AGROFORESTRY IN GANDUM
More than 50,000 trees planted in Gandum, and growing all the time.
One of the ways to put regenerative agriculture into practice is by planting (and maintaining!) agroforests. That's where we started. At Gandum, there are three agroforests, all sown and planted since the beginning of the project. Working with nature, applying the principles of syntropic agriculture, combined with traditional practices and local know-how, we take care of these agroforests that nourish us back. It's a relationship of reciprocity.
Since 2019, we have planted more than 25,000 trees on the farm, with the help of many people who have contributed their energy, knowledge and dedication to the regeneration of this place.
Despite being relatively young, Gandum's agroforests make it possible to produce food sustainably, using agricultural practices that preserve biodiversity and promote soil regeneration. What's more, they make the world breathe: they help mitigate climate change by regulating the water cycle, capturing carbon and providing habitats for local fauna and flora.
Working with nature, not against it
Inspired by Ernst Götsch's syntropic agriculture, at Gandum we adopt strategies that replicate the natural functioning of ecosystems. In other words, we work with nature, not against it, in a relationship where human beings are no longer "exploiters", but creators (or co-creators) of resources.
That's why we're proud to say that at Gandum we cultivate not just food, but biodiversity. And we don't just plant trees: we plant water. In agroforestry systems, different species of trees, including fruit trees, vegetables and shrubs coexist, creating an ecosystem in which each element collaborates and supports the functioning of the whole, reinforcing resilience and abundance.
This approach has a profound impact not only on the health of the soil, but also on our own. By giving up pesticides and fertilizers, we produce food that is not only delicious, but deeply nutritious and in line with the principles of sustainability. And this practice is not just a gesture of respect for the land; it is also a response to the challenges of climate change and water scarcity, which are especially relevant in southern regions with hot, dry climates, such as the Alentejo.
Planting and maintaining an agroforest
Agroforestry is based on the concept of syntropy, in which cultivation systems become increasingly complex, accumulating energy (instead of dissipating energy, as is characteristic of entropy). From this accumulated energy, the system seeks to achieve a positive energy balance, which replaces the logic of extraction.
Replicating the way things happen in nature, agroforests are based on species diversity. In agroforestry, all beings - humans, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms - have equally important roles: they collaborate and support each other.
This movement encourages biodiversity and seeks to optimize space: instead of filling a plot with a single species of a certain height, as happens in monocultures, food is produced in several layers, with overlapping treetops and plants.
In Gandum, trees, shrubs and vegetables follow the natural model of forest growing. In each forest you can find trees that almost reach the sky and plants that scratch the ground. Thanks to stratification, trees grow in the shade of other species according to their characteristics and needs. This means they develop according to their nature, reaching their highest potential and producing more and better.
