Geographic stakes of farmers innovations in cocoa agroforestry – Côte D’ivoire- Identification of factors and obstacles for agroforestry adoption

The main objective of the project is to understand whether new forms of agroforestry (maybe lighter densities and diversities of associated trees with a better management of the shade and canopy) could be a solution for the agro-ecological transition of cocoa cropping in Côte d’Ivoire. Underneath this main objective lie several side objectives :
• listing trees and cocoa tree interactions and compatibilty from farmers knowledge
• gathering agroforestry innovations thanks to botanical inventories to understand whether cocoa farmers are adding trees in their cocoa farms
• understanding the factors and obstacles for agroforestry adoption including social, economic, politic and legal extent to describe the drivers of this new socio-ecological system.
• experimenting the effects of three trees (identified by farmers as compatible with cocoa) on microclimate and more specifically their role during dry period.
We expect from this mobility to :
• be able to give advice to farmer on three trees : Newbouldia laevis, Ficus capensis, Bombax buonopozense .
• Completing lists that have already been set about trees and cocoa interactions based on farmers knowledge (up to 25 trees)
• Building a qualitiative model of agroforestry adoption and innovation in order to facilitate any further project trying to encourage the development of agroforestry.
• Developing interdisciplinary methodologic tools to study an agroforestry socio-ecological system in a context of agro-ecological transition.
• Strenghten links with ivorian researchers working in similar fields.