Student Report and Agroforestry Berries Calculator

This report and dataset were developed as part of a research project at HAS Green Academy, commissioned by ILVO, the Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The assignment forms part of the Interreg project CAMBIUM, which aims to accelerate and expand the implementation of agroforestry in Flanders and the Netherlands. In this CAMBIUM Student Project, the students investigated how some conventional and non-conventional berries such as aronia, autumn olive, blackcurrant, redcurrant, sea buckthorn and thornless blackberry could contribute to a profitable business case in agroforestry systems. The research focuses on agroforestry system design, cultivation, harvesting, mechanisation, postharvest handling, processing, sales channels, and financial feasibility of berries grown in The Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium). Combining these different perspectives allowed to gain a better understanding of the practical and economic decisions farmers face when introducing (berry) crops into an agroforestry system. The project also showed us that berry production in agroforestry cannot be approached through a single standard solution. The feasibility of each berry depends on many different factors, often context specific. Developing this report and factsheets helped us translate available information into practical tools that can support future decision-making for those farmers who are interested in adopting agroforestry. The financial calculations used in the Student Report are included in the separate Excel file: Agroforestry Berry Calculator. This tool contains the input assumptions, cost calculations, revenue calculations, scenario comparisons and 10-year financial results per berry and sales route. The calculator was used to compare the profitability of the different berry routes and to support the financial results presented in Chapter 4.