Certification and Branding of Agroforestry Products. DigitAF EU Project. Deliverable 3.6
Creators: name: Burgess, P
name: Bijl, M
name: Kay, S
name: Hübner, R
name: Mantino, A
name: Reubens, B
name: Ripamonti, A
name: Rolo, V
name: Warlop, F
name: Zucca, G
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: The purpose of this report, produced by the DigitAF project, is to initiate the development of best practice guidelines on how certification and branding can improve the value and marketability of agroforestry products.

The introduction explains the context of the report within the wider DigitAF project that is seeking to promote agroforestry through the provision and promotion of digital tools pertinent to policy makers, producers, or stakeholders in agroforestry value chains. The second section of the report emphasizes the foundational role of government regulation in providing minimum standards for agroforestry products, and indeed, all food products, particularly in relation to food safety and environmental impact. Certification and branding seek to build on these minimum standards, ideally with the principal attributes of agroforestry production processes aligning with the principal concerns of consumers. As noted elsewhere, few agroforestry products are competitive with non-agroforestry products based on price alone. However, agroforestry practices can enhance biodiversity, animal welfare, carbon sequestration, and rural economies, which are also of concern to many people. Certification and branding are established ways of conveying positive attributes to consumers and they can also create benefits for producers and retailers in terms of improved client relationships and access to markets. However, certification and branding also create additional costs.Certification systems typically include an organisation that promotes the system and an independent auditor, and the certification process has to manage trade-offs between certification costs, robustness, and uptake. Some agroforestry products, such as high value meat from the dehesa in Spain, are already being certified through blockchain traceability schemes, and other specialist products such as nut oils, are part of the European Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) scheme. In the context of climate change, certified “carbon-neutral” agricultural products which typically involve the use of trees on farms are starting to appear in supermarkets, and it is anticipated that the number of such products will increase. There are also certification schemes, often promoted by conservation charities, that certify the biodiversity benefits of agroforestry systems, such as high stem orchards in Switzerland. In each of these examples, the certification system encompasses agroforestry because it supports a broader objective. However, recently there have been attempts, with government financial support, to develop a bespoke agroforestry label, most notably the Agro Farm Forestry label in the Netherlands which places a substantial emphasis on social engagement. It is anticipated that the development of such initiatives is likely to need continued government support.

Branding, unlike certification, does not require independent auditing, and is also a possible means of promoting agroforestry products. Individual organisations, or groups of individuals, can brand and market their own products and can capitalise on awards such as “best agroforestry product”. Individual processors and supermarkets may also support agroforestry through their own tree-related branding schemes. Many of the above points are summarized in a concluding section. This initial report will be developed over the next two years into a further report (Deliverable 3.7) in June 2026 which will provide guidelines for farmers and actors in the value chain on how to build agroforestry businesses supported by new certification and branding approaches.