Using a system innovation’s approach for stimulating agroforestry adoption

In the Netherlands, agroforestry is still in its infancy with silvoarable agroforestry systems being the most rarely adopted form of agroforestry. In order to reach a broader adoption of agroforestry, many regulatory and practical obstacles have to be overcome. By using a systems innovation approach this paper show that this transition process can be facilitated and accelerated in a targeted manner. System innovations in agriculture are multi-objective changes on the technological, social, economic and institutional level. These changes span over the public and private sector, necessitating team coalitions with many different stakeholders. In this paper we illustrate how during the different phases of system innovation different strategies and interventions can be used for removing obstacles and developing the needed innovations. We also discuss innovation networks as an important structure for bringing all available expertise and experience together in one cooperation platform, consisting of advice organizations, farmers, governmental institutions and other stakeholders