It’s not magic, it’s a Syntropic Agroforestry System

Imagine a world where degraded lands transform into lush forests, where food is not just abundant but also vibrantly healthy, where the climate is balanced, and communities thrive in harmony with nature. This might sound like a utopia, but it’s a reality that can be achieved through the marvel of Syntropic AgroForestry Systems (SAFS). While it may seem like magic, the truth is that this is the super-advanced technology of nature at work which is inherently programmed to adapt, collaborate, and thrive.

So as a designer who is deeply inspired by biomimicry, I got thrilled when I learned that SAFS methodology was specifically designed to replicate this intelligent design. This means that is not by chance that it generates outstanding results. By mimicking natural ecosystems, it offers tremendous potential for restoring degraded lands and enhancing biodiversity while producing an abundance of nutritious food. (check Tobias Plieninger’s article “Accelerating Sustainable Landscape Management through Agroforestry”)

Technology will save us!

Big corporations sell the idea that industrial agriculture is the greatest solution for feeding a growing population, but this statement could not be further from the truth.
The technology developed by humans to produce food devastates natural areas to open spaces for growing gigantic monocultures, it compensates for degraded soil with chemical fertilizers, it annihilates biodiversity through the use of herbicides and pesticides that end up on consumers’ plates and in rivers along with the land that is eroded by rain. On top of that, this practice produces tons of greenhouse gases along the production chain.

On the other hand, over the last 4 billion years, nature’s technology has been perfecting a design method to bring more life, diversity, and beauty to our planet. So why not make the best of it for our purposes?
Syntropic agroforestry is probably the best example of using these nature-design principles for creating agricultural systems that are self-sustaining and regenerative. So what this means is that if we use this technology to produce food, instead of depleting the soil, we will make it more fertile. Instead of reducing biodiversity, we will enhance it. Instead of depleting aquifers and disrupting rain circles, we will restore groundwater and return water streams to life. Instead of increasing greenhouse emissions we will sequestrate CO2 and restore it in the soil. Instead of cutting down forests, we will recreate them.
In other words, instead of simply producing food while creating a large social and environmental debt, we will be leveraging ecosystem services that create value on multiple levels!

The 6 principles of SAFS that make these fantastic results possible.
1. Diversity: the food forest is made by a combination of a wide variety of species that support and protect each other making the whole system much more resilient to pests and extreme climate events.
2. Density: like in a forest, plants are planted very close to each other strengthening the cohesion of the system.
3. Stratification: the plantation design puts in place a multi-layer combination of species that have different needs for sunlight exposure promoting the collaboration between plants
4. Succession: the planting planning takes into account the life cycle of plants so that crops are constantly producing in subsequent cycles.
5. Soil cover: green fertilization is made by the constant maintenance of a thick layer of organic matter that protects the soil and promotes its reconstruction.
6. Beauty: including flowers in the system attracts pollinators that foster the plants’ production and make the landscape beautiful to work and live close by.

On top of that, the constant stewardship and trimming of the plants promote continuous growth and renewal, speeding up nature’s restoration at an incredible pace.

Urgency in Action

The urgency of adopting syntropic agroforestry cannot be overstated. In the last few decades, deforestation has occurred at an alarming rate, leading to massive losses in biodiversity and destabilizing our climate. We are at a critical juncture where the choices we make today will determine the future of our planet and, consequently, our own survival.

One shining example of syntropic agroforestry in action is the work of Ernst Götsch, the Swiss agronomist responsible for tailoring this methodology. On his farm in Brazil, degraded land has been transformed into a thriving ecosystem that produces some of the highest-quality cocoa in the world. However, even more important than promoting ecological restoration and excelling in food production, Götsch’s methodology created a model of regenerative agriculture that is being replicated globally.

Flourishing opportunities

While our future depends on the widespread adoption of nature-based technologies like syntropic agroforestry, exciting opportunities for ecological business are also popping up. From very nutrient-dense foods to refined medicinal products, from broad environmental restoration and reforestation impact validation to an increase in regeneration assets and carbon farming, from exquisite self-sustainable ecovillage consortiums to large infrastructure for resilient cities, the global market for nature-based techs is expected to deliver 26 Trillion USD to 2030.

As a SAFS enthusiast, I’m keen to take these opportunities and make them flourish!
These are two projects that I am currently working on.

First is the Forest Heroes, an international certification for agroforestry-sourced foods.
The most distinctive feature is that the evidence-based certification process uses mini-documentaries called “We are Forest Heroes” to tell the story of where the certified products come from and who produces them, thus promoting the farmers and the product brands.
In addition, the certification seal is based on NFT technology which creates an incorruptible record of the validated product, allowing producers, traders, and consumers to verify, recognize, and trust in the superior quality and sustainability of food products from agroforestry.
https://bit.ly/forestheroesdeck
Password: forestheroes2024

The other is TreeScape, the first AI-driven application for designing and managing Syntropic Agroforestry Systems. This powerful tool will give farmers unique conditions to scale the success of their SAFS, while exceptionally accelerating ecosystem restoration.

Let's plant this idea!

I believe ideas are seeds of the future.
When you have quality seeds, fertile soil, and the loving ability to care for them, beautiful new realities will sprout.

Once you know the quality and potential of nature-based technologies, it is not difficult to imagine a planet where we regenerated ecosystems and restored the climate balance, where every piece of land is teeming with life, and where communities are resilient and self-sufficient.

This is not a distant dream, but a future within our reach in which we can create a truly healthy and abundant world where humans and nature thrive together in harmony.

Want to know more about the possibilities of nature-based technologies? Get in touch: marcelobohrerid@gmail.com
Marcelo Bohrer - expert in strategic regenerative design
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