Replication data for: Farmers in Cote d'Ivoire value integrating tree diversity in cocoa for the provision of ecosystem services

Cote d'Ivoire produces 40 % of the world supply of cocoa but much of the plantation area is aging and declining in productivity, while opportunities for land expansion into new forest land are quickly disappearing. Rejuvenation strategies for cocoa presently coalesce either around improved varieties and greater use of agro-chemical inputs in full sun systems or eco-certification that requires trees to be integrated with cocoa. Here, we explore the possibility of uniting these approaches through building on current farmer practice of incorporating trees in their cocoa fields to improve cocoa productivity and diversify their livelihoods. We interviewed 355 farmers about trees integrated in the ir cocoa fields across four locations in the South-West of Cote d'Ivoire in 2012, stratified by whether or not farmers were eco-certified. Despite the massive deforestation, a rich diversity of trees was found in cocoa fields and an overwhelming majority of farmers (95 %) wanted more trees and/or more tree species, regardless of their certification status or ethnic origin. There was a consensus that most trees were compatible with cocoa, but farmers also traded off negative impacts of some species against their productive contribution to their livelihood. Farmers valued tree diversity on their cocoa plots and provided detailed information on how 32 tree species interacted with cocoa in terms of soil moisture retention, soil fertility improvement and pest and disease interactions but also had key gaps in knowledge about alternative hosts of mirids and mistletoe. The majority of farmers were not aware of the certification requirements for tree species and shade cover but a much higher proportion of certified farmers (76 %) had received information about shade trees than non-certified farmers (15 %), although advice only related to eight tree species. Scope for building on local knowledge and practice to sustainably increase cocoa productivity through promoting tree diversity while enhancing other ecosystem service provision was identified and the next steps required to realize this set out.

科特迪瓦（Cote d'Ivoire）的可可产量占全球总供应量的40%，但该国多数可可种植园正处于老化阶段，生产力持续下滑，而通过开垦新林地拓展种植面积的空间正快速消失。当前可可种植的更新改良策略主要分为两类：一类是在全光照种植系统中推广改良品种并加大农用化学品投入；另一类则是推行生态认证（eco-certification），要求将树木与可可种植体系进行整合。本研究探索了整合这两类路径的可能性，即基于当前农户在可可田中套种树木的实践，提升可可生产效率并拓宽农户生计来源。2012年，研究团队针对科特迪瓦西南部四个区域的355名可可种植户开展了访谈，按照农户是否获得生态认证进行分层抽样。尽管当地存在大规模的森林砍伐行为，但可可种植田中仍保留着丰富的树木多样性；且绝大多数受访农户（95%）希望种植更多树木或更多树种，无论其是否获得生态认证或所属族群为何。受访农户普遍认为多数树种与可可种植兼容，但同时也会权衡部分树种的负面影响及其对农户生计的生产贡献。农户十分重视可可种植地块的树木多样性，并详细阐述了32个树种在土壤保墒、土壤肥力提升以及病虫害防控方面与可可的相互作用，但对盲蝽象（mirids）和槲寄生的替代宿主相关知识存在显著缺口。多数农户并不了解生态认证对于树种和遮阴覆盖率的具体要求，但获得生态认证的农户中，有76%的人曾获取过关于遮阴树木的相关信息，这一比例远高于未获得认证的农户（15%），不过这些指导建议仅涉及8个树种。研究证实，依托当地农户的本土知识与实践经验，通过推广树木多样性以可持续提升可可生产力，同时强化其他生态系统服务（ecosystem service）的供给具备可行性，并明确了实现该目标所需的后续行动步骤。