Background & challenges
In the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France, two cooperatives are helping poultry farmers change their farming practices and turn to agroforestry. These organisations, thanks to their good integration and their bridging role on the territory, identify the farmers interested in the project and facilitate support for groups of farmers during workshops and field visits.
The aim is to support and structure on a larger scale the transition of poultry farms to agroforestry by proposing farmers introduce trees to their farms.
The ‘active’ chicken run should allow for combined poultry farming and tree planting on the same plot of land. Within the runs, different types of trees of several different species, including fruit species, are planted as hedges, small copses, or in rows on the plot.
The advantages and objectives of ‘active’ chicken runs are numerous:
- improved animal welfare and protection of poultry (less stress, predators, wind, bad weather, heat),
- increased biodiversity thanks to significant diversification of species
- diversification of production (fruit, biomass, timber)
- diversification of food sources for poultry (fruit fallen from trees),
- protection of water resources and curbing of diffuse pollution.
Well-designed ‘active’ chicken runs also reconcile farmers with consumers and local inhabitants and give them a sense of pride in their work and farming practices.
The success of these projects depends on support adapted to each case (mobile huts or fixed building), taking into account the limitations and opportunities of each project and objectives of each farmer.
This first project, launched in 2022 with the French Association of Agroforestry (AFAF), aims to support seven farmers and plant 3,570 trees of about 40 different species in the French region of New-Aquitaine.
Project type
Agroforestry
Beneficiaries
Seven farmers in the New-Aquitaine region:
Arnaud, Emmanuel, Jean-François, Quentin, Rodolphe, Thierry, Vanessa
Number of trees
3,585 planted,f which 3,570 long-living.
Species planted
About 40 different species
Partner
French Agroforestry Association (AFAF)
Arnaud:
Field maple Acer campestre 2
March willow Salix capraea 2
Myrobolan plum Salix capraea 2
Black walnut Morus nigra 3
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus 20
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa 16
Hazelnut Corylus avellana 15
Blood dogwood Cornus sanguinea 17
Ivy Viburnum opulus 17
Red willow Salix atrocinerea 10
Black Elder Sambucus nigra 9
Small-leafed lime Tilia cordata 20
Cherry Prunus avium 15
Cormier Sorbus domestica 15
Weeping birch Betula pendula 20
Resistant elm Ulmus resista ‘Lutece’ 15
Common walnut Juglans regia 25
Chickweed Sorbus torminalis 25
Field maple Acer campestre 25
Quince Cydonia oblonga 23
March willow Salix capraea 20
Domestic plum Prunus domestica 20
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus 30
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa 82
Hazelnut Corylus avellana 83
Blood dogwood Cornus sanguinea 83
Ivy Viburnum opulus 83
Euonymus europaeus 82
European medlar Mespilus germanica 83
Black elder Sambucus nigra 83
Cormier Sorbus domestica 5
Weeping birch Betula pendula 7
White poplar Populus alba 5
Black poplar Populus nigra 5
Lutetia elm Ulmus resista ‘Lutetia’ 5
Small-leafed lime Tilia cordata 10
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus 5
Black walnut Morus nigra 10
Willow Salix caprea 10
Wild pear tree Pyrus pyraster 5
Domestic plum Prunus domestica 5
Montpellier maple Acer monspessulanum 5
Wild apple tree Malus sylvestris 5
Hazelnut Corylus avellana 8
European medlar Mespilus germanica 8
Black elder Sambucus nigra 8
Noble laurel Laurus nobilis 9
Blood dogwood Cornus sanguinea 8
Emmanuel:
Chestnut trees Castanea sativa 355
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus 25
Common pear Pyrus communis 10
Sessile oak Quercus petraea 8
Cherry Prunus avium 10
Warty birch Betula pendula 10
Common ash Fraxinus excelsior 5
Holm oak Quercus ilex 10
Blood dogwood Cornus sanguinea 20
Buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica 21
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa 20
Common Privet Ligustrum vulgare 20
Euonymus europaeus 20
Hazelnut Corylus avellana 25
Jean-François:
Chestnut Castanea sativa 60
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus 48
Wild pear tree Pyrus communis 30
Wild apple tree Malus sylvestris 35
Field maple Acer campestre 24
Domestic plum Prunus domestica 9
Quince Cydonia oblonga 8
Myrobolan plum Prunus cerasifera 15
Lutetia elm Ulmus lutetia 33
Small-leafed lime Tilia cordata 34
Montpellier maple Acer monspessulanum 9
Weeping birch Betula pendula 29
Cherry Prunus avium 4
March willow Salix caprea 13
Noble laurel Laurus nobilis 13
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa 39
Blood dogwood Cornus sanguinea 43
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea 17
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna 46
Rosehip Rosa canina 41
Blackthorn Mespilus germanica 23
Euonymus europaeus 25
Black Elder Sambucus nigra 26
Ivy Viburnum opulus 23
Hazelnut Corylus avellana 51
Quentin:
Walnut Juglans regia 150
Rodolphe:
Chestnut Castanea sativa 555
Thierry:
Chestnut Castanea sativa 30
Walnut Juglans regia 56
Hornbeam Carpinus betulus 5
Blackberry Sorbus torminalis 4
Wild pear Pyrus communis 7
Wild apple Malus sylvestris 4
Field maple Acer campestre 7
Domestic plum Prunus domestica 3
Plum myrobolan Prunus cerasifera 5
Plum myrobolan Prunus cerasifera 15
Lutetia elm Ulmus lutetia 12
Basswood platyphyllos Tilia platyphyllos 4
Small-leafed lime Tilia cordata 8
Montpellier maple Acer monspessulanum 4
Weeping birch Betula pendula 10
Cherry Prunus avium 9
Buckthorn Rhamnus alaternus 8
Buckthorn Thamnus cathartica 7
Blackthorn Prunus spinosa 22
Blood dogwood Cornus sanguinea 15
Dogwood, male Cornus mas 7
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea 24
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna 22
Rosehip Rosa canina 10
Broad-leaved thistle Phillyrea latifolia 8
Common juniper Juniperus communis 14
Medlar Mespilus germanica 17
Viburnum lantana 7
Black elder Sambucus nigra 15
Ivy Viburnum opulus 17
Hazelnut Corylus avellana 22
Vanessa:
Apple trees Malus sylvestris 50
Cherry Prunus mahaleb 20
Plum Prunus domestica 30
Walnut Juglans regia 9
Small-leaved lime Tilia cordata 9
Mulberry Morus alba 10
Apple trees Malus sylvestris 10
Serviceberry Amelanchier arborea 5
Blackcurrant Ribes nigrum 5
Viorne lantane Viburnums lantana 4
Hazelnut Corylus avellana 5
Works timeline
- October 2021: soil preparation, delivery of seedlings and staking
- November 2021 – January 2022: planting trees on the plots and site launch
- November 2022 – March 2024: replanting and first maintenance phase with training on tree pruning
- 2023 – 2029: maintenance phases (training on pruning and trimming).
Planting partner
Budget
The total budget to be collected is €103 530, or €29 per planted and l tree, broken down as follows
- 95% of which is allocated to the planting project, broken down as follows:
- Planting and replanting: €4.19
- Mulching: €2.61
- Protection and stakes: €6.97
- Technical advice: €1.92
- Monitoring over three years: €1.94
- AFAF coordination, project management, and communication costs: €5.8
- A Tree for You collection, follow-up, and communication costs (14.21%): €4.12
- and 5% (€1.45) to cover A Tree for You overheads.
This total excludes * self-financing by the farmer for the plantating and soil preparation steps listed below:
| Items | Unit cost |
| Tasks | €5,20 € |
| Soil preparation | €1.44 |
| Mulching, protection, staking, and planting | €3.18 |
| Tree maintenance and replanting | €1.62 |
Funding by A Tree for You aims to cover 81.8% of the total project costs.
