Innovation in agroforestry for rural development as emerged from participatory research approach: the Italian case studies in the AGFORWARD project

The EU AGFORWARD 2014-2017 project involves 25 partners from 15 EU countries to promote agroforestry practices for rural development. The pr oject adopts participatory research (PR) in order to identify research themes that respond to stakeholder needs conc erning different typologies of agroforestry systems: "High Natural and Cultural Value Agroforestry" (WP2), "Agroforestry for High Value Tree Systems" (WP3), "Agroforestry fo r arable farmers" (WP4), "Agroforestry for livestock farmers" (WP5). This paper reports th e main results from PR methods geared towards planning and conducting the res earch process with those people whose life-world and meaningful actions are under study . A methodology protocol i nvolving farmers and local stakeholders was developped and applied to establis h Participatory Research and De velopment Networks (PRDN). In June-September 2014 four workshops (WS) have b een organized in Bono, Sassari (WP2), Spoleto, Perugia (WP3); Masi, Padua (WP4); Ceregnano, Rovigo (WP 5). In ev ery WS AGFORWARD and the specific WP aims were presented. Participants were given a questionnaire to elicit positive and negative aspects of agroforestry wh ich were discussed together with the agroforestry best practices and the challenges in agroforestry innovations. Participants suggested strategies for future research and innovations. WP2 (Silvopastoral system): the 15 participants highlighted the need for: strategies to increase productivity of all the system's com ponents providing farmers with appropriate tools to facilitate the access to public subsides availabl e in the CAP and favouring the protection of rural lands and positive externalities; improve d communication and shared knowledge among stakeholders. WP3 (Innovative agroforestry practices) : the 25 participants underlined the need of best practices for growing wild as paragus in the olive orchard; deve lop portable butchering facilities for processing the meat at small scale. They pro posed other viable market able crops/animal species to be intercropped. WP4 (Intercropping): the 5 pa rticipants suggested actions to compare poplar cultivation for timber production in traditional planta tions with agroforestry systems and analyze the effect of tree density on the development of pathogens and diseases; ev aluate the effect of secondary woody species in mixed agroforestry plantations for improving planting density along trees row with possible beneficial effects of stem form of the ma in timber species. WP5 (Livestock farms): the 22 participants focused on critical interaction between pigs and trees when stock rate is high and grazing area is limited compared with othe r more extensive systems. Investigations are needed to define better trees species (density, resistance to pigs rooting, fast growth species, wood production), stock rate and trees density, protection systems for you ng trees (different type of shelter).