Once highly valued, the products of rural trees (wood, fruit, cork) have lost their appeal with the mechanisation and intensification of farming, and the development of fossil fuels and manufactured products. Yet these trees, in the form of hedgerows, orchards or isolated trees, offer many benefits: soil conservation, biodiversity, water management, carbon storage and biomass. This research project is looking at country trees in five departments in western France, exploring how they are integrated into farms, management practices (pruning, planting, species), how they are used (self-consumption, markets) and their role in sectors (wood energy, labels). The aim is to understand their economic, symbolic and ecological role, and to assess the impact of certifications and sectors on landscapes and agrosystems in order to reposition trees sustainably within rural areas.

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