Developing agroforestry: Compared pathways of Quebec and France

This analysis draws a parallel between France and Quebec agroforestry in terms of five fundamental issues: recognition, interdisciplinarity and collective approach; knowledge acquisition and transfer; status, regulations and funding; awareness and engagement; and technical support and field implementation. For Quebec, the basic information is taken from an agroforestry forum held by the Centre de référence en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec in March 2010. Windbreaks and tree riparian buffers are becoming increasingly common, mainly for environmental reasons, while silvoarable systems remain less common. In France political recognition has been achieved and a number of regulatory restrictions have been lifted; however, in Quebec the status of trees outside forests remains unclear, regulations are restrictive and programs are ill suited. Agroforestry systems perform many ecosystem services, but work remains to be done to quantify them and determine their potential in terms of agricultural and timber production.