@article{fdi:010091295,
  title = {{C}omplex cocoa agroforestry systems shaped within specific socioeconomic and historical contexts in {A}frica : lessons from {C}ameroonian farmers},
  author = {{M}ichel, {I}. and {B}lanco, {J}ulien and {E}ssouma, {F}. {M}. and {C}arri{\`e}re, {S}t{\'e}phanie {M}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{CONTEXT}: {I}n the humid tropics, the socioecological advantages of family-based, multistory agroforestry systems are well recognized. {Y}et public policies tend to focus on conservation and land-sparing strategies alongside the promotion of modern intensive agriculture, neglecting these biodiverse agroecosystems, which are in decline. {T}his is a particularly central issue in cocoa cultivation. {I}n {A}frica's two largest cocoa-producing countries ({C}ote d'{I}voire and {G}hana), cocoa plantations with few associated trees contribute to deforestation and biodiversity loss. {I}n contrast, in regions like {C}ameroon, biodiversity-rich cocoa agroforests prevail. {C}onsidering global changes and rising cocoa demand, it is crucial to preserve and develop these agroforestry systems that reconcile cocoa production with ecosystem services. {OBJECTIVE}: {T}his study, conducted in {C}ameroon between 2013 and 2017, aimed to pinpoint the socioeconomic factors influencing the characteristics, maintenance, and degradation of cocoa agroforests, with the ultimate goal of identifying intervention strategies to promote their preservation and development. {METHODS}: {T}he study collected data from (i) on-field measurements in 95 cocoa agroforestry plots, (ii) interviews with the 95 farmers managing the plots, and (iii) historical interviews with 50 key informants. {W}e focused on five sites across a gradient of population density, encompassing various socioecological environments and types of cocoa agroforests. {T}hrough thematic and statistical analyses, we evaluated differences between the five sites. {RESULTS} {AND} {CONCLUSIONS}: {O}ur results indicated contrasting management practices, dendrometric structure, species composition, and cocoa yields between sites. {T}hese contrasts largely reflected socioeconomic factors and site-specific dynamics. {C}ocoa agroforests were less rich in biodiversity in sites where farmers with capital using hired labor had acquired land than in sites where family farmers predominated. {A} trade-off was found between the richness of companion trees and cocoa yields. {P}lots managed by smallholder family farmers near urban areas tended to better reconcile cocoa production and biodiversity conservation. {T}hese farmers had gradually transformed their traditional agroforests to adapt to increasing demographic pressure by integrating diverse fruit tree species, using pesticides sparingly, and introducing selected cocoa varieties mixed with older varieties. {SIGNIFICANCE}: {T}he small-scale family-managed cocoa agroforests, which incorporate fruit species as described in this study, could serve as a model for a more sustainable cocoa production strategy. {H}owever, developing such a strategy would require greater investment and support from policymakers. {T}his includes supporting the marketing of products from companion trees, stabilizing cocoa prices at a high level, and implementing land policies that protect small and medium-sized family farmers.},
  keywords = {{T}heobroma cacao {L}. ; {F}arming practices ; {F}armer typology ; {B}iodiversity ; {D}eforestation ; {I}ntensification ; {E}cosystem services ; {CAMEROUN}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{A}gricultural {S}ystems},
  volume = {221},
  numero = {},
  pages = {104111 [12 ]},
  ISSN = {0308-521{X}},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.1016/j.agsy.2024.104111},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010091295},
}