Syntropic Agroforestry Resources (in English)
Most of the information available on Syntropic Agroforestry is in Portuguese. In late-2018 English language content slowly became more widely available. I’m attempting to collect all the English language resources in one easy to access location.
Multi-strata agroforestry, agrofloresta and successional agroforestry are terms often used interchangeably with Syntropic Agroforestry. However, Syntropic Agroforestry refers specifically to the philosophy and practices developed by Ernst Götsch in Brazil.
Official Resources (start here!)
- Agenda Götsch [ Web · Facebook · Instagram ]
- Life in Syntropy [ Vimeo · YouTube ]
- Syntropic Agriculture According to Ernst Götsch [ Amazon US · AU ]
Plant Databases
- Syntropic Plant Database managed by Victor Marlinport.
Online Courses
- PermaDynamics Patreon (New Zealand)
- Syntropia (Australia)
- Syntropic Gardener (Australia)
Tools
- Syntropic Agroforestry and Permaculture Planner
- Mulchatron by Scott Hall
- Agroforestry Design Tool by AgroforestryX, helps the user in selecting species, creating a geometric planting layout, and in visualizing how the planting will look over time.
Practice Manuals
- Agroforest’ing the World From Machete to Tractor (Google Translation)
- Abundance Agroforestry
- An Illustrated Guide to Agroforestry (available in English, Portuguese and Spanish)
- Agroforestry Systems for Ecological Restoration (a technical guidebook)
- What is a Consortium? by Scott Hall
- Syntropy in New Zealand by Dan Kelly (direct link to PDF)
- Regenerating the land, the Mindset and the People Through Syntropic Agroforestry by Roland van Reenen (2022) (you can also purchase a copy to support his work)
Academic Papers
- Soil physical properties in a oxisol under a syntropic agroforestry system: row versus inter-row (Luiz Felippe Salemi, 2024)
- A Blueprint to Return to The Garden Of Eden (Philip Barton, Minds Of Soil 2024)
- From the Atlantic forest to the Mediterranean shrub land: a Farm Performance Assessment and a Functional Design Framework for Large-Scale Successional Agroforestry Systems (Donatella Gasparro, 2019)
- Natural Succession of Species in Agroforestry and in Soil Recovery (Ernst Götsch, 1992)
- Break-through in Agriculture (Ernst Götsch, 1994)
- Indigenous knowledge in a ‘modern’ sustainable agroforestry system — a case study from eastern Brazil (Ernst Götsch, 1994)
- Cultivating Regeneration Agroforestry Contributions for Economic Transition (Lúcio Costa Proença, 2019)
- Syntropy and innovation in agriculture (Dayana Andrade, 2020)
Articles
- Seeking Syntropy – Frida Keegan (NZ Lifestyle Block, September 2024)
- What is Syntropic farming and how can farmers benefit – Dayana Andrade
- Diagram: Ecological Succession in a Mediterranian Climate – Poliedra.xyz (2023)
- An Introduction to Syntropic Agriculture – Dario Cortese (2022)
- What is Syntropic Farming? — Marc Leiber (2020)
- A comparison between Syntropic Farming and Biodynamic Agriculture — Marc Leiber (2020)
- My notes from Gabalah Farm Workshop (2018)
- syntropicfarms.com.au – Nice introduction to the fundamentals.
- renaturefoundation.nl – Planting water, agroforestry research at Ernst Götsch in Bahia.
- arc2020.eu – Beyond Agroforestry? An Introduction to Syntropic Farming
- Using Syntropic Agroforestry For Wine Grape Production
Podcasts
- Regenerative Agroforestry Podcast: The Story, Philosophy and principles of Syntropic Farming with Marc Leiber (August 2022)
- Regenerative Revolution Podcast: Interview with Klaus and Frida from PermaDynamics (July 2022)
- Investing in Regenerative Agriculture: Interview with Filipe Pasini (March 2022)
- Beaming Green: Syntropic Gardener – Victor Pires (Mar 2021)
- Muse Ecology: Syntropic Farming with Felipe Pasini (Dec 2020)
- Abundant Edge: Applying Syntropic farming methods for dryland regeneration, with Jacob Evans (July 2020)
Videos
- How the UN is Holding Back the Sahara Desert (Andrew Millison, 2024)
- Happen Films: The Food Forest Farmers – Extended Q&A with Klaus (PermaDynamics)
- Planting Water In the Outback With Thiago & Rebel (2021)
- Agroforestry Academy with Felipe Caltabiano
- Scott Hall from Syntropia
- Ernst Götsch Complete Lecture (2 hours)
- Ernst Götsch BlueVision (subtitled)
- Syntropic Agroforestry in Spain with Ernst Götsch
- Darren Doherty at La Loma Viva
- Marc Leiber at the European Agroforestry Conference
- Cattle integration with Syntropic Farming
- Successional Agroforestry at Epicentro Dalva
- Gabalah Farm with Scott Hall
Internet Forums
- Syntropic Agroforestry Aotearoa (New Zealand)
- Syntropic Agriculture Community
- Syntropic Agriculture
- Agroforestry Academy
Syntropic Farms (and farm blogs)
- PermaDynamics (Northland, New Zealand)
- Gabalah Farm (NSW, Australia)
- Misty Creek Agroforestry (NSW, Australia)
- Fazenda da Toca (Itirapina, Brazil)
- La Loma Viva (Granada, Spain)
- Agroforesterie Successionelle (Lacapelle-Ségalar, France)
- The Abundance Farm (Valle del Cauca, Colombia)
Teachers
- Klaus Lotz & Frida Keegan / Permadynamics [ web · instagram · patreon ] (Northland, New Zealand)
- Byron Birss / Backyard Paradise [ web · instagram · youtube ] (Bay of Plenty, New Zealand)
- Scott Hall / Syntropia [ web · facebook · instagram · youtube ] (NSW, Australia)
- Victor Pires / Syntropic Gardener [ web · facebook · youtube ] (NSW, Australia)
- Marc Leiber [ web · facebook · instagram ] (Portugal)
- Terra Network [ web · facebook · linkedin ] (Western Europe)
- Thiago Barbosa [ ??? ] (NSW & Queensland, Australia)