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Agroforestry

Promoting zero-deforestation cocoa production for reducing emissions in Côte d'Ivoire (PROMIRE)

©FAO/Amanda Bradley

Countries Côte d'Ivoire
Start date 18/02/2021
End date 19/02/2026
Status Ongoing
Objective / Goal

PROMIRE is implementing zero-deforestation agroforestry models in three regions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through the REDD+ mechanism, by decoupling deforestation from cocoa production. Zero-deforestation agriculture has been defined in Côte d’Ivoire as “an intensive agriculture in rural land, which preserves parks, reserves, gazetted and sacred forests, contributes to the restoration of forest cover through agroforestry, is resilient to climate change and respects communities’ human rights while improving their livelihoods”.  

The three southern regions of Côte d’Ivoire targeted by the project, Agnéby-Tiassa, La Mé and Sud-Comoé, face extensive deforestation driven by the clearing of land to produce full-sun cocoa.  

Cocoa production is essential to the livelihoods of producers, which are mainly low-income smallholder farmers who lack land tenure security and support for collective organization. These smallholder farmers also rely on rain-fed agriculture, which increases their vulnerability to climate change.
Partners

PROMIRE is co-funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF), FAO and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.
Activities

The project encourages farmers to engage in agroforestry cocoa production by supporting the rehabilitating of cocoa plots, establishing nurseries, providing training on organic and fair-trade cocoa production techniques and strengthening access to markets.  

The two agroforestry systems established in PROMIRE follow the guidelines developed by the Conseil Café Cacao (CCC) in Côte d’Ivoire. These guidelines for the design and implementation of cocoa agroforestry systems aim to maintain cocoa production levels while improving ecosystem services through shade trees. They call for: 

  • Maintaining a cocoa tree density of at least 800 trees per hectare-1; 

  • Providing 30-50% shade coverage;

  • Combining tree species compatible with cocoa production;

  • Including farmers in the species selection process.

These guidelines, while specific in some respects, allow practitioners to consider a wide range of different agroforestry configurations. The bases for the two agroforestry models implemented in the project are presented below, but it is important to note that these are not static models. The final design of each system depends on the needs and desires of farmers, as well as the context of their specific plots. 

Model 1

Model 2

Cocoa (1,320 plants per ha)

Cocoa (1,320 plants per ha)

Forest fruit species (4 per ha)

  • Akpi (Ricinodendron heudeloti)
  • Petit Cola (Garcinia kola) 

Forest fruit species (5 per ha)

  • Akpi (Ricinodendron heudeloti)
  • Petit Cola (Garcinia kola) 

Agricultural fruit trees (4 per ha)

  • Orange (Citrus sinensis)  
  • Avocado (Persea americana)  

Fertilizer plants (10 per ha)

  • Albizia Lebbeck 
  • Acacia Mangium 

Shade and timber trees (17 per ha)

  • Framiré (Terminalia ivorensis)  
  • Fraké (Terminalia superba)  

Shade and timber trees (10 per ha)

  • Niangon (Heritiera utilis)  
  • Tiama (Entandrophragma Angolese) 
  • Fraké (Terminalia superba) 
  • and/or Iroko (Milicia excelsa) 
Impact

The project supports 3,650 smallholders in the transition to zero-deforestation cocoa production, which will increase their productivity and incomes through crop diversification as well as the higher prices fetched by certified cocoa. In addition to the sale of cocoa, the agroforestry species introduced, such as fruit trees, allow producers to earn additional income and can improve nutritional security. For example, Kplé (Irvingia gabonensis), commonly used as a local fruit tree species with a high degree of compatibility with cocoa, presents commercial opportunities as seeds sell for between 1000-2500 CFA/kg on local markets. The same applies to Petit Kola (Garcinia kola) and Akpi (Ricinodendron heudelotii). In addition, the value of the timber at the end of the conservation commitment period (20 years) will provide producers with additional income in the long-term. 

At an environmental level, the shade trees introduced in the cocoa production systems help improve the health of the plot as well ensure longevity of the cocoa trees. The fertilizer tree species also help to improve soil fertility, all of which can improve productivity.  

As a climate change mitigation project, PROMIRE's activities are expected to reduce emissions by 5.5 million t.eq.CO2 over the 20-year life of the project, through the agroforestry components as well as assisted natural regeneration of forests.