The new CAP for 2028–2034 aims to support the resilience, competitiveness and sustainable development of EU agriculture by modernising funding and placing greater emphasis on the results of its measures. Agroforestry has great potential for the climate, biodiversity and soil protection, but its implementation in the EU remains well below expectations. The main barriers are inconsistent regulations, insufficient support for knowledge and digitalisation, and financial difficulties, particularly for small farms. Better integration of policies, reporting systems and private investment is intended to enable agroforestry to be incorporated more effectively into the CAP after 2027. On 19 May in Barcelona, we discussed during the REFOREST project workshop how to better support the implementation of agroforestry in Member States and regions, and which financial mechanisms and IT systems to use to improve the effectiveness of support for producers. The workshop consisted of three parts. The first session of the workshop was devoted to the regulatory and administrative challenges associated with the implementation of agroforestry in the future CAP, and how to design a more flexible and equitable support system that would facilitate the participation of both small and large farms. The second session discussed the role of digitalisation and MRV tools in better monitoring and valuation of agroforestry, as well as ways to reduce data gaps and administrative burdens so that CAP systems can more effectively support farmers, administrations and investors. The final part of the workshop focused on the financial barriers hindering the development of agroforestry and on the need to better adapt public and private instruments to the specific nature of long-term environmental investments. Discussions also covered the role of certification, sustainable procurement and new reporting frameworks in increasing the market value of agroforestry products, as well as ensuring fairer benefits for farmers.
