The Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri, established in 1998, is a preeminent global center contributing to the science and practice underlying agroforestry, which combines trees and shrubs with crops or livestock.

Integrated practices of agroforestry (forest farming, alley cropping, silvopasture, riparian forest buffers, windbreaks, and urban food forests) help to protect the environment and improve biodiversity, while sustaining land resources for future generations.

Agroforestry practices help landowners create multifunctional working landscapes to provide a wide range of benefits including:

  • Diversification of products, markets, and farm income
  • Protection and improvement in soil, water, and air quality
  • Improved climate resilience
  • Increased carbon sequestration
  • Enhanced conservation of biodiversity
  • Enriched habitat diversity
  • Improved human health and well-being

Learn more about how our research contributes to our understanding of these benefits and the working elements of transition to multifunctional agroforestry landscapes.

Mission and Vision

The Center for Agroforestry is guided by a mission to support the long-term future of rural and urban working farms and forests through land use strategies that achieve economic, environmental and social sustainability. Our vision is to be a preeminent global center in agroforestry research, economic development, education and outreach that will offer sustainable and resilient solutions to some of the greatest challenges we face today – climate change, natural resource degradation, loss of biodiversity, and economic and food insecurity.

What is Agroforestry?

Practices and Pathways for Multifunctional Landscapes

This video is included in the open access agroforestry curriculum intended for science educators and students to:

  1. Define agroforestry practices as they are situated in a broader ecological & social context;
  2. Recognize the value of perennial crops in agroecological systems;
  3. Consider planning, design, & management approaches for specialty crops in agroforestry.

Learn more about our educational resources backed by research and practice.

UMCA’s Key Goals

Research and Economic Development Goals:

  1. Document and quantify the many environmental, ecological and economic benefits of agroforestry through rigorous science.
  2. Improve the viability of an array of perennial specialty crops to increase economic opportunities on the family farm.
  3. Explore the inherent/fundamental potential for agroforestry and woody crops to contribute to human health and well-being.

Education Goals:

  1. Train students, professionals, scientists, and the general public about the applications and benefits of agroforestry.
  2. Empower individuals to make a difference locally, regionally and globally by developing and contributing to novel, resilient, and healthy landscape solutions.

Outreach Goals:

  1. Build partnerships that will allow for broad adoption of agroforestry and other sustainable land use practices.
  2. Share findings with policy-makers and the public so they are prepared to implement and encourage innovative policies and directives for integrating agroforestry.

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