This dissertation highlights the urgent need for climate change mitigation, emphasizing the role of agroforestry as a sustainable solution. Agroforestry combines woody perennials with crops and livestock, contributing to carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change. Agroforestry offers a multifunctional approach to mitigating climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing soil health, and increasing farm resilience, aligning with the EU's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The research explains key practices like silvopastoralism and silvoarable systems, highlighting their benefits for carbon sequestration, soil health, and biodiversity. The research explores the extent of agroforestry adoption in Europe, its economic trade-offs, and its potential for carbon sequestration. The barriers to widespread adoption of agroforestry such as lack of knowledge and financial incentives are also highlighted. Despite many advantages, the adoption of agroforestry remains limited in Europe, primarily due to knowledge gaps, economic trade-offs, and policy constraints. The research calls for context-specific initiatives and financial incentives to overcome these barriers. Using a sample of farmers from Italy’s Marche region, the awareness and willingness of farmers to adopt agroforestry is examined. Findings reveal that while most farmers recognize agroforestry’s environmental benefits, financial and knowledge-related barriers hinder adoption. Education, land size, and agricultural experience significantly influence willingness. It is recommended to target awareness campaigns, financial incentives, and agroforestry training programs to encourage adoption. Further, the EU policies are reviewed related to agroforestry, with a focus on Italy. The review explores the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other environmental initiatives aimed at promoting agroforestry. Despite policy advancements, challenges such as complex regulations and insufficient financial support persist. The analysis emphasizes the need for better policy implementation, robust monitoring, and direct payments to enhance the adoption of agroforestry systems. Agroforestry emerges as a promising strategy to address climate change and agricultural sustainability. While environmental benefits are well-documented, economic trade-offs and socio-political barriers must be addressed. The major recommendations of this research include increasing financial support, enhancing farmer education, and integrating agroforestry into broader environmental policies.

This dissertation highlights the urgent need for climate change mitigation, emphasizing the role of agroforestry as a sustainable solution. Agroforestry combines woody perennials with crops and livestock, contributing to carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change. Agroforestry offers a multifunctional approach to mitigating climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing soil health, and increasing farm resilience, aligning with the EU's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The research explains key practices like silvopastoralism and silvoarable systems, highlighting their benefits for carbon sequestration, soil health, and biodiversity. The research explores the extent of agroforestry adoption in Europe, its economic trade-offs, and its potential for carbon sequestration. The barriers to widespread adoption of agroforestry such as lack of knowledge and financial incentives are also highlighted. Despite many advantages, the adoption of agroforestry remains limited in Europe, primarily due to knowledge gaps, economic trade-offs, and policy constraints. The research calls for context-specific initiatives and financial incentives to overcome these barriers. Using a sample of farmers from Italy’s Marche region, the awareness and willingness of farmers to adopt agroforestry is examined. Findings reveal that while most farmers recognize agroforestry’s environmental benefits, financial and knowledge-related barriers hinder adoption. Education, land size, and agricultural experience significantly influence willingness. It is recommended to target awareness campaigns, financial incentives, and agroforestry training programs to encourage adoption. Further, the EU policies are reviewed related to agroforestry, with a focus on Italy. The review explores the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other environmental initiatives aimed at promoting agroforestry. Despite policy advancements, challenges such as complex regulations and insufficient financial support persist. The analysis emphasizes the need for better policy implementation, robust monitoring, and direct payments to enhance the adoption of agroforestry systems. Agroforestry emerges as a promising strategy to address climate change and agricultural sustainability. While environmental benefits are well-documented, economic trade-offs and socio-political barriers must be addressed. The major recommendations of this research include increasing financial support, enhancing farmer education, and integrating agroforestry into broader environmental policies.

Economics of Agroforestry Systems as Climate Change Mitigation Strategy in the Mediterranean Region

SHAFAQAT, SIDRA
2025

Abstract

This dissertation highlights the urgent need for climate change mitigation, emphasizing the role of agroforestry as a sustainable solution. Agroforestry combines woody perennials with crops and livestock, contributing to carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and resilience to climate change. Agroforestry offers a multifunctional approach to mitigating climate change, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing soil health, and increasing farm resilience, aligning with the EU's goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. The research explains key practices like silvopastoralism and silvoarable systems, highlighting their benefits for carbon sequestration, soil health, and biodiversity. The research explores the extent of agroforestry adoption in Europe, its economic trade-offs, and its potential for carbon sequestration. The barriers to widespread adoption of agroforestry such as lack of knowledge and financial incentives are also highlighted. Despite many advantages, the adoption of agroforestry remains limited in Europe, primarily due to knowledge gaps, economic trade-offs, and policy constraints. The research calls for context-specific initiatives and financial incentives to overcome these barriers. Using a sample of farmers from Italy’s Marche region, the awareness and willingness of farmers to adopt agroforestry is examined. Findings reveal that while most farmers recognize agroforestry’s environmental benefits, financial and knowledge-related barriers hinder adoption. Education, land size, and agricultural experience significantly influence willingness. It is recommended to target awareness campaigns, financial incentives, and agroforestry training programs to encourage adoption. Further, the EU policies are reviewed related to agroforestry, with a focus on Italy. The review explores the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and other environmental initiatives aimed at promoting agroforestry. Despite policy advancements, challenges such as complex regulations and insufficient financial support persist. The analysis emphasizes the need for better policy implementation, robust monitoring, and direct payments to enhance the adoption of agroforestry systems. Agroforestry emerges as a promising strategy to address climate change and agricultural sustainability. While environmental benefits are well-documented, economic trade-offs and socio-political barriers must be addressed. The major recommendations of this research include increasing financial support, enhancing farmer education, and integrating agroforestry into broader environmental policies.
6-giu-2025
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11576/2757011
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