The New Earth · Chapter 03

Farming with forests and perennial life

Let structure, succession and diversity do more of the work.

17. Agroforestry

Field-supported family of practices

Trees can share agricultural land through alleys, boundaries, shelterbelts, orchards or multistorey systems. Their value depends on species, spacing, rainfall, root competition, management and markets. Farm research supports opportunities to combine ecological and human benefits. A 2026 synthesis of 184 meta-analyses found several benefits increased with the duration of diversification, without a significant overall yield effect. Design the harvests and the relationships: food, shade, habitat, biomass and access. [S07] [S08]

18. Syntropic agriculture

Documented practice / developing comparative evidence

Associated with Ernst Götsch and taught by centres such as CEPEAS in Brazil, syntropic systems work with ecological succession, vegetation layers, dense planting and purposeful pruning. Biomass becomes a resource for the next stage of growth. A compelling research question is how these systems compare with simpler agroforestry in labour, food output, water, biodiversity and profit over time. The living practice is rich; outcomes should remain site-specific. [S16]

19. Food forests and permaculture design

Practice family with local evidence

A food forest brings useful plants into a layered perennial landscape. Permaculture offers a broader design tradition concerned with relationships, flows and human needs. The US Forest Service documents community food forests and the much longer history of forest gardens. Public access, harvesting rights, irrigation and long-term care matter as much as the planting plan. A beautiful design becomes a food system when someone can keep tending it. [S17]

20. Perennial grains and Kernza

Crop development / field experimentation

Kernza is harvested from selected intermediate wheatgrass. The Land Institute describes it as a crop still in development, with experimental growers and evolving markets. Perennial grain systems invite questions about roots, erosion, nutrient losses, yield and income across several years. Their promise should be evaluated across the whole rotation. Kernza contains gluten. [S18] [S66]

21. Breadfruit and tropical perennial staples

Established crop / contemporary system design

The National Tropical Botanical Garden’s breadfruit programme connects a productive tree crop with agroforestry knowledge. Breadfruit invites a different picture of a staple food landscape: trees, companion crops and many years of harvest rather than an annual bare-field cycle. Climate suitability, variety, storm exposure, processing and market access shape the opportunity. The published agroforestry guide is a useful starting point for learning the system in its proper setting. [S19]

22. Coppice, pruning and a farm’s biomass budget

Design practice

A tree or shrub can provide mulch and compost material as well as a harvested product. Syntropic growers make pruning central to managing light and succession. In a proposed farm comparison, weigh the biomass produced, record the labour and track the response of neighbouring crops. Keep the source of fertility visible: importing mulch from elsewhere can move ecological costs beyond the edge of the photographed field. [S16]

23. Farmer-managed natural regeneration

Landscape practice with regional research

FMNR works with existing tree stumps, roots and natural regeneration. Farmers select, protect and manage useful growth rather than assuming restoration must begin with nursery planting. Niger offers an important large-scale history, documented by ICRISAT and the US Geological Survey. Tenure, access to wood and local governance help determine whether people can benefit from caring for trees. Regeneration is a social arrangement as well as a biological process. [S20] [S64]

24. Habitat and push-pull pest management

Research-based regional practice

Push-pull systems developed with icipe use companion plants to influence pest behaviour and manage constraints such as Striga in suitable cereal systems. They illustrate a wider opportunity: design plant relationships before reaching for a pesticide. Species choice and local ecology are essential. A plant that serves a useful role in one region may be unsuitable elsewhere. The ecological principle is portable; the exact planting recipe requires local knowledge. [S21]

Keep exploring

These field notes open the questions. Return to The New Earth’s growing article collection for deeper explorations as they are published.

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Disclaimer

This guide is educational and exploratory. Research findings, cultural traditions and practitioner claims have different kinds and levels of support; their inclusion is not a guarantee of safety, effectiveness, nutritional superiority or environmental benefit. Agricultural interventions need appropriate local assessment, testing and legal compliance. Psychedelic substances carry medical and legal risks; discussion here is not advice to obtain, grow or use them, or a substitute for qualified care. Respect Indigenous authority, ecological limits and the wellbeing of people, animals and other living beings when putting any idea into practice.