Information
Food forests, pillars for biodiversity
“In 2009, the first food forest in the Netherlands was created near Groesbeek. Het Ketelbroek changed from a maize field into an alternative agricultural system: a so-called food forest. The question was to what extent could this agricultural system accommodate the native flora and fauna? To gain some insight, a study was conducted on three animal groups: birds, moths and ground beetles. The presence and behaviour of the animals were compared to the nearby natural forest: De Bruuk. ”
By , J. Breidenbach, E. Dijkgraaf, B. Rooduijn, SE Nijpels-Cieremans & AM Strijkstra, in Living Nature, volume 118, issue 3, May 2017, p 90.
Most exotics are good
Food forests: the right plant, the right place
“With a view to food production, in food forests, some species are planted that are called“ exotic ”. These are plants that originate from another area. Such as the fig (Turkey), the apple (Kazakhstan) and the pecan nut (US). The planting of exotics is often questioned because these plants could spread undesirably. For a nuanced answer, it is important to realize that most exotics are not invasive exotics. After all, the apple, fig and pecan do not spread to nature reserves. ”
By Wouter van Eck in magazine Groen, magazine for space and city and landscape, Feb 2020.
The landscape is still green, but the life is gone
A report with food forest pioneer Wouter van Eck, report by Henk Donkers in Geography magazine, 1 September 2020.
Loss in biodiversity
Children with more greenery around the house have fewer behavioural problems
Read the article here https://www.ugent.be/nl/actueel/kinderen-groen-woning-hogere-intelligentie-beter-gedrag.htm
Value increase in real estate and landscaping
The increase in value for homes due to the greening can amount to a few to tens of percent. For the province of Groningen, in the context of the Forest and Wood programme, a calculation has been made of the effect the construction of 750 hectares of forests and landscape plantings will have (until 2030) on the increase in housing and real estate. (In the calculation and extrapolation, use was made of data on the number of homes and business premises in Groningen, the average prices in Groningen as stated on CBS Statline and key figures from the publication of Witteveen + Bos and LNV.) Subsequently, it was investigated which share of the homes and business premises is affected by the presence of new woods and plants. This included calculating the area of new forest or planting in relation to the area of homes and business premises in Groningen and how the new forests and planting will be located in relation to the buildings. *In short, it pays to make residential areas greener. It provides us with both a social and economic contribution.