Abstract Although agroforestry organizations exist across the United States and their numbers appear to be increasing, available information about their presence and growth is largely anecdotal. The composition of the agroforestry organizational landscape in the US has not previously been described, and detailed, systematically collected data are not publicly available. This study aims to address this gap and explore the current distribution, qualities, and characteristics of agroforestry actors across the US. The study was conducted through a survey distributed across organizations identified as involved in agroforestry through existing network contacts and an open data search, focusing on those that extend beyond agroforestry farming practices alone. Descriptive statistics and comparative analysis were used to present the results and findings. This snapshot of the current agroforestry organizational landscape is depicted with 71 organizations who responded to our survey, including non-profit organizations (45%), university-based (24%), and for-profit (13%) organizations. The number of organizations involved in agroforestry has grown, especially in recent decades. Our findings showed agroforestry organizations present in 30 states, with the highest concentrations in the Midwest and Northeast regions. The non-profit sector plays an important role as a provider of full-time employment positions for agroforestry professionals, while government programs and foundations are major funders of agroforestry work. Funding was identified as both the key opportunity and the principal barrier to expanded agroforestry engagement. Key areas where organizations are focused include informal education, community building, exploration of alternative income opportunities for landowners/farmers, demonstration farms, and technical assistance. Among agroforestry practices, silvopasture is emphasized most among non-profits and university-based organizations, while alley cropping and forest farming are prioritized by for-profit, cooperatives, and coalitions. The results of this research present a cross-section of the current U.S. agroforestry organizational landscape, and they provide valuable baseline data for future research and policy directions.
Romanova et al. (Tue,) studied this question.