EMEA HQs. The overall objective of the ReForest project is to enhance the sustainability of food production in the EU by co-creating solutions to key barriers that hinder wider adoption of agroforestry by farmers.
The meeting brought together over 30 participants from the 14 project partners and living labs to provide progress updates and to engage in discussions within their respective areas of expertise. Prof. Rym Ayadi opened the meeting highlighting the importance of agroforestry in measures to combat the effective of climate change:
“Cultivating resilience and restoring harmony, agroforestry stands as an inspiring solution to mitigate climate change’s relentless grip. By blending the wisdom of trees with the art of agriculture, we unleash a powerful alliance that nourishes both the Earth and its inhabitants.
With each sapling planted, we sow the seeds of carbon sequestration, transforming barren lands into vibrant ecosystems. As canopies intertwine, a symphony of ecological benefits unfolds—soil enriched, water conserved, and biodiversity revived. Agroforestry, a resilient shield against climate volatility, bestows upon us a promising path towards a sustainable future, where nature and humanity coexist in harmonious balance.”
Ivan Hajdukovic, Researcher at EMEA, then presented EMEA’s role and progress under the project in Work Package 1, Co-creation, Capitalisation and Dissemination, and Work Package 5, Finance and Policy in which EMEA is the lead partner.
Policy Session: Agroforestry sector in the EU: Towards novel policies and financing frameworks
Following the second meeting, EMEA organised the Policy Session “Agroforestry sector in the EU: Towards novel policies and financing frameworks”. The session brought together representatives of relevant and well-known research organisations working on agroforestry in Europe. The policy session was organised under the framework of the ReForest project to connect experts in this field and enable them to share the latest development and knowledge on finance and policies applicable to the agroforestry sector in the EU.
The policy session was moderated by Consuelo Varela Ortega, Professor Emeritus at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (UPM) and Member of the Executive Board of EMEA with the following speakers:
- Enrique Doblas, Centro de Investigación Ecológica y Aplicaciones Forestales (CREAF)
- Andrea Casadesús Cabral, BETA Technological Centre
- Jaime Coello, Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC)
- Gerry Lawson, European Agroforestry Federation (EURAF)
- Milan Elkerbout, Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)
EMEA will shortly post the report of the meeting and webinar recording of the policy session.
