SUMMARY. Despite their potential, food forests have yet to become firmly established in agricultural education. They are rarely covered in training courses, degree programs, and continuing education programs—and when they are, it is usually only in passing. This is a real problem, because without sound knowledge of how to plan, establish, maintain, and further develop such systems, they cannot be implemented professionally.
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Food forests are a form of regenerative agriculture that takes the environment into account. They are complex agroforestry systems based on the principles of permaculture, integrating a variety of crops into a multi-layered, forest-edge-like structure. These systems are not only ecologically sustainable, but also productive and can play an important role in food security and climate protection.
‘Two things are needed to establish complex agroforestry systems: knowledge and seeds.’ Ernst Götsch
Knowledge as the basis for change
Despite their potential, knowledge about food forests is not sufficiently widespread in the agricultural community. They are hardly ever discussed in training courses and degree programmes, which means that they are not systematically anchored in professional curricula. This is a real problem, because without sound knowledge of how to plan, set up, maintain and further develop such systems, they cannot be implemented professionally. But that is exactly what is needed if food forests are to have a long-term impact and be scaled up. Or, as Ernst Götsch puts it: ‘To build complex agroforestry systems, you need two things – knowledge and seeds.’
We note that successful implementation requires new knowledge, practical skills and systemic thinking – in agricultural, educational, municipal and political contexts alike.
Education makes all the difference!
This is where the work of actors such as FoodForestNetwork comes in. We are committed to imparting this knowledge through workshops, training courses and practical training. We not only provide advice for complex agroforestry projects, but also help to set them up. These (often) pilot projects are living learning centres for constructive agriculture – places where people can not only acquire theoretical knowledge, but also experience the benefits of such systems first-hand. Time and again, we see participants have a lightbulb moment – that moment when understanding turns into conviction. The aim is to empower people to take action themselves, whether in small community projects, on farms or in an educational context.
Practical educational formats are a decisive lever for:
- to deepen understanding of complex agroforestry systems,
- Avoid errors in implementation,
- to increase acceptance among the professional community,
- and enable scaling through well-trained multipliers.
What is required for this
Funding and participation. Financial support is needed to establish sustainable educational programs, for example through public funding programs, but also through donations and civic engagement. Government funding can help to
- Developing educational content,
- Implement pilot projects,
- Professionalizing educational facilities
- and facilitate access to opportunities for young or new farmers.
In many cases, however, a percentage of the project costs must be covered by the organization itself. That is why it is important to collect donations together in order to enable good educational projects in the field of food forests.
Conclusion: Education for vibrant, sustainable landscapes.
Food forests are a response to many of the challenges we face today. They are diverse, climate-resilient and contribute to the regeneration of soil, water and biodiversity. But without knowledge, they remain theoretical. With targeted education, practical offerings and structural support, they can become effective on a large scale. It’s time more people learned about what food forests can do – so that there will soon be more food forests.
We are open to ideas and suggestions on how we can further improve and scale our workshops – together we can achieve even more.