Characteristics of households that were interviewed in a study that investigated factors driving tree species in cocoa farms in Cote d'Ivoire

1. Intensive cocoa production in Côte d’Ivoire, the World’s leading cocoa producer, has grown at the expense of forest cover. To reverse this trend, the country has adopted a ‘zero deforestation’ agricultural policy and committed to rehabilitate its forest cover through the planting of high-value tree species in cocoa landscapes using a participatory approach. However, less is known on the factors influencing farmers’ introduction of high-value tree species in cocoa landscapes.

2. We tested the hypothesis that ten factors previously reported to influence agroforestry systems adoption predict the number and choice of tree species that farmers introduce in cocoa farms. We interviewed 683 households in the cocoa-producing zone of Côte d’Ivoire and counted tree species in their cocoa farms.

3. On average two tree species were recorded per surveyed farm. Generalized Poisson regression models revealed that cocoa production area, experience in tree planting and expected benefits influenc...