How mixing farms with forests can help the UK reach net zeroBy Rachel Parsons / Thomson Reuters Foundation, PETERBOROUGH, EnglandStephen Briggs popped open his pocket knife, carved a wedge from a small pink and green apple and took a bite. Yet agriculture experts say it is poised to make a comeback as part of the government’s tree-planting campaign to help meet its climate target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. “Nature doesn’t do monoculture,” said Briggs, an early adopter of the practice who is advising the government on agroforestry standards. The UK committed more than ￡500 million (US$569 million) to planting 30,000 hectares of trees per year between 2020 and 2025. However, even proponents of agroforestry say making the practice more widespread would not be easy — not least because there is a lack of available trees to plant.
