AFTA Session
Day 2 – Monday, Dec. 7th, 2020
10am – 11am
AFTA Session

Agroforestry, perennial forages, & perennial grains: Partnering to speed the transition to a perennial agriculture
Fred Iutzi, [email protected], Partnering for PerennialsÂ
Randy Jackson, [email protected], University of Wisconsin-Madison
Tim Crews, [email protected], The Land Institute
Sarah Lovell, [email protected], University of Missouri
Keefe Keeley, [email protected], Savanna Institute
Nick Jordan, [email protected], University of Minnesota
Perennial crops in diverse cropping systems are the keystone of a genuinely regenerative agriculture – they have an unparalleled ability to provision both high levels of ecosystem services and abundant food for humanity. Three major communities make up the growing perennial agriculture movement: agroforestry, permanent pasture & grazing lands, and perennial grains. Each of these platforms has a crucial role to play in an overall perennial ag portfolio that can start making a positive impact for soil, water, and climate now while continuing to scale that impact up into the future. But despite the clear advantages of perennial agriculture systems, much of temperate agriculture remains dominated by annual crops. Farmers, researchers, policymakers, and funders aligned with each perennial crop type often end up advocating for their perennial crop platform in isolation. Are we leaving opportunities for synergy on the table? This panel will discuss how the diverse strengths of perennial forage, perennial grains, and agroforestry systems complement one another in an integrated portfolio, how we can work together to better communicate the unique potential of perennials to provide abundantly for ecosystems and the people who live in them – and how we can accelerate the transition to a truly perennial agriculture.