OLGA Newsletter no. 7, June 2024

Dear readers,

In our last project year, we want to make the regional added value of agroforestry wood and legumes transparent for people in the Dresden region and beyond. Whether in the form of talks about the production and benefits of legumes for human nutrition, tastings, excursions or field days - the dissemination of the project results also lives with the people in rural and urban areas, their ideas and stories, to make the regional agriculture and food industry more resilient and sustainable.

The topic of agroforestry along watercourses focuses on energy wood. We want to bring agroforestry with fast-growing tree species into the spotlight as a small but not to be underestimated piece of the puzzle for decarbonising the heat supply of municipalities. At the field day on 21 June 2024 in Wurzener Land and with our newly established agroforestry pilot area in Grumbach near Dresden, we will show how agroforestry can be established in cities and their surroundings and integrated into the local-regional green infrastructure.

The green lentils grown in the district of Central Saxony are now being processed into exclusive lentil falafels and patties in Dresden and marketed in the local consumer cooperative for environmentally friendly products. We are delighted to be able to use this newly created product as a flagship for regional value creation with pulses. Last but not least we are actively shaping the catering at the Dresden Palais Sommer Festival by involving sustainable and regional caterers. So this year you can see pulses in raised beds while enjoying lentil falafel directly on the Neumarkt in front of the Frauenkirche. Well, this summer will be great!

The OLGA team wishes you lots of fun and sunshine

Content

Wood biomass from agroforestry as element for the decarbonisation of cities and communities

City of Dresden published updated energy and climate protection concept

Planting of the OLGA pilot plot ‘Agroforestry along watercourses’

Time has come: 2x two rows of poplars ensure less wind erosion on the fields around Dresden and warmer evenings in the winters of Tharandt

Invitation to the agroforestry field day in the region of Wurzen/Leipzig

Hedges, copses and agroforestry - environmental services and regional value creation

OLGA at the 7th European Agroforestry Conference in Brno/CZ

Agroforestry is to become mainstream | Brno Declaration for Agroforestry adopted

From 27 to 31 May 2024, the 7th European Conference on Agroforestry took place at Mendel University in Brno/CZ. 396 participants from 43 countries worldwide listened to 137 presentations on the benefits and practical implementation of agroforestry land use.

Scientists, practitioners, politicians and communicators shared their knowledge, experiences, results, opinions and feelings about agroforestry, a form of regenerative land use that is becoming increasingly popular with farmers. Indeed, more courage and goodwill is needed at the political level to facilitate the application and financing of agroforestry systems at farm level.

From grazing cattle under fruit trees, to growing crops in rows with trees for timber production, to vegetable patches shaded by a mixture of berry bushes, fruit or nut trees in so-called urban forest gardens - the variety of agroforestry systems presented during the numerous sessions and excursions was enormous. The 110-strong exhibition in the foyer of the conference building also showcased the numerous studies on agroforestry, including the OLGA project, which presented the microclimatic effects of agroforestry stands along watercourses and in agricultural landscapes in general in the form of a poster:

OLGA Poster

We need more trees in the agricultural landscape

It is diversity that agroforestry can give back to the landscape. To achieve this, the funding conditions in the individual EU Member States still need to be improved. In his speech, EU Commissioner for Agriculture Janusz Wojciechowski, who joined us via video, emphasised that we need more trees in the agricultural landscape and that agroforestry is a potential CO2 certification method in the future. Everything is being done to provide better financial support for this land use approach in future common agricultural policies.

As part of the conference, the Brno Declaration on Agroforestry was adopted on behalf of all participants - a document that highlights the benefits of agroforestry, e.g. for climate adaptation, water and soil protection and regional circular economy, and calls for an improvement in the funding framework in the direction of Brussels.

Book of abstracts

Brno Agroforestry Declaration (31.05.2024)

Regional food supply with lentil falafel & co at the Dresden Palais Sommer 2024

Catering with increasingly regional products should make the event more sustainable

Radishes from here as the (food) basis for the technology of tomorrow

OLGA at the environmental week of Dresden chip manufacturer GlobalFoundries

All-rounders, superfoods, climate protectors - pulses are rocking the food systems transformation

New information section on regional value creation with pulses for human nutrition on the OLGA website

Alternative consumption is possible - so is an alternative world!

The ‘La Manzana’ cooperative promotes the regional value creation of pulses in southern Chile.

Events around regenerative agriculture & food

A selection of regional and national events in the coming weeks and months

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