Large sum of money, two million euros, allocated for planting 30,000 fruit trees
Large-Scale Fruit Tree Planting Initiative Takes Root in Lower Austria
A significant fruit tree planting initiative is underway in Lower Austria, aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture and biodiversity. The action, supported by the NOE Landscape Fund and organized by the Leader Region Moststraße, is part of a broader effort to encourage environmental and climate action in rural communities.
The initiative focuses on the planting of organic and endemic fruit tree varieties. This focus is crucial for preserving local genetic heritage and enhancing biodiversity. The action also aims to curb the over-ordering of individual varieties, promoting a more diverse and resilient agricultural landscape.
Over the past decade, more than 3,000 participants have learned the correct planting and pruning of trees through theory and practical courses. These participants include homeowners, farmers, and idealists, who are purchasing trees for various purposes, such as replacing fallen trees, expanding orchards, and creating new plantations.
Each tree planted serves as a "cooling island" in the face of increasing heat, contributing to climate mitigation by increasing forested and agroforestry areas, which sequester carbon. The action is also beneficial for the homeland, biodiversity, and landscape, enhancing biodiversity and helping restore ecological balance in agricultural landscapes.
The largest fruit tree planting action in Lower Austria has seen around 3,000 young trees planted annually. In 2024, nearly 2,600 hectares of new landscape features, including trees, were created, reflecting ongoing investment in similar projects at regional levels.
The trees offered in the new Mostviertler experience garden are exclusively from local nurseries, further supporting the local economy. Stephan Pernkopf, deputy governor, is convinced about the initiative, and six Leader regions, ranging from Mostviertel to Wienerwald and into the Kamptal in the Waldviertel, have joined the funding action. Proper care of existing orchards is given great importance in the regions.
To date, around one million euros have flowed into the tree planting program as funding. The action is part of a broader EU and regional framework supporting sustainable fruit tree planting, environmental restoration, and rural development. For more detailed information on any particular project or local event, a targeted inquiry with regional agricultural offices or local NGOs such as the High Atlas Foundation may provide further specifics.
[1] High Atlas Foundation. (n.d.). Fruit Tree Planting Project. Retrieved from https://www.highatlasfoundation.org/projects/fruit-tree-planting-project/
[2] European Commission. (n.d.). LEADER approach. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/rural-development/leader_en
- The new effort, in line with the fruit tree planting initiative, advocates the growth of environmental-science-oriented home-and-garden practices by encouraging the cultivation of endemic and organic fruit trees for a more biodiverse and resilient lifestyle.
- As a result of the funding from the NOE Landscape Fund, the Leader Region Moststraße's initiative incorporates the planting of specialized fruit trees, emphasizing not just their agricultural benefit, but also their impact on the environmental lifestyle of both homeowners and farmers.
