If cocoa prices have fallen, why isn’t your chocolate bar cheaper?
We are in a decade where we are working towards the Sustainable Development Goals, of which there are 17, and agroforestry works for all of them
Bitter or sweet trade for Africa’s cocoa farmers?
Scientist Peter Akong Minang says Africa is lagging behind on product certification but that investment can have positive impact.
Trees: a pairing for coffee, chocolate and wine
Favourite foods need agroforestry to survive This article is part of a Landscape Newsseries on agroforestry, published in partnership with World Agroforestry (ICRAF) in conjunction with the 4th World Congress on Agroforestry. By Gabrielle Lipton In Burkina...
Chocolate and cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire
Cocoa contributes 20% of the Gross Domestic Product and nearly 50% of Côte d’Ivoire’s export earnings, accounting for 40% (2,019,479 tons in 2017) of world production.
Can strengthening women’s influence in land-use decisions lead to a greater adoption of cocoa agroforests?
Over the last two decades in Latin America, cultural norms and laws have become more inclusive of gender equity; women have taken more prominent roles in society and women’s legal rights have been strengthened.
How many trees for a chocolate fix?
By Ake Mamo and Philippe Vaast ‘Chocolate has begun a journey from being very loved and very common, like beer, to being very loved and a good deal less common, like Bordeaux.” said Mark Shatzker of Bloomberg,...
Bringing business savvy to agroforestry
Public research organizations are increasingly realizing the benefits of collaborating with the private sector, yet this potential is still largely untapped. In the newly released and comprehensive Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems, a chapter has been dedicated...
Transforming cocoa with seedlings and services for farmers
Clutching her certificate, Hélène Kla Amenan was all smiles at her graduation ceremony on 23 May 2014. After a seven-week intensive training, Hélène was now equipped with the skills to set up a Cocoa Village Centre in her village....
Culling the tree that feeds you: An optimal phased replanting approach for cocoa trees in Ghana
For maximum orchard productivity over time, culling and replanting of cocoa trees should start between 5 and 9 years from planting. This is according to a study by Mahrizal et al, published in ‘Agricultural Economics’, which compared various cocoa production...
Farmers aren’t getting the message
Government agroforestry advisory services are not getting through to farmers effectively, says Elis Nurhayati Farmers in Sulawesi, Indonesia, are not getting the advice they need about agroforestry from Government advisory services, according to a new study by...
New ideas about producing fuel and food on farms
Thinking about what to plant on farms is changing to include mixed systems, says Augustin Mercado In the Philippines, the World Agroforestry Centre has been looking at ways of making smallholders’ farms more efficient producers of food...
Grassroots organizations: How effective are they in disseminating agroforestry innovations?
In-depth studies needed to increase understanding of the factors affecting performance of organizations disseminating agricultural innovations, say Ann Degrande, Steven Franzel, Yannick Siohdjie Yeptiep, Ebenezer Asaah, Alain Tsobeng and Zac Tchoundjeu Eradicating extreme poverty and hunger is the...
Volunteer farmer trainers: go or no go?
By B. Lukuyu, F. Place, S. Franzel and E. Kiptot In the 21st century, extension services will need to grapple with challenges such as climate change, food insecurity, gender inequality and the globalization of agriculture. A different kind of...