Participative design of the spatial and temporal development of improved cocoa agroforestry systems for yield and biodiversity

Abstract

Farmers constantly adapt cropping systems to meet their needs. Cocoa farming is frequently associated with low incomes and little access to technical innovations for the small farmers and their families who are responsible for most cocoa production around the world. A collaborative approach, including different professionals working in the Dominican cocoa sector, led to the emergence of many technical innovations designed to modify the current agroforestry systems (AFS) in order to increase their overall productivity while maintaining a high level of biodiversity.