Coppice Agroforestry

I am very keen on the forthcoming book Coppice Agroforestry as it is right up the alley of what my thought experiments have been leading into. A sustainable resource stream from a relatively low-maintenance and versatile crop. Coppicing (called pollarding when stems of trees are cut higher) can do everything from providing leafy fodder for animals to providing switches for basketweaving to beanpoles to firewood. It's a sustainable mode of agroforestry that keeps the landscape in a constant state of renewal, which fosters a diverse and varied ecosystem. The guys who are writing this book are the ones who wrote the two-volume set Edible Forest Gardens, veritable bibles of the practical side of Permaculture.

Others are involved in the sustainable silviculture revolution. World Agroforestry Centre promotes sustainable use of forest resources and provides plenty of data on sustainable silviculture - specifically geared at releasing products to market. This, along wth the UN's recent (finally!!) interest in sustainable organic agriculture and food security, should go a long way to promoting sustainable farming practices and ensure livelihoods for lots more small-holding permaculturalists.