Agroforestry
Inspired by the agronomic model of the forest, agroforestry consists in associating trees with agricultural crops or livestock pastures. This ancestral practice, which has fallen into disuse due to increasingly intensive agriculture, is now finding its full meaning at a time of global warming and the restoration of biodiversity.
Whether integrated into hedgerows around the edges of plots, interspersed with crops or planted at the scale of a catchment area, trees outside the forest associated with crops or livestock offer both environmental and economic advantages. These trees reduce soil erosion and mitigate the effects of climate change through their ability to store carbon and regulate the water cycle and quality. They increase the comfort of livestock and farmers in hot weather and restore biodiversity and landscapes. These reborn bocages also contribute to the visual pleasure of redesigned countryside.
In addition to its agronomic and environmental benefits, agroforestry has an economic interest for farmers: trees outside forest provide biomass that the farmer can use and this wood-energy constitutes additional farm income.
As a new lever for agriculture committed to transition, agroforestry needs to be better known and supported: this is the purpose of the projects supported by the Archimbaud Fund.
Research
The fund awards research grants to academics on projects related to its social purpose (biomimicry, adaptation to climate change, green chemistry...)
Forests and trees have proven to be a rich source of inspiration for researchers: the Archimbaud Fund intends to support research projects inspired by trees and forest ecosystems.
Green chemistry is based on the reduction or elimination of substances that are harmful to the environment through new chemical processes inspired more by natural ecosystems than by the intensive exploitation of hydrocarbons. The Archimbaud Fund is interested in research projects aimed at developing new applications in the use of forest resources.
Wood creation
The fund aims to encourage the use, reuse and recovery of wood for artistic or social creation.
Palette and creation
Thanks to its standardised format and ease of disassembly, the pallet is a favoured eco-material for those who love recycling and diversion. As the annual deposit of pallets to be recovered is very large, there is no lack of resources! The Archimbaud Fund can support projects related to the creative, ingenious or artistic use of pallets.
Archi'bois contest
As part of the general interest actions directly operated by the Archimbaud Fund, Archi'bois is the first ideas competition aimed at French-speaking students in architecture, engineering and landscape design schools. Based on an expert partnership with the Ecole nationale supérieure d'architecture de Paris-Val de Seine, Archi'bois aims to give wood a special place in contemporary architectural design.
Since the first edition in 2019, students have been able to develop their sensitivity and broaden their skills in the field of construction and wood resources. The three winning projects each receive a prize, with a total of €12,000.
Contact the archimbaud fund