Drought and heat: the agricultural sector in crisis

In an article in Le Monde, landscape engineer Philippe Hirou and ecologist Jacques Tassin make the case for agroforestry, a practice more common in the tropics in which trees are integrated into crops and pastureland:

“Trees are living organisms that play a fundamental role in regulating the environment and increasing resilience. We should make use of this resource, which is a natural way to channel rainwater deep into the soil, regulate temperature fluctuations, mitigate the damaging effects of excessive sunlight on the soil, reduce wind speeds and even sequester excess carbon. When managed properly, trees can be among farmers’ best allies. Yet proponents of the prevailing agricultural model often portray hedgerows as relics of the past: as useless and restrictive.”