Inspire and educate about food forests

Food Forest Institute is a non-profit that is specifically committed to the development of large-scale agroforestry and food forests aimed at sustainable food production with room for nature and biodiversity in the world.

Growing into a food forest designer in a group setting during an intensive deepdive week

All-in week: food forest design course

Become a professional food forest designer

Online annual food forest design training

Immerse yourself in the world of food forests. 

Learn how to design your own food forest and what it involves. 

Get inspired

Food Forest Documentary

In this documentary, landscape architect Louis De Jaeger outlines how food forests save the earth from suffocation, resuscitate communities make agriculture sustainable, reverse global warming and still produce an abundance of food.

This film is a journey of discovery through the secret gardens of food forest pioneers. Louis's captivating journey leads past pioneers and examples, from urban jungles to healing projects in psychiatric institutions. 

Because nature appears to be the best healer for social, psychological and ecological scars that people cause. If we give nature's resilience a chance, we can create a new Eden together. In fact, pieces of this new paradise are already visible.

 

“The best time to plant a food forest was 20 years ago.
The second best time is now.”

– Chinese Proverb

Food forest map

Find a food forest near you

The Food Forest Institute is currently working on a Belgian food forest map. Is your food forest not yet on the map and would you like to be part of it? Fill in this form quickly!

What we propose to you

The 6 pillars of the FFI

Promotion of food forests

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Promotion of food forests

An intensive food forest as an agricultural form is still relatively unknown, food from a food forest is even more unknown.

Food forests are an indispensable ingredient to stimulate a food transition in a changing climate. To this end, it is important to inform citizens, farmers and politicians about the benefits of food forests.

Supporting farmers

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Supporting farmers

Many farmers cannot keep up with the increase in scale and investments in machinery, fuel, fertilizers and pesticides.

The FFI offers financial support, a network and expertise to farmers who want to make a (partial) transition to food production from trees.

Purchases of agricultural land

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Purchases of agricultural land

Land in Belgium is scarce and expensive compared to neighboring countries.

As a result, they are processed very intensively, resulting in the leaching of fertilizers and pesticides and little room for nature. By purchasing intensively worked land, we offer space for nature-inclusive agriculture.

Research and education

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Research and education

In our climate, intensive food forestry is still in its infancy.

It is an agricultural form with very little need for external input, yet a lot of research still needs to be done into the design, choice of species, harvesting methods and the processing and marketing of food forest products. Our knowledge center conducts research, collects knowledge and shares it through training courses, workshops and brochures.

Free trees

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Free trees

Belgium and especially Flanders are one of the most forest-poor regions in Europe. Trees are one of the best CO2 absorbers, capture particulate matter, regulate the climate, have enormous natural value and can provide food for humans and animals.

To increase the number of trees, we support certain projects with the purchase of (food) trees.

Rewilding

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Rewilding

The world is confronted with a climate crisis and at the same time with an ecological crisis and both reinforce each other. The best strategy for this challenge is to let nature do its work or to consciously allow certain areas to become wild.

It is a progressive form of nature conservation. To have optimal food production, we cannot do without wild nature or 'rewilding'.

Testimonials

What people say

Help ons

How can you help?

Join us! And become a pro.

The Food Forest Institute offers comprehensive food forest training. Are you interested in working with food forests professionally?

Donate !

Your donation helps us to continue this work and to provide more and better food forests.
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