Cultivating Resilience Through Organic Farming with Trees (CROFT) Project
Exciting New Project Launched in Ireland
The Irish Agroforestry Forum, in collaboration with BioBeo.EU, recently launched the “Cultivating Resilience Through Organic Farming with Trees” (CROFT) Project. This comprehensive initiative is dedicated to promoting organic farming practices and agricultural resilience throughout Ireland.
Funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine Organic Promotion Fund. The CROFT
Project focuses on promoting the benefits of agroforestry to organic farmers, conventional farmers
interested in transitioning to organic practices, advisors, and consultants. It also includes initiatives
for primary and secondary schools and their communities. By disseminating information widely,
the project aims to raise awareness of the multifaceted benefits of agroforestry for rural residents
and the general public.
Credits: CROFT project
Project Overview
The CROFT Project aims to raise awareness about the benefits of agroforestry, healthy food, and
environmental sustainability. It features a variety of activities designed to engage farmers and the
broader community:
Farmer-Led Trials and Farm Walk Tours: Showcasing the practical benefits of integrating trees into
organic farming.
Farmer Online meets: Facilitating knowledge exchange and community building among farmers.
Educational Programmes: Providing instructional materials and videos for farmers and schools to
educate on the integration of agroforestry and organic farming practices.
Farm Fresh to School Programme: A pilot initiative delivering organic vegetables and promoting
agroforestry within school communities.
Educational Outreach to primary and secondary schools.
A key component of the CROFT Project is its educational outreach to primary and secondary
schools. This includes:
– Educational Poster Series: Informative posters about agroforestry distributed to schools.
– Willow Baskets: Filled with organic vegetables, a tree book, recipes, and additional resources,
these baskets will be distributed to 12 schools in June and September/October 2024.
Collaboration and Resources
The CROFT Project is a collaborative effort involving a wide range of partners:
– BioBeo Horizon Europe Project (BioBeo)
– BiOrbic, Bioeconomy SFI Research Centre
– University College Dublin (UCD)
– Maynooth University
– Centre for Environmental Living and Training (CELT)
– National Organic SkillNet
– Trees on the Land
– Kinsale College
– Teagasc
– Queen’s University Belfast
– Pocket Forests
– The Organic Trust
Five schools are already actively engaged in the BioBeo project, participating in bioeconomy
education activities led by the BioBeo team. 7 additional schools involved in the CROFT Project will
have access to BioBeo’s extensive educational resources, including an educational website,
bioeconomy comics in both English and Irish, animated videos, and lesson plans.
