Jan Große-Kleimann, a practising agroforestry farmer, and Claudia Kleinert spoke at the invitation of the ‘Agroforestry Real-World Laboratory’ transformation project, which forms part of the TransRegINT – Transformation Region Niederrhein project: Innovation, Sustainability, Participation, on climate change, its significance for agriculture in the Lower Rhine region and the opportunities offered by agroforestry systems. The invitation was accepted not only by people from the agricultural sector, but also by interested members of the public of all ages who are concerned about climate change and/or sustainable food systems. However, many guests were simply curious.
“Leave
smarter than when you came in.”
It was important to make the most of this opportunity for exchange and knowledge-sharing, as Prof. Dr.-Ing. Peter Kisters, Vice-President for Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer at the HSRW and project leader of the TransRegINT project, emphasised in his welcome address: In addition to its responsibility for educating young people, the HSRW has “a responsibility to put scientific findings into practice. However, we do not wish to impart information in a patronising manner.” He hoped that, by the end of the evening, the participants would “leave a little wiser than when they arrived. The lively discussions following the presentations suggest that the event succeeded in providing food for thought and conveying information.
Pooling
strengths And they offered a glimpse of just how important cooperation and networking are. The Mayor of Kleve, Wolfgang Gebing, highlighted the joint effort by the City of Kleve, the Haus Riswick Agricultural Research and Education Centre and the HSRW to bring together education, local government and agricultural practitioners. He referred to the ‘Alleen3’ project. Under this scheme, the City of Kleve leases land to the agricultural sector. The latter will then establish an agroforestry system on this land in collaboration with the Agroforestry Real-World Laboratory. The land will be tilled and planted, and will be open to the public as part of the 2029 State Garden Show. It is these ‘many small steps’, as Wolfgang Gebing put it, that will make the big change possible.
Dr Franz-Josef Stork, Head of the Haus Riswick Agricultural Research and Education Centre, noted in his welcome address that the idea of agroforestry in the Lower Rhine region could certainly be seen as provocative: “Is this sensible for sugar beet soil?” His view: “Yes.” The collaboration with the HSRW and the Agroforestry Real-World Laboratory, including the emerging “Alleen3” project, offers the opportunity to conduct further research into the feasibility and success of agroforestry systems. The priority, he said, is to find solutions for sequestering carbon in the soil. The agricultural sector recognises its responsibility, but: “We don’t know what the next few years will bring.”
What lies ahead?
In her presentation, Claudia Kleinert had a very clear answer to this: “Climate change is progressing much faster than anticipated.” Her insight, drawn from 30 years of presenting the weather: “Here in Europe, we are the worst affected by the impacts of climate change worldwide!” She backed up this statement with statistics: summers – with the exception of this one – are becoming significantly too dry, whilst winters are becoming too wet. A 20 to 30 per cent increase in rainfall is expected this winter. “What am I to do with fields that are permanently under water?” she asked. It was no rhetorical question, as it subsequently transpired, because prolonged periods of rain – such as those experienced in the Lower Rhine region right up until spring this year – continue to plague farmers in the lowlands, with their heavy soils, to this very day.
How should they respond?
For farmer Jan Große-Kleimann from Steinfurt in the Münsterland region, there is only one option: “It all starts with the soil.” His simplified philosophy: healthy soil ensures healthy plants, which ensure healthy animals, which in turn ensure a healthy climate and thus, ultimately, healthy people. This dedicated agroforestry practitioner began establishing an agroforestry system on 10 hectares of land four years ago. Passionate, honest and full of enthusiasm, he spoke about his experiences, the mistakes he made as a beginner and even the setbacks he faced. The agroforestry system – that is, the combination and management of arable land or permanent grassland, with or without livestock, alongside woody plants on a single plot – sets the cycle in motion and creates synergy effects. In his view, this makes it the core element of sustainable agriculture.
Agroforestry – More than just a planted tree
And Jan Große-Kleimann, whose growing agroforestry system has already been visited by Federal Minister for Agriculture Cem Özdemir, lists further benefits. For him, his agroforestry system – comprising apple trees, valuable timber species such as wild pear, and cereals – acts as a nutrient pump and provides protection against erosion. It supports humus formation and groundwater recharge. Land-use efficiency is increased, as productivity per hectare and area is expected to rise compared to monocultures. CO₂ sequestration is higher with the trees than with annual arable crops. Not to mention the greater variety of cultivars and species, which is also encouraged by the creation of flower strips within the tree rows. The trees themselves create a microclimate.
Small steps towards change
Jan Große-Kleimann also spoke openly about the challenges, particularly in financial terms. “Without additional sources of income such as pig rearing and energy generation from solar panels, financing the agroforestry system and the necessary maintenance measures would be even more difficult than it already is.” Alternative sources of funding are needed, particularly at the start of an agroforestry project, as trees do not produce immediately after planting but require a great deal of care before they start yielding a harvest in a few years’ time. He admits he cannot yet know who the customers will be. However, he sees a huge opportunity in direct marketing. He already markets the rye flour from the agroforestry system directly and through a local baker.
His conclusion: “Things don’t always work out quickly or straight away, but it is the small steps towards change that enable us to get our ecosystem moving.” In doing so, he echoed the sentiments expressed earlier by Kleve’s mayor, Wolfgang Gebing, who spoke of the “many small steps” that make major change possible.
The Agroforestry Real-World Laboratory is a transformation project forming part of the ‘TransRegINT – Transformation of the Lower Rhine Region: Innovation, Sustainability, Participation’ initiative. Its aim is to provide advice on agroforestry systems tailored to the Lower Rhine region and to establish a regional network of the various stakeholders. The Agroforestry Real-World Laboratory team provides scientific support for the implementation of these systems in order to collect data on their ecological, economic and social benefits. Through the ‘TransRegINT’ project, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences has set itself the aim of helping to shape sustainable change in the region on a science-based foundation. The project is funded by the ‘Innovative University’ programme of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. This funding initiative supports universities in finding creative solutions to the pressing challenges of our time based on research findings. ‘TransRegINT’ will receive funding totalling just under ten million euros until the end of 2027. This will enable the development of solutions to shape the region’s future in line with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
