Agroforestry practiced on nearly half world's farms.

• Author: Block, Ben
• Position: EYE ON EARTH - Brief article

While farmers have long placed trees among their crops to enhance soil health, raise marketable fruits or nuts, and protect row crops from damaging winds, more farmers practice agroforestry than was previously appreciated, new data suggest.

According to a study from the Nairobi-based World Agroforestry Centre, nearly half of the world's farmlands have at least 10 percent tree cover, spanning more than 10 million square kilometers in total. Large areas of agroforestry exist in South America...