
Research team emphasize global importance for biodiversity, economy and climate
Tree crops - for example, apple, cherry, olives, nuts, coffee, and cacao - cover more than 183 million hectares worldwide, yet remain largely overlooked in agricultural policies, despite their critical role in achieving the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). An international research team, with the participation of Göttingen University, highlight how these crops are not only essential to feed the world and for global economies, but also hold immense potential for protecting biodiversity and the climate, as well as improving livelihoods for millions of people worldwide. The findings were published in a Perspectives article in Nature Sustainability.The study’s findings urge policymakers to develop specific agendas to promote sustainable practices in tree crop agriculture. Agricultural policies typically focus on annual crops - such as wheat, sunflowers or rice - which have much shorter life cycles, from germination to harvest in just one year. While fostering sustainable practices in crops like wheat is also important, the ecological benefits of these systems are often limited due to their simpler vegetation and shorter harvest cycle. Tree crops, by contrast, are more complex, including several layers of vegetation - herbaceous, shrubs, trees - and provide stable habitats that can support biodiversity when managed sustainably.

The researchers call for the implementation of regulations, financial incentives, and supportive policies aimed at improving agricultural practices for tree crops to maximize their contribution to global sustainability. "Tree cropping areas overlap with most of the world’s biodiversity rich areas, making them key to conservation. However, local practices and landscape-scale measures adapted to different contexts are needed. We call for tailored policies and further research to ensure sustainable management of tree crops," explains co-author Dr Elena Velado-Alonso, at Göttingen University’s Functional Agrobiodiversity and Agroecology Group.

"This call to action represents a crucial step in rethinking agriculture’s role in building a fairer, more sustainable future," adds Velado-Alonso.
