The Forested Garden: What is a Food Forest?
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- To learn more watch the Permaculture Masterclass: www.discoverpe...
Forests are ecosystems with a diversity of plants, animals, and fungi. They were designed by nature to have perfect balance. A food forest is a version of this in which the different, balanced components produce food. When we understand how nature creates its ecosystem, we can model that with productive species to produce food sustainably, with minimum inputs for maximum outputs.
Forests have layers. At the top is the (1) canopy layer followed by (2) understory trees, (3) bushes and shrubs, and down to (4) herbaceous layers. Under the ground, there are (5) root yields, and at the surface, there are (6) groundcovers. There are also vertical layers of (7) climbers. These layers work to occupy all the space. In designing a food forest, we use those layers to work for our benefit.
For designed food forests, the plants change from climate to climate. In the subtropics, tamarillo functions as an understory, and also within this layer are productive trees, such as feijoa, guava, and citrus. Taro, coco yam, and cassava are root yields. There are also large herbs, like bananas. The food forest would also include large support species-ice cream bean, tipuana tipu, casuarina-that support the forest by cycling nutrients, as well as understory support trees, a la acacia, leucaena, cassia, and albizzia. Most of these support species will eventually give way to large, productive species: rose apples, mulberries, jackfruit, bunya pine, pecan, and mango. The system remains very stable when all the layers are occupied.
We can plant foods by cultivating the support species at the same time as the fruit trees, then managing the support species to shelter and boost the productive species. Or, we can start just support species, but we shouldn’t start with just the productive species because it would require lots of inputs and hard work to keep them healthy. Support species can be up to 95% of the mass in the early years, and most of them will be nitrogen-fixing species. We speed their life cycle up by managing the support species, pruning when there is more rainfall than evaporation. Over time, less mass will be from support species and more from productive plants until, ultimately, the forest is 95% productive species. This is how we stack in time as well as space.
So, we are manipulating the way a forest grows, particularly speeding it up, to work in our favor. We can pollard nitrogen-fixing legumes to allow sun in during rainier times and, then, through regrowth, supply shades in drier times. We can eventually cut these legumes lower and lower to yield their space to productive species. Finally, we can cut them to ground level and remove them altogether. This is how we more rapidly feed the soil with a fallen forest.
We can also use animals to help in the process. Larger grazing animals can graze to clear areas until we put in our small plants. Chickens and ducks can come through and prepare the ground. With established trees, chicken and ducks can return to clean the area up and speed the cycle of low-lying plants. We just have to keep an eye on the system and work the animals to a planned improvement in productivity.
Food forests work as a living ecosystem, both diverse and stable. The production of soil is constant and fertility constantly growing. The production is nonstop. The system will actually replicate itself over time. This type of garden can make us the most beneficial animal on the planet, all while supplying our own needs.
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About Geoff:
Geoff is a world-renowned permaculture consultant, designer, and teacher that has established demonstration sites that function as education centers in all the world's major climates.
About Permaculture:
Permaculture is conscious, intentional design in which diverse, stable and resilient ecosystems are assimilated to help people provide their food, energy, shelter, and other needs in a sustainable way, abusing neither the planet nor the humans relying on it. Permaculture focuses on a variety of topics, including agriculture, forestry, water harvesting, renewable energy, eco-building, waste management, animal systems, economics, technology, & community development.
Music Credits:
Song: "Emotional Documentary" | Artist: Melodex | Licensed by AudioHive
Song: "Deeper" | Artist: Chris Coleman | Licensed by Musicbed
#permaculture #foodforest #forestgarden
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I think this has literally changed my life. I’ve been searching for something new and meaningful and I think I’ve found it.
me too man
I hope you drink bountiful water and breath deeply the air today wherever you are.
@@evanstowers8529 Thanks!!
Yeah, same here, though I think I found it like 10 years ago. Got caught up with life, but I'm working towards having a small plot one day now. I think it's a good dream, fresh clean nutritious food, fresh air, clean drinking water... those things are really undervalued today.
If you live in the temperate or colder climes add Mark Shepard. Mark has upped the scale to farm size, but a clever person can still use it on a smaller scale.
I am developing food forests in Zone 8 USA because of YOU, Geoff Lawton. Thanks for showing us a better way.
Yours looks more like a fruit orchard/grove. Don't you have any fast growing support species in your climate you can use as chop and drop while your fruit trees mature? What was your starting ratio of productive species to support species and has it changed much over time?
Love your channel as well keep up the great work
@@phangz8394 we have TONS of N+ fixing support species, re-watch our project farm vids homie
@@PermacultureHomestead - you mean your autumn olives? Geoff's food forest started with 90-10 support-production ratio. Yours seems to have way more production plants that aren't producing yet. Could use that energy to be growing green matter now while fruit trees are developing. Don't get me wrong - what you've done is incredible. LOOKS incredible but not really functioning as a food forest, is it? I'm not hating cause I have watched you for a long time. Just friendly input.
how's that going?
Great vid. This is becoming more and more common here in Thailand. People were told monoculture was going to make them rich but now they are going back in droves to diversifying crops and turning their monocultures back into this and get 10x the yield off their plot. Which their grandparents knew as being just simple common sense!
This dude is what you get when you put a philosopher and an environmentalist into one, bio harmony.
Every public park should be like this.
"You could solve all the world's problems in a garden."
That's no joke, He had it right the first time.
You are the reason I started my food forest and the reason I started sharing about it on RUclips! Your “greening the desert” project changed the whole trajectory of my life and my goals. This is truly the answer to all the questions!
Wir können ihn gar nicht genug danken Geoff Lawton, Sie sind ein Segen für die ganze Menschheit, für die ganze Welt🙏❤
Beautifully presented . I'm An Architect from SriLanka and this is very similar to our village food system and plants are almost the same. You have given a logical background to that system . This is the only way we can save the world and be sustainable . Countries like Brazil should follow these guidelines when its comes to farming without destroying their gift the rain forest .
God made us to tend a garden and to function as caretakers for the world. This is really what we were meant for. Thank you!
I have a12 year old garden fruit forest. One important part of the system is you! Picking fruit...grazing...appreciating and ensuring the forest biodiversity is optimised.
Yes picking becomes a major part of the action.
Under trees no light, you not grow vegetables.
@@lucd9080 This is the most obvious NEGATORY POINT in Food Forests. These people are cult members who have absolutely no background with which to challenge this silly Food Forest and Permaculture! None. You Mr. Luc have stated the most obvious reason food forests are simply silly. Thank you oh so very much. You are a thinker, not a follower. Huggs.
@@stormysampson1257 If you knew more about Permaculture you would know that Food Forests are mainly about trees. Your vegetable production happens closer to your dwelling (in zone 1). So before you ridicule people, make sure you know what you're talking about. Otherwise you're just showing your ignorance on the subject. Makes *you* look silly!! Huggs.
Me too (16 year) 🌳🌲🍄🌈🌸👌
This is the most powerful video I have ever seen...It is really worth..!!!
This is Amazing. How much knowledge humans have, to create something so effective and healthy for the environment, and how LITTLE is being done with that knowledge world wide :(
check out my website anarkeden.com bro! The time is now to launch the conscious human uprising!
ugh. Just because people type stuff, people tend to believe whatever is printed. Same with making videos, people assume that those people making videos MUST know what they are talking about, right? Grins. We humans just are not that cool Ido, just sayin'! Natives know how to grow food for themselves far better than any visiting 1st world human or missionary.
How arrogant we are, sorry, but come on! We still have missionaries bring the 'gift' of bottles and formula to 3rd world nations. Vaccines that kill entire villages. Won't be hearing about that on the media.
We humans need a big dose of humility.
And how so little support is given to people who bring efficient solutions
@@stephanealegoria7016 Too many people buy into SOLUTIONS that just...sound good to them. Bad science, bad information = failure and loss of gardeners.
@@stormytrails Sorry, are you trying to suggest that vaccinations are "bad science" ?
tremendously inspiring! may one day food forests be the cornerstone of modern agriculture
What an inspiring man. My wife and I have taken his lessons and started our own 3 acre organic farm. We are working towards creating our own food forest with our local wild medicines and crops in Zone 5A Canada. It's a lot of hard work, but the most rewarding and meaningful thing we have done in our lives
I'm in the same zone in southwestern Ontario. I'd be interested to know which plants you are using.
@@Undercoverbooks we're actually zone 4b, we moved North. Pretty much everything, even sub tropical crops like Luffa and Bottle gourds. 8 kinds of watermelons, 5 kinds of squash, couple kale varieties, carrots, 15 kinds of tomatoes, several lettuce and mustard greens, etc etc. Basically everything you can get at the grocery store, we have an heirloom organic version of 😊👍
@@codysaunders7348 Cool, thanks! I'm surprised watermelons have enough time to ripen. I've had luck with Collective Farm Woman melons, bred for short growing season.
Do you see how God has created a perfect system for us to live on this earth in such beauty and intelligence?? Glory to our Creator
This video made me emotional. Didn't know permaculture was this great. This is so inspiring
Where has this channel been all my life??? My goodness your narrating skills swept me off my feet, your message is exactly what I've been missing!
You can solve all the worlds problems with a garden...
So true, so simple, so healthy, so much fun. Thank u Geoff Lawton.
I have my own 4 year old foodforest in front of my place. It has miraculous abundance.
Now I am ready to get one or more started for the community.
I hope for many more in the future.
I have the feeling that now more people than ever are ready during this time of "the virus"
Humanity needs to listen to this man as soon as possible.
how has this video only have 117 thousand something views???? it should be a minimum of a billion!!!! Spread the knowledge
Jeff. You are an inspirer, watching Your Works and Love for nature. You turn the thinking of mankind awakening to a new Life. Thank you and God bless you many years of life. Your learning, like mycorrhiza, sits in your head and pulsates all the time for development. Your simplicity will conquer the mind. Thank you.
Great work, Geoff and editing team. Food forests have to be the most beautiful gardens in the world.
Thankful that David the Good told me about Geoff and his amazing work!
never get bored of watching it over and over again
I was soo late to realize this great man in this universe "Geoff Lawton" - thank God I've found him now.
Thank you, Geoff, for all the advises and beautifully done videos -I appreciate all the team members behind this and with him - Sreehari Nair
I finally have the means to purchase property. It will be 100+ acres of very arid Colorado land. I will be using everything I see on these videos for the remainder of my days to improve the land as much as possible to pass on to my son. Thank you. Information is power. You are a serious power generator.
I never hit the subscribe button so hard. Listening to this guy along with watching the sublime footage and crafty animations makes me feel very content and educated.
I wish more people know about this. I’m glad many homesteaders throughout the world are teaching your ways Geoff, thank you and God bless you.
I don't understand why those people thumbs down this informative & helpful video 🙁
Excellent Enterprising Emerging Evolving Ecological Endeavour 🎉🙏
who in their right mind would thumb down this presentation?????
Thank you Mr. Lawton for everything you do. I also started a food forest about 10 years ago. Slowly but surely becoming self sufficient in a lot of fruits and vegetables.
Hi Permaculture Homestead, I'm also in USDA zone 8 in Southern California.
Maybe not in their right mind, but monocrop farmers?
They must’ve just accidentally clicked dislike because it just doesn’t make sense. This is an excellent video. So grateful to have found it!!
pauliewalnuts2007 were are you located I’m in riverside on 18 acres that used to be for thoroughbreds. Awesome there’s seems to be a couple like minded folks just in the first couple comments here in SoCal. Cheers
I'm in Palmdale which is in what is called Antelope Valley, NE of LA. It is in zone 8. So we are hot in summers , and cold in winters. Currently I have Figs, Grapes, Apples, Apricots, Nectarines, Blackberry, Fuyu Persimmon, Pluerries and plums. Olives, Mulberries of all types Pakistani, Persian Black aka Shahtoot, along with the small white variety. So lots is going on. I hope to get acreage, this is all in normal residential property.
Love to see that as well CaseHeads. I got tired of paying for food that tastes like cardboard so I decided to produce my own. from Broccoli, Kale and Collard greens in winter to of course tamatoes, peppers, and eggplants in summer. I dont pay for crap anymore.
thanks as always, Geoff. THE most hopeful system on the planet🙏💕
I first got into a lot of fruit forestry because of videos like this. But just over 6 years in now, it’s been much more difficult than it initially seemed, still I don’t regret it. Humid tropics of Ecuador.
What happened? What kind of difficulties are you facing?
Does it have something to do with changing climate?
Keep healing the world, Geoff!!! You deserve Hollywood fame, brother!
Kerala,India:
Dear Sensei, I have again come back to watch this video to let you know that this video changed my life as well as my family's and a lot of others ❤️ We are designing two food forests at the moment. The timing of this video in relation to my life was impeccable! The knowledge shared in this video when I watch now after 2 years makes more sense than before 🙏
Visit us in Kerala, when you come here. With love, Nikhil Bose & family 💚
Even I love this guy
The best teacher
And subscribed
No land to make foood forest for me now - I want to do this in five years, Saving to get small land to build small food forest. This is exiting! thank you.
God bless this man, for sharing his wisdom.
I love permaculture, thank you Geoff.
This is the only video on this topic that has actually help me to understand this complex and fascinating subject. Well done!!!
You are so right. We can be the most productive and beneficial creatures on the planet. Excellent video. Thank you!
Just discovered your channel being referred by Permaculture Pimp Daddy, Billy. I’m planning to watch and save all of your videos because, you have tied everything together so well. I’m in awe of the wealth of information your produce. I’m just getting started homesteading and was seeking guidance for what to do, grow, how to’s and was to you for making this available in video format. I learn and retain more than by reading. You’ve made permaculture make sense to me.
I watch this video almost everyday to motivate myself.
Great work, Geoff and editing team. Food forests have to be the most beautiful gardens in the world ...
I’M BUILDING MY OWN AT FAM.’S FRONT & BACK YARD & SOON IN OUR LOTS IN THE PHILIPPINES . THANK YOU ALL & TO THIS MOVEMENT FOR INSPIRING US TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT & NOT BE DEPENDENT TO FOOD CORPORATIONS. WE WILL SURVIVE DURING FAMINE ❤️❤️❤️
"In fact we, Humanity, can be the most beneficial element on this planet." -- so true...
So not...
I wouldn't agree to that going by our track record.
@@kishinchhabria That's why he says can be. We haven't, but we have the potential.
I will follow Geoff Lawton’s teachings all the way! Every systems person should bookmark this now as their pre-commited choice to grow a food forest as THE pivotal point in life.
Jeez, whoever you got doing your content is killing it lately Geoff. Wisdom of the old with the knowledge of the new 👌🏾 keep up the quality and content
Vous êtes Formidable!!! Merci pour le partage et la traduction Française,merci pour l'espoir que vous apportez,merci de l'aide que vous nous offrez;) Peace,Love and Forest Food^^
Thank you Geoff Lawton! Because of you and the content you have shared my family and I are now in the process of building and growing our farm. This year we will finally be starting an area of food forest!
I just hope people with land realize this important gift that they have and make the most of it. Beautiful use case
Muscovy are my FAVORITE waterfowl. If they laid daily, I'd almost replace my chickens with them lmao. Such a lovely species. Good temperaments, excellent mothering skills, lots of meat, and so good at pest control! And they are soooo quiet.
What adorable list of plants!!
Absolutely love this. It’s my dream to have my own large successful edible forest that I can let the public walk and harvest what they want.
Great Newton. Am in Kenya and l want this too! Try it and share ideas!!!
So many RUclips channels preach about permaculture food forests despite not understanding the true dynamics. Geoff Lawton explains it all as a true master, as someone who truly understands the ins and outs. Also, the part about the nitrogen fixers and how this truly works is essential. It’s not just a simple matter of throwing a couple of nitrogen fixers and dynamic accumulators in the soil. It’s all about how to release that nitrogen and how to take advantage of dynamic accumulators.
Fantastic job Geoff of explaining and presenting one of the cornerstones. The graphics and the quality of your videos as well just keeps getting better and better. Bravo.
I took the PDC with this man and Bill Mollison 10 years ago. It changed my life forever.
European temperate climate food forest progressing smoothly in year five. Always inspiring, Geoff!
Den würde ich ja gerne mal sehen
Gibt ein kurzes Video und hoffentlich bald ein Update :)
Thank U Geoff Lawton .. because of U ..my little subtropical plot is a biodiverse Food forest where local species have chosen to live including endangered (gopher tortoise)..we’re all very grateful 🍃🌸♥️✌️😎🙏🕊🌺🍃
What a spectacular lesson in how we can save the planet. I really am passionate about your videos and teachings. Thank you.
Absolutely brilliant Geoff ! Love from Sri Lanka.
Currently researching native plants to my area. Thanks for all that you do Geoff.
Wow wow wow! 👊👐🙏👏👏👏👏Yipeeeeeee! So over the moon over this.
I did your online PDC in 2015 and it was a great experience.
Thanks for your continued work and inspiration!
Post the link here please..
Wow! This just made me well with tears, just gave me hope that humanity can still change and reverse the damage that we've done to Mother Earth. This is the way to go, food forest coming up!
The video that should be the most viral, it has to be seen by everyone
Amazing, beautiful words, beautiful picture, the only thing is missing is to have such a forest near by.
Let‘s make this beautiful vision a reality. Let‘s spread this information and forest everywhere. Let‘s make the dream come true.
One of the life changing videos I've ever watched... I hope many of us think of this kind of living (well...just hoping 😅)
Highly inspiration stuff....Amazing story and idea
This is part of our future for sure! I love this idea and the animals get wild non-agriculture food for helping! This made me smile so big!!
This is the video and info I was looking for all these months.
Many thanks sir.
Great Video! I've been working on my food forest in Burbank, CA for the past two years, it's a much smaller space but we've maximized it as best we could. I love watching my fruit and veggies grow!
I’d love to come tour your place I’m in riverside but my girlfriend lives in Pasadena. I have acres of land in riverside that I am starting. Cheers
We humanity can be beneficial to this whole planet. We love your work
Geoff and Team, this is the best video I have ever seen from you (and I've been watching for over a decade). For starters the editing has kicked up a notch, seamlessly keeping you on point with the practical info. Next I am so glad you have been specific and clear about starting with non productive trees, that is the biggest thing I got wrong at first and that I see so many others do wrong as well. Thirdly I have a background in commercial art and the graphics is great too. Great work!
Agree! And great visuals!
Imagine studying with this person, god he is knowledgeable! I wish I had teachers like him, they make learn fast !
Year two in zone 6 in the U.S.A. Michigan. Joshua Zieba channel is largely inspired by the work you and Bill Mollison have done. Apples, pears, mulberry, peaches, many berries, grapes, herbs, potatoes, and lots of annuals at first. Cheers brother 😎.
Thanks to you since 4 years I have been building a permaculture on 2 acres. Today it is thriving. I have some videos on my channel. I even turned my home backyard into permaculture. Allah bless you
Perfect way, too work with nature, not against! Greetings from the Netherlands zone 8A.
I so much believe this is one way to solve the earth's problems. Let everyone be involved in food production creating food forests.
The best video work/explanation I have seen to date on the subject. Going to share with local government leadership.
I will share with my local leadership as well - thanks for the nudge!
I’m loving the information in this video! It’s easily digestible in small chunks, to build an entire ecosystem!
Thank you for showing us that this is possible you've changed our whole mindset about life. And we are definitely going to use this for our family
I am developing food forests in OntarioCanada (StCatharines GardenCity) because of YOU, #GeoffLawton and TheCrews That Support this work . ThankYou for showing us a better way.
This video came at a good time, I was trying to explain food forests to a group of friends at dinner, and I didn’t get much further than a perennial system modeled after a forest. Great video Geoff! I like the music!
dw man.. i would have been interested.. you dont need those people all they do is bring u down.. haha
A Perennial System...is possibly a far better label than Food Forests. I have been trying to research this Food Forest thing and this is the first time I've heard something that makes sense. I still have a tough time imagining food out of some 'forest' where the trees are tiny, or the trees are huge blocking the light from anything that needs it beneath the trees. Otherwise, I've not found ONE SINGLE explanation that makes sense in a gardener's world.
Stormy Sampson Thanks, that’s true: I think the forest aspect refers to fruit trees and other useful plants. Our main crops like sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, etc. or what ever else you like to eat, are planted in smaller backyard style patches: a row or two of corn, with a nitrogen fixing ground cover.
@@stormysampson1257
A perennial system is different than a food forest, though. Perennials are herbaceous. 'Modified intensive' might be better.
Took an online permaculture course and a lot of people kept getting confused on important bits. This included people with organic and conventional hardening backgrounds. Think referring them to (Permacultural?) Design Magazine, which is printed in the US might help.
I try to explain it every chance I get. Once you get it, it is eye opening...
@@stormysampson1257
A perennial system is different than a food forest, though. Perennials are herbaceous. 'Modified intensive' might be better.
Took an online permaculture course and a lot of people kept getting confused on important bits. This included people with organic and conventional hardening backgrounds. Think referring them to (Permacultural?) Design Magazine, which is printed in the US might help.
I try to explain it every chance I get. Once you get it, it is eye opening...
This man is a genius! An enlightened being!
I was searching for information about permaculture in Australia as I am a student from India. This video is simply amazing and useful to beginners and I am very glad to have this video. I appreciate your research and contributions to the world of nature Geoff. Hats of. My mother wants to grow a food forest in Hyderabad, India. She came to Melbourne. Can we visit your food forest sir? She is staying here in Melbourne for two months and wants to learn about permaculture course. please guide us.
I am a medical doctor and we learn nothing about food, because what I call "the system" doesn't want to. And I think the "system" doesn't want this knowledge nature/you teach us. But you know? I am done with the "system"! I only want whats is real and organic ( see teachings Georege Kavassilas). Thank you so much for your efforts for a better, and true wordl!
Amazing video Geoff!
Thank you for sharing and please continue your important mission...
I don’t get why everyone isn’t doing this! This is literally the key to the future!
I am in the beginning stages of starting a food forest in Central Florida. It has been an exciting journey thus far.
The most informative Forest Garden I have ever watch. Im grateful that I have to find this channel. Bless you.🇸🇽
The best video i have seen on this subject. Thank you very much geoff Lawton
Finally a video that really made me understand permaculture
Food Forest is like a heaven depiction in scripture
Amen
Garden of Eden?
Walking around naked
Sorry. Gag. Wish someone would actually explain or point out HOW food forests MIGHT WORK. Scripture?
@@stormysampson1257 WTF. Did you click the video, mute it, then scroll down to comments???? I'm so sorry but I'm not sure how a 13:11 video (with a detailed video summary description) ABOUT food forest doesn't answer that question. Wow. SMH.
Thanks for sharing all this knowledge. We started a Permaculture site near Barcelona, Spain, and I am now teaching how to stablish food forests to local people. Humans are creative beings that have a positive impact in ecosystems by nature. We just need to remember who we really are.
Gob bless you Geoff
Great quality and explanation Geoff!
Thanks Curtis.
B. Vvv
"Your classic Mango" beautiful.
@@DiscoverPermaculture Canada NEEDS you two gentlemen to meet with Maxime Bernier. I've never been so certain of anything. With the temperature of geopolitics today, Canada could be the one to debunk the climate hysteria produced by our leader and show the world the Food Forest at the same time. A complete shift in the way people think. No longer afraid of the environment, but empowered by it.
Wow I could go on and on. I'll be using my brithday wish each year for this meeting of you three (even Zoom) until it happens lol
Cheers to you both!
James
Thank you for this beautiful and informative video! 💛
Amazing video Geoff!
Thank you for sharing and please continue your important job
What an amazing video, I absolutely loved it! I have developed a food forest in Florida and it is doing very well, getting ready to introduce chickens, already have bunnies for manure, red wigglers/worm tea, composters, now the chickens. This video really helped me, I have all my escapades in the food forest documented on my channel.
Hi Geoff, I love your work promoting this mindset. It is a great cause and I think it is starting to change the way people think in general. However many of the ideas are not directly applicable to other climate zones that are colder, Germany for example (I don't know the climate zone tier list). I think it would be great if you or someone from the Permaculture institute could give some examples for plants that could work here. Cheers, Jakob
Hi Jakob, you might find helpful the permaculture applied by Sepp Holzer, have a look at videos related to his work in temperate environments (Austria for instance ruclips.net/video/Bw7mQZHfFVE/видео.html) and one of his books I've read "Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: A Practical Guide for Farmers, Smallholders and Gardeners". Good luck!
@@MichelaDeGiusti I heartily endorse the principles of natural gardening in general, but I had the same reaction as Jakob Malte, having grown up in the tropics and living my adult life in Europe. I recognise the plant arrangement described in the tropics. But I'm struggling to think how the layered system occurs naturally in Europe and *produces food*. We don't see apple trees flourishing and producing fruit under the canopy of native beech and oak forests, with grape vines producing grapes in their shade and root crops on the dark forest underfloor. (beeches notoriously don't seem to want ANYTHING grow under them!) Yes we can get some brambles and maybe nuts but not native fruiting vines, shorter fruit trees, root crops etc. growing in the midst of native temperate forests.
I suspect there is at least one serious difference between tropical and temperate forests and that is the availability of sunlight and the solar energy needed to produce most crops/foods. There's plenty to go around in the tropics but the things we like to eat need a lot more sunlight in northern climates than they can get under even deciduous trees.
Note that I'm talking here specifically and only about the concept of planting in layers *for food* with things in the forest floor. (I totally endorse the other things.) Sepp Holzer is inspirational and I totally agree with everything he says in the video he linked to, but in that video he doesn't talk about growing crops under native deciduous or coniferous forests. Maybe he does elsewhere though?
Incredible explanation, thank you sir.