Deforestation and land degradation remain two major economic and environmental threats in Côte d’Ivoire. This study assessed land use and land cover (LULC) change and farmers’ perceptions of the drivers and effects of deforestation and land degradation in south-western Côte d’Ivoire. We used remotely sensed data to determine LULC change trends, and a household survey to collect farmers’ perceptions of deforestation and land degradation. A total of 411 households were interviewed using a structured questionnaire and the focus group discussions involved 25 farmers. Landsat image analysis reported a drastic LULC change and a conversion of forestlands into agriculture from 1987 to 2015 at a rate of 1.44%/year and 3.44%/year for dense forests and degraded forests, respectively. The household survey revealed that the major causes of deforestation perceived by farmers included population growth (79.3%), extensive agriculture (72.9%), migration (54.2%) and logging (47.7%). Land degradation evolved, from a shortened fallow period (46.7%) and an inappropriate application of inputs (31.4%). The perceived major effects linked to deforestation encompassed land degradation (70.6%), loss of biodiversity (63.8%), global warming (56.9%) and loss of livelihood assets (54.3%). Therefore, this study recommends participatory landscape planning, reforestation and capacity building of stakeholders for sustainable intensification of the production systems to reduce LULC challenges for enhanced productive and protective functions of remaining forests.

Agroforestry is part of the package of good agricultural practices (GAPs) referred to as a reference to basic environmental and operational conditions necessary for the safe, healthy, and sustainable production of cocoa. Furthermore, cocoa agroforestry is one of the most effective nature-based solutions to address global change including land degradation, nutrient depletion, climate change, biodiversity loss, food and nutrition insecurity, and rural poverty and current cocoa supply chain issues. This study was carried out in South-Western Côte d’Ivoire through a household survey to assess the willingness of cocoa farmers to adopt cocoa agroforestry, a key step towards achieving sustainability in the cocoa supply chain markedly threatened by all types of biophysical and socio-economic challenges. In total, 910 cocoa households were randomly selected and individually interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Findings revealed that from the overwhelming proportion of farmers practicing full-sun cocoa farming with little or no companion trees associated, 50.2 to 82.1% were willing to plant and to keep fewer than 20 trees per ha in their farms for more than 20 years after planting. The most preferred trees provide a range of ecosystem services, including timber and food production, as well as shade regulation. More than half of the interviewed households considered keeping in their trees in their plantations for more than 20 years subject to the existence of a formal contract to protect their rights and tree ownership. This opinion is significantly affected by age, gender, access to seedlings of companion trees and financial resources. A bold step forward towards transitioning to cocoa agroforestry and thereby agroecological intensification lies in (i) solving the issue of land tenure and tree ownership by raising awareness about the new forest code and, particularly, the understanding of cocoa agroforestry, (ii) highlighting the added value of trees in cocoa lands, and (iii) facilitating access to improved cocoa companion tree materials and incentives. Trends emerged from this six-year-old study about potential obstacles likely to impede the adoption of agroforestry by cocoa farmers meet the conclusions of several studies recently rolled out in the same region for a sustainable cocoa sector, thereby confirming that not only the relevance of this work but also its contribution to paving the way for the promotion of agroecological transition in cocoa farming.

Forest encroachments in protected areas leading to severe biodiversity loss are common in Côte d’Ivoire for the last few decades mainly due to agricultural expansion. Several initiatives to promote sustainable agriculture practices are ongoing in the vicinity of these protected forests to reverse the anthropogenic pressure and its consequences. This study was undertaken to assess selected agricultural practices and the willingness of the cocoa farmers to adopt agroforestry around the Taï National Park in Southwest Côte d’Ivoire. A structured questionnaire was administrated to 323 cocoa farmers to understand their current practices and perceptions of cocoa agroforestry. Our results showed that 95% of farmers grow unimproved cocoa varieties with an average yield of 376 ± 36 kg/ha per year. In terms of agricultural practices, more than 91% of farmers applied pesticides, 86% use agroforestry practices as part of their farming systems, while 82% use pruning techniques and 27% applied fertilizers. We also found that most farmers (54%) are willing to adopt improved agroforestry practices or plant more trees in their cocoa plantations. The willingness of these farmers to practice cocoa agroforestry is influenced by gender, the length of residency and the number of cultivated cash crops. Our findings can be used as entry points to make good use of strong community knowledge and take advantage of existing knowledge to strengthen the take-up of good agricultural practices and generate on-the-ground sustainable impacts.

The strong climatic fluctuation observed during the major cocoa production period with reductions in rainfall and rising temperatures lead to a low graining index. This climatic situation makes cocoa marketing difficult for producers. The stability of quantitative productivity parameters in six cacao clones on farm was analyzed during the main production season. Flowering, average pod weight, number of beans per pod, average bean weight, bean size, and pod index were analyzed. The results obtained showed that the flowering intensity of the clones was high in September (49.07). The average weight of pods decreased from 511.38 g in September to 433.53 g in January. The average weight of a bean and the weight of 100 beans, respectively of 1.3 g and 125.62 g at the beginning of the season dropped in January to 1.13 g and 94.03 g. Clones C8 and C15 showed more stable agronomic characteristics, notably average pod weight, average bean weight, bean size, and pod index during the major production phase. These two promising clones could be used in the rehabilitation phase of degraded cacao plantation, given the stability of their agronomic characteristics.