This review summarizes findings from 22 case studies published together in Tropical Forest Issues 61 (Torquebiau 2024). The case studies present clear and tangible benefits from the adoption of agroforestry, based on a wide range of practices from Africa, Latin America and Asia. In this review practices and conditions for tangible benefits of agroforestry are summarized. The practices are presented in four categories: crops under trees or intercropped with trees; annual crops under multispecies tree cover; perennial crops under multispecies tree layers; and agroforests. The conditions cover seven thematic areas: social and human capital; attention to women; governance priorities; technical assistance and capacity strengthening; legal, institutional and policy frameworks; economic research; and value chains. 

Agroforestry is recognised for its capacity to promote climate change mitigation and adaptation, but adoption rates remain lower than expected, necessitating an exploration into the economic viability of agroforestry practices. Key economic variables influencing the viability of agroforestry include benefits, costs, labour and farmers' risk profiles. Benefits of agroforestry include increased income and food security, and stability and resilience against market fluctuations and adverse weather conditions. Costs, both direct - fixed (land) and variable (fertiliser) - and indirect, are high to begin with but more established agroforestry systems ultimately provide cost-savings. Labour is more intensive in agroforestry than in monoculture farming, but agroforestry farmers work under cooler conditions thanks to shade trees. A farmers' risk perception is influenced by socioeconomic factors, market fluctuations and environmental conditions, but the risk posed by market price fluctuations can be mitigated through diversification. Models are used to analyse the economic viability of agroforestry systems, considering factors such as crop combinations, labour requirements and market conditions. Farmers’ knowledge of the economic performance of agroforestry systems must be improved upon, but their approval of model scenarios depends upon local contexts and perceptions being understood and respected. Only then will the sustainable adoption and scaling up of agroforestry practices improve.

Around the world, the agricultural sector relies heavily on women, especially in developing countries, but women’s restricted access to essential resources, hinders their agricultural productivity, resulting in increased poverty. A promising solution to this is agroforestry, a climate-smart agricultural practice which increases land productivity, providing socioeconomic and ecological benefits. Women’s access to agroforestry, however, is constrained by gender disparities which favour men in terms of access to land, education, extension services, decision-making power, labour and financial resources. It is crucial that these obstacles be dismantled to enable women to participate fully in agroforestry, because they possess valuable knowledge and are often more willing than men to adopt climate change adaptation programmes. Recommendations for mainstreaming gender in agroforestry include collecting gender-disaggregated data, ensuring equal access to resources, promoting gender-inclusive training and education, implementing gender-responsive policies, fostering women's leadership and participation, raising awareness and challenging social norms. Put to action, these recommendations will challenge traditional gender roles and empower women as agents of change, creating an inclusive environment for sustainable agricultural development.  

Amongst human activity, industrial agriculture is a primary cause of biodiversity loss and climate change, reducing the land’s suitability for agriculture. This reduces global food security, increasing the pressure for food production which further exacerbates forest and land degradation. Agroforestry emerges as a promising solution by leveraging nature-based approaches to mimic natural ecosystems, combining trees with annual crops, to tackle both biodiversity loss and climate change. The adoption of tropical agroforests, shade-tolerant crops, scattered trees in parklands and homestead agroforestry, are all examples of how agroforestry has helped promote diverse and resilient landscapes capable of adapting to changing climatic conditions, while still providing essential ecosystem services. The positive influence of agroforestry on ecological processes is further supported by scientific evidence which shows that agroforestry enhances soil health, serves as a carbon sink and promotes resilience against climate hazards. The adoption of agroforestry may be hindered, however, by knowledge gaps, policy recognition and variations in effectiveness across different contexts. These can and should be overcome, because agroforestry is recognised by international organisations as a key strategy in sustainable land management and climate change mitigation, and as a vital tool for addressing food security on a global scale.  

The FAO's Global Agroforestry Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA) revealed persistent challenges which are hindering widespread adoption of agroforestry despite its recognised benefits. Three primary action areas were identified: transforming agroforestry into an economically viable production system; strengthening enabling environments through agroforestry policies and strategies; and improving agroforestry extension for more biodiverse and agroecological systems. Stakeholders - governmental entities, NGOs, land users and community groups, researchers, private-sector entities and investors and donors - demonstrated expertise in agroforestry planning but identified gaps in socioeconomic aspects, and policy analysis and implementation. Challenges included insecure land tenure, limited market access and insufficient financial incentives for farmers. The assessment emphasised the need for collaborative efforts to address these challenges, recommending tailored approaches for the different stakeholder groups. Recommendations included improving data collection on socioeconomic aspects, developing innovative financing mechanisms and promoting peer-to-peer knowledge exchange. Efforts to strengthen policy frameworks, enhance extension services, and integrate local and Indigenous knowledge were also proposed. Concerted action is, therefore, necessary to unlock agroforestry's full potential in addressing global sustainability challenges to promote sustainable land management and food security worldwide.  

Mexico’s contemporary cultivation of pineapple, the king of tropical fruits, depends on intensive monoculture which negatively impacts the environment and human health. This represents a regression in history, as pineapple was traditionally cultivated in agroforests, which preserve the structural characteristics and ecological processes and functions of natural ecosystems. Some of these agroforestry systems remain, having been conserved for centuries by Indigenous and mestizo communities, particularly in the states of Jalisco and Nayarit, showcasing the sustainability and resilience of agroforestry.

Unlike modern monoculture, pineapple agroforests incorporate diverse plant species to improve biodiversity and reduce disease, integrating pineapple with various woody species native to the subdeciduous tropical forest. They also provide shade and preserve forest cover, and limit the use of machinery, maximising the use of traditional knowledge and local technologies. The resulting agroecosystems not only sustain pineapple production but also yield additional products such as fruits, coffee, wood and fodder, contributing to food sovereignty and self-sufficiency. Despite the benefits of pineapple agroforests, they remain largely unknown at national and international levels, highlighting a need for greater recognition and support. This requires more data on the costs of establishing pineapple agroforests, as the costs are currently unclear. To encourage policymakers to promote the conservation and maintenance of pineapple agroforests, the article provides insight into their ecological and cultural significance and emphasises the importance of valuing and preserving ancestral agroforestry practices.  

In the Totonacapan region of northeastern Puebla, Mexico, two maize production systems are prevalent: the milpa and the maize field (maizal). The milpa system is an emblematic agroecosystem which focuses on traditional food production for self-consumption, utilising crop and land rotation to contribute to its sustainability and coexistence with native ecosystems. Adopted for commercial purposes, the maize field is the result of the government’s modernisation of traditional agriculture. The article examines why the milpa system persists over the maize field in the same cultural and environmental space, exploring the benefits and costs of both systems.

The milpa system involves the cultivation of maize along with other crops and perennial woody species. It supports food security, diversifies the diet, and generates income from surplus products. Fruit trees and woody perennials in the milpa strengthen soil fertility, control weeds, provide firewood, and serve as stakes or supports for beans and as retaining walls or windbreaks. The system also incorporates useful plants like nopal and maguey for multiple purposes, including food and medicine. In contrast, the maize field system is characterised by commercial maize production and the use of improved maize varieties. While it generates income, it lacks the diversity and sustainability of the milpa system. Farmers recognise the cultural value of native maize and the environmental benefits of the milpa system but find it challenging to transition back due to soil degradation and labour-intensive practices. The milpa agroforestry system ultimately persists thanks to its provision of traditional foods, economic benefits, and environmental advantages, unlike the maize field system which faces challenges related to monocropping and loss of cultural heritage. 

Slash-and-burn agriculture is a critical issue in Honduras and other tropical regions, as it causes deforestation, soil degradation, erosion, crop failure, food insecurity, and vulnerability to natural disasters - devasting the environment and adversely effecting communities. These calamities are further exacerbated by the climate crisis, forcing people to become climate refugees. In response, the article introduces the Inga agroforestry model as a sustainable alternative to slash-and-burn agriculture. Developed by the Inga Foundation, this model utilises the tree genus Inga, a nitrogen-fixing tree, to create resilient and productive agroforestry systems. By intercropping basic grains with other cash crops, amongst the Inga trees and other fruit and hardwood trees, farmers can achieve food security and economic diversity. The Inga agroforestry model is also characterised by its minimal input requirements, as it uses no agrochemicals, chemical fertilisers, fossil fuels, heavy equipment, herbicides or pesticides, further enhancing land restoration and climate change mitigation.

Proven to be a regenerative system, Inga agroforestry has been implemented successfully in Honduras, empowering marginalised rural smallholder farmers in a socially and ecologically sustainable manner. Compared to monocrop plots, the model’s economic benefits include increased yields and income generation, which has improved rural livelihoods, including for women and youth, reducing out-migration. The environmental benefits include land restoration, carbon sequestration, and increased biodiversity, improving climate resilience. Despite its proven effectiveness, the widespread adoption of the Inga agroforestry model remains constrained by funding and policy barriers which favour industrial agriculture. The team remains committed, however, to seeing it replicated widely and remains optimistic about the model's potential to transform rural economies. They, therefore, urge for greater support from governments and international institutions.
 

Despite cocoa traditionally being grown in agroforestry systems, monoculture farming now dominates in major producing countries like Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana. Globally, interest is growing to return once more to cocoa agroforestry, due to its many benefits, including biodiversity conservation, temperature and water cycle regulation, and carbon sequestration. The article reports on a study which analysed cocoa agroforestry plots of smallholder farmers in Alto Beni, Bolivia. These systems are characterised by the high diversity and density of companion trees. The model plot, managed under dynamic agroforestry principles, showed variability in cocoa yields but these increased over time. Additional income was also yielded from companion crops, which provide timber for harvest and fruits for sale and consumption, improving income diversification, food security and food sovereignty. Dynamic agroforestry systems, therefore, have higher labour intensity but also higher income compared to monocrop cocoa production systems, which is supported by the the SysCom Bolivia trial of 2017–2019. Dynamic agroforestry systems are also shown to increase biodiversity, offer resilience against climate change, and improve farmer’s ratings of happiness. The article emphasises the importance of agroforestry systems for sustainable cocoa production, highlighting its provision of economic benefits alongside environmental and social advantages. To maximise the potential of agroforestry systems, there is a need for continued research and long-term data collection for continuous improvement of management practices. 

The Brazilian municipality of Tomé-Açu has over two-hundred agroforestry systems, which integrate oil palm into a larger, diversified production system, promoting farmers’ livelihoods, biodiversity, and ecological resilience; avoiding the many social and environmental conflicts associated with oil palm monocultures. There are four main challenges to scaling up oil palm agroforestry in the Amazon. These include environmental and land tenure regularisation, implementing effective financing, meeting labour demands, and securing market connections. In response, the Expansion Pilot project has been collaboratively developed between Natura, CAMTA, and other organisations, to develop low-risk business models for farmers.

The project established guiding principles for oil palm agroforestry, which focus on plant diversity, functionality, and economic diversity as the three key performance indicators; checking reliability, eligibility, scalability, replicability, and impact. The guiding principles provide criteria and scoring systems for assessing the performance of agroforestry systems, ensuring continuous improvement over time. The financial implementation of agroforestry systems is also a key aspect, as financial institutions now offer investment lines specifically for oil palm agroforestry. Carbon sequestration and insurance specific to agroforestry are also being explored as potential financing mechanisms. Further improvements to oil palm agroforestry practices will require collaboration with government agencies, the development of mechanisation alternatives, and ongoing research and innovation; all of which will help mitigate the negative impacts of oil palm monoculture.
 

Historically, Brazil was a significant cocoa producer, primarily in the Amazon region, but since the 1970s, cocoa production became increasingly replaced by extensive livestock farming. What production remained, was halted by a fungal epidemic, resulting in Brazil becoming a net importer of cocoa beans. Thanks to recent sustainable development programmes and the emergence of the bioeconomy, Brazil has since experienced renewed interest in cocoa cultivation, especially in cocoa agroforestry. Initiatives such as Mondelez's Sustainable Cocoa Production project aim to promote sustainable cocoa production, with a focus on environmental regulations and good agricultural practices. The project focuses on two regions, Bahia and Pará.

In Bahia, efforts are directed towards rejuvenating cocoa crops in cabruca systems, a traditional agroforestry system where cocoa is cultivated beneath native tree canopies. Small-scale farmers received training and experimental plots demonstrated that proper management practices could control fungal disease and increase cocoa production significantly, generating increased income. In Pará, cocoa agroforestry systems are promoted as an alternative to cattle ranching, which destroyed forests to create, now degraded, pasturelands. While restoration efforts are challenging, agroforestry systems showed promising financial returns compared to cattle ranching. Local farmer organisations also benefitted from workshops and ongoing mentoring regarding their management and business capacities.

A failure of the project was that in some instances, agroforestry systems were promoted more as a way to produce cocoa than as an opportunity to diversify, which must be the priority. New due diligence initiatives in Europe have also highlighted the importance of traceability and sustainability in cocoa production, posing new challenges for Brazil’s small-scale farmers. The cocoa agroforestry systems in Bahia and Pará have, nonetheless, shown potential for sustainable local development in Brazil. To ensure their success and sustainability in the long term, there must be continued support systems for farmers and value must be ascribed to the immense product diversity of cocoa agroforestry. 

Agroforestry systems hold significant environmental and cultural value but are yet to receive economic valorisation. In southern Brazil there is a centuries old agroforestry system called Caíva which is classified as a silvopastoral system, combining native trees, cattle herds and pastures. Caívas occupy significant land area and contribute to priceless forest conservation, maintaining rare and threatened trees, but challenges of legal insecurity, low economic yield and ineffective management are threatening the preservation of caívas. To address these challenges, the Agricultural Research and Rural Extension Company of Santa Catarina State (Epagri) began conducting research in 2006 to develop technologies that would increase productivity while maintaining forest cover. Their technology has shown promising results, increasing animal production by up to 400% while still maintaining the tree stratum and active forest regeneration. Epagri’s technologies are based on five activities: the selection of adapted perennial pastures, planting improved pastures without soil disturbance, soil liming and annual fertilisation, rotational grazing, and overseeding with ryegrass and clover during the autumn/winter period. By adopting Epagri's technologies, caíva owners can increase their income, maintain active forest regeneration, and ensure legal certainty over their properties. These strategies are primarily applicable to open and very open caívas, and it is recommended that other types of caívas be used for the preservation and provision of ecosystem services. Research on caivas improvement has shown multiple benefits, emphasising the importance of continued investment in research and development, to further valorise agroforestry systems. It is essential, however, to balance these productive improvements with the maintenance of permanent preservation areas and mixed ombrophilous forest landscapes. 

Agroforestry is able to address two of society’s great contemporary issues, climate change mitigation and food security. Characterised by the presence of trees within croplands and farmland, agroforestry has been recognised for its ability to enhance biomass and soil carbon while sustaining agricultural production. Agroforestry’s many environmental and ecosystem services - including water quality improvement, erosion control, and biodiversity enhancement - may also help achieve a number of other United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, including renewable energy, responsible consumption and life on land.

Yerba mate (YM) is a tree species that is native to South America, which has traditionally been harvested for its leaves, which are used to prepare a traditional infusion. Over the years, new YM products have emerged, including dehydrated powder for instant preparation. The cultivation of YM has evolved from traditional forest stands to large-scale monoculture plantations, but there is recent interest in sustainable agroforestry approaches. Research in Argentina's Misiones Province has demonstrated the benefits of YM being shaded by other trees in agroforestry systems, including increased yields of YM and an enhancement of preferred flavours of the leaves, as well as increased soil fertility, carbon sequestration and protection against extreme weather conditions. To continue to improve upon YM agroforestry, the I 049 Agroforestry project plans to study YM cultivation in agroforestry arrangements to better support sustainable agroforestry practices and innovative marketing strategies in Argentina. 

Rapid population growth and unplanned settlement and resettlement has increased agricultural development in Ethiopia's Tigray Region, causing forest and land degradation. Governmental and non-governmental organisations have responded to this by establishing exclosures and communal grazing lands to foster natural regeneration. Their efforts have significantly enhanced environmental recovery, reduced soil erosion and increased water recharge, but challenges remain. Transplanted seedlings have low growth and survival rates, and economic gain is hampered by biased benefit sharing and ownership. Additionally, the war that began in Tigray in 2020 has made it difficult to implement watershed-level communal plantations. Farmers and their families have, therefore, adopted homestead agroforestry, an integrated tree-crop-animal production system. The Relief Society of Tigray (REST) assessed farmers' experiences with homestead agroforestry practices and found that, in addition to providing beneficial ecosystem services, homestead agroforestry had contributed significantly towards income generation, food production and energy supply, which proved especially vital in times of war and extreme poverty. The tree species Ziziphus spina-christi was even named "the tree that saved lives" as its fruit became a staple food for those affected by the war. Homestead agroforestry also reduced pressure on forests by meeting people´s increasing need for biomass energy, helping to curb deforestation. Despite its many benefits, there remain challenges to developing homestead agroforestry, but available remedies and recent advancements have led district leaders to commit to making homestead agroforestry their priority agenda. Regional strategic documents, technical and financial support, and capacity strengthening are now needed to propel homestead agroforestry to improve more people’s livelihoods and further mitigate forest degradation and land loss.  

Burkina Faso is facing an accelerated degradation of natural resources, exacerbated by natural phenomena and human activities which, coupled with the impact of climate change and poverty, have caused food insecurity in the arid province of Passoré. To address these challenges, farmers have been implementing initiatives rooted in local knowledge and traditional practices. The practice of interest is farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR), an ancestral agroforestry practice that protects and tends to spontaneous tree growth in agricultural fields.

A qualitative study conducted in the province of Passoré revealed farmers’ reasons for adopting FMNR. As a low-cost practice that requires few technical or financial resources, farmers are attracted to its affordability. FMNR also enables farmers to circumvent customary prohibitions regarding tree planting, and navigate land ownership dynamics, as it involves tending to spontaneous growth rather than deliberate planting. Since FMNR does not involve tree planting, it does not imply land ownership claims, making it inclusive for migrants and women who have limited land rights. By introducing indigenous species such as Piliostigma reticulatum (bangandé) FMNR helps meet energy needs called for by women, and improves the density of plant cover, restoring clearings while improving livelihoods. FMNR has been instrumental in empowering women by providing commercial opportunities in the non-timber forest product (NTFP) sector, enabling them to earn an independent income, strengthening their autonomy within the household.

FMNR has thus become integral to farming systems in Passoré due to its many tangible agronomic, environmental and socioeconomic benefits, offering solutions to land degradation, exclusion from tree planting projects, food insecurity and gender inequality. Broader dissemination of its potential for rapid restoration of forest resources at low cost is, therefore, recommended to help other regions of Burkina Faso overcome their challenges of degradation and climate change. 

The Sahelian rural environment has been deteriorating due to local agricultural practices, threatening rural populations. Terre Verte, an NGO, was established in 1989 to address this environmental degradation, by supporting the Guiè pilot farm in Burkina Faso, wherein they promoted bocage. Bocage involves creating a landscape of meadows and fields surrounded by living hedges, to form a continuous network - a linear forest - where trees, crops and livestock are integrated. These hedges store rainwater during the monsoon season, which reduces runoff and soil erosion, improving soil fertility. The hedges also prevent the problems associated with extensive agriculture including overgrazing, slash-and-burn farming and excessive firewood cutting. Bocage areas are established at the request of landowners and are managed collectively by a land-owning group, combining individual plots and common land. The implementation of bocage at the Guiè pilot farm involved experimentation with new techniques, training in these new techniques, and providing advice and support to farmers. Maintenace is managed by the land-owning group who ensure compliance with the control of livestock, of fire and of wood cutting. Early planting of crops is made possible by Zaï cultivation, a traditional cereal-growing technique that concentrates water and nutrients around cultivated plants. This regenerates the soil and ensures crops survive changes in the weather. Trees in the bocage play a crucial role in encouraging biodiversity and their fertilising functions enrich soil, desalinate it, and produce good compost. The hedges provide firewood and fodder, and the trees provide fruit for consumption, while their leaves and roots are used for local medical practices and cultural traditions. The bocage also creates a microclimate favourable to flora and fauna, conserving species on the verge of extinction. By integrating principles of agroforestry, the bocage approach has successfully increased biodiversity and agricultural productivity, making it a genuine solution for restoring degraded land in the Sahel and improving the livelihoods of rural populations.  

Ghana's once-diverse cocoa-forest landscapes have been replaced by monoculture cocoa farms, causing a host of social, ecological and economic problems. A case study of local innovation in Ghana's Juabeso/Bia Landscape (JBL) demonstrates how agroecological principles can restore these landscapes, revive biodiversity, enable food security and empower cocoa farmers.

The promotion of full-sun cocoa cultivation, tenure insecurity and food insecurity, however, are currently hindering the uptake of cocoa agroforestry. Full-sun cocoa was popularised by an ill-advised policy that pushed farmers to remove old-growth trees, reducing resilience and sustainability. Tenure insecurity is a result of the 1962 Concessions Act, which transferred tree rights to the state, who empowered private logging companies, discouraging farmers from maintaining old-growth trees on their increasingly exploited cocoa farms. Food insecurity is also a pressing issue, as cocoa-focused agricultural programmes neglect long-term food production, forcing farmers to encroach on forest reserves for food, further contributing to biodiversity loss.

In comparison, agroecology aims to increase overall system resilience and restore the balance between productivity and sustainability, providing diverse social, economic and environmental benefits over the long term. A farmer in the case study implemented dynamic cocoa agroforestry, and has experienced improved nutrient cycling, biodiversity and soil carbon sequestration, and reduced risk of fire, pests and disease. To encourage more farmers to adopt agroecology, issues of limited empirical information, inadequate investment, policy shortcomings and the threat of illegal mining must be overcome. This could be facilitated by introducing policy reforms, investing in farmer programmes, establishing market incentives and giving farmers control over their trees; by means of a collaborative effort between policymakers, researchers, extension services, NGOs and the private sector. Their long-term commitment to agroecology will ensure resilience, sustainability, and prosperity in Ghana's cocoa sector. 

Agroforestry plays a vital role in the economic and ecological sustainability of semi-arid and subhumid regions of Africa, particularly in combating climate change, land degradation, and meeting food and fuelwood needs. In the Sahelian climate, farmer managed natural regeneration (FMNR) is a cost-effective agroforestry practice, that involves selecting, protecting and managing spontaneous tree regrowth, notably of Faidherbia albida, a legume species well-suited for FMNR in semi-arid areas. In the Far North Region of Cameroon, agroforestry parklands with Faidherbia albida have been supported by various projects for the last three decades.

Farmers have been provided with subsidies to protect trees in their fields, resulting in the conservation of close to two million Faidherbia albida trees. These trees provide significant economic benefits to rural populations, contributing to increased crop yields, especially in nutrient-poor soils, and provide significant firewood savings and nitrogen rich animal fodder during the sparse dry season when livestock are most in need. They also provide ecological benefits, as they store carbon and conserve biodiversity, contributing to climate change mitigation.

These benefits have motivated the expansion of FMNR even in the face of farmers no longer receiving subsidies. To ensure its sustainability, certain conditions must be met, including security of tenure, effective enforcement of sustainable management practices, continued project support, dissemination of convincing research results, regular incentives from government and international organisations, and low-cost labour and input methods. By adhering to these conditions, agroforestry can continue to play a crucial role in enhancing livelihoods and environmental resilience in the Sahel. 

The development of agriculture, particularly monocultures and extensive land-consuming practices, are causing deforestation and forest degradation, and this destruction of important carbon sinks is fueling climate change. Agroforestry, which involves the association of trees with crops and/or livestock, is presented as an alternative to industrial agriculture and slash-and-burn practices, to promote climate change resilience. In addition to climate change mitigation, agroforestry offers a plentitude of benefits, but there are often challenges to implementing agroforestry models. These include ensuring feasibility in local contexts and meeting diverse needs, which requires constant adaptation and mutual learning between farmers and technical experts. This proved true for Tropenbos DRC who worked to promote agroforestry among small forest and agricultural producers in the Bafwasende area of Tshopo Province. Tropenbos DRC’s initial approach of creating community agroforestry fields faced limited success as an unexpected degree of individualism made a communitarian approach unsuitable. The original model also met resistance as it combined cocoa and plantain with trees despite plantain not being an economically viable crop for farmers. In response, a shift in approach was made to rather support individual farmers interested in agroforestry, who could prioritise cocoa plants amongst trees, to ensure greater profits. In the former model, from 2019 to 2021, only 4 ha of cocoa trees were planted. Conversely, in just six months of adopting the new model in 2021, 45 ha of cocoa trees were planted. It is clear then, that the success of agroforestry models depends on farmer’s acceptance. All stakeholders must be included in what should be a participatory and iterative process that must remain flexible, as adaptability is essential for the continuous improvement and success of agroforestry initiatives.  

Spice farming in Zanzibar has been integral to the country’s culture, history and economy but in recent decades, Zanzibar’s role in the global spice trade has diminished as declining market prices and government interference have pushed many farmers to convert spice forests into monoculture farms. Community Forests International (CFI) and Community Forests Pemba (CFP) have been working since 2015 to re-establish these diverse agroforest ecosystems and restore farmers’ livelihoods. Unlike monoculture farming, spice forests offer better economic incentives, ecological sustainability, and equality for women, and have the potential to restore a resilient spice-farming economy that is ecologically and socially sustainable. By revitalising local and indigenous knowledge, including from Tanzania, agroforestry practices are being implemented by small-scale Zanzibari farmers to grow a mix of timber, fruit and spice tree crops. This has enabled farmers to improve their household nutrition, increase their crop yields and diversify their income streams, ensuring energy, food and income security. The use of agroforestry practices in spice forests has also promoted structural and ecological diversity, regenerated soil health, enhanced carbon stores, and ensured resilience against climate change. Stories of individual farmers, Saidi Khalifa and Kibano Omar Kibano, exemplify how landscapes and lives can be positively transformed when spice forests are restored to replace monoculture farms with training and support from CFP. The story of Bimajo Masoud Juma also exemplifies how CFP has promoted agroforestry to empower women to have an independently earned income, ensuring their economic independence. CFP is also working with farmers to create stronger cooperative models that would enable them to sell directly to international buyers. The global organic spice market is expanding, so farmers involved in these sustainable and organic agroforestry practices are well-positioned to thrive.  

This article explores the significance, challenges, and future prospects of Madagascar’s cash crops: vanilla, cloves, lychees, black pepper and cinnamon. Cultivated by small-scale farmers in biodiverse agroforestry plots, these cash crops have historical importance in Madagascar's export-oriented economy that has seen Madagascar become the world's leading producer of vanilla, the second largest exporter of cloves and essential clove oil, and the leading exporter of lychees to the European market. Despite contributing substantially to the country's exports, farmers remain vulnerable, as the markets for these products are controlled by global food industry giants and are subject to significant price fluctuations. Other factors that contribute towards farmer’s vulnerability include climate change, local security conditions, competition from other producing countries and the introduction of synthetic vanillin. Despite the volatilities, farmers’ income and food security remain tied to these cash crops. Diversification is recommended to ensure better resilience against volatile conditions, including diversification of crops, land management practices, and product uses. By adapting agroforests to integrate a variety of cash crops and food crops, farmers’ income and food security will be protected long-term. Further research on agro-biodiversity management is now needed to continue to mitigate market dynamics and environmental challenges.  

Agriculture and forestry play a crucial role in the South African economy, contributing to poverty alleviation and economic growth. Combining the two, agroforestry is a land-use system that integrates agricultural crops with woody perennials to achieve beneficial ecological and economical interactions for food, fiber, and livestock production. A study conducted in the South African provinces of Limpopo and Mpumalanga demonstrated the positive impact of agroforestry on food security and community livelihoods by integrating crop production (groundnuts) into forestry plantations (eucalyptus trees), as a type of agri-silviculture.

Referred to as the ´intervention´, this agroforestry initiative monitored the food security status of community growers. Before the intervention, all the community growers were moderately food insecure, facing insufficient and monotonous diets. After the intervention, food accessibility increased significantly, as 88% of the community growers indicated that they now had access to food from their land, and 62% no longer went hungry, children included. The agri-silviculture community growers were additionally able to sell their groundnuts at formal and informal markets, increasing their income and improving their livelihoods.

The environmental and socioeconomic success of this study was made possible, and continues to be improved upon, thanks to the ongoing collaboration between the Agricultural Research Council and Mountain to Ocean. Public-private partnerships such as these must be prioritised, as they are instrumental in promoting, financing and developing agroforestry initiatives. Agroforestry proved to be a viable solution to enhance food security, generate income, and improve livelihoods in South Africa, but high transportation costs and the lack of transportation infrastructure need to be addressed to provide community growers easier access to their agroforestry sites. It is recommended that agroforestry be intensified across South Africa to help achieve Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, particularly zero hunger. 

Traditional, small-scale agroforestry systems offer a range of socioecological, sociocultural, and socioeconomic benefits for communities in the Eastern Himalayan region. Successfully managed by Indigenous farmers for generations, these systems involve intricate farming practices that integrate trees, shrubs, crops, and livestock, while avoiding any dependence on modern agricultural technologies like mechanisation or chemical inputs. The Eastern Himalayan region is home to seven agroforestry practices: farm-based, forest-based, large cardamom-based, mandarin-based, crops/mixed trees-based, slash-and-burn based, and tea-garden-based. The output-to-input ratio is highest for tea-based agroforestry and lowest for farm-based agroforestry. Farmers should carefully consider their choice of agroforestry system to suit their circumstances, but each system contributes to livelihood improvement, biodiversity conservation, and ecological sustainability. Several of the systems support high-value cash crops and they all provide a variety of functions and services, including maintaining soil fertility, conserving resources, enhancing productivity, and reducing erosion. They also support a remarkable level of crop diversity and preserve genetic resources, contributing to agrobiodiversity conservation. These traditional agroforestry systems, therefore, offer a sustainable approach to agriculture, balancing short-term food and livelihood needs with long-term environmental conservation. Research is now needed to assess gaps, especially related to multipurpose trees, to ensure the resilience and sustainability of these systems in the face of socioeconomic shifts.  

Agroforestry has enhanced the livelihoods of millions of smallholders globally. In Bangladesh, this is true for ethnic communities, including the Garo and Koch who are dependent on the Madhupur Sal forest. The Bangladesh Forest Department first introduced agroforestry in 1989, as part of a people-oriented forest management approach which sought to restore the Madhupur Sal forest - the country's most deforested and degraded forest. In this initiative, each farmer received 1 ha of deforested land and 50% of the land’s earnings would be shared with the department after a 10-year cycle. The Forest Department found that there were five types of profitable agroforestry practices in Madhupur: acacia-pineapple-aroid; jackfruit-pineapple-papaya; acacia-pineapple-turmeric; acacia-pineapple-ginger; acacia-pineapple-papaya; and jackfruit-pineapple-papaya. These practices have been found to generate significant income for farmers, with variations in output and costs depending on the specific combinations. The acacia-pineapple-aroid system proved to be the most profitable as it had the lowest total production cost and experienced little market price fluctuation. Income generation, however, was not the only benefit of this agroforestry programme. The programme had broader socio-economic impacts, including improvements in child and adult literacy rates, access to healthcare facilities, and road infrastructure development. Farmers were also able to invest in home development, purchase livestock, and increase their food self-sufficiency. To maximise these benefits of agroforestry, there is a need to further develop social and human capital and high-yield agroforestry practices, which will require more farmer training and support programmes. The investment of which is worthy as agroforestry has already proven its ability to address the challenges of deforestation and poverty, making it a crucial strategy for sustainable land use and livelihood improvement.  

Forests in mountainous watersheds sustain water flows, providing a valuable lifeline in times of no rain. The clearance and destruction of forests, for plantations and modern chena cultivation, degrades watersheds, resulting in the loss of these ecosystem services, impoverishing people and diminishing watershed sustainability. The Neo Synthesis Research Centre (NSRC) has been involved in rehabilitating Sri Lankan watersheds for over 30 years, which has included implementing forest gardens (FGs) in Maragalakanda. The article describes the rehabilitation of one farmer's land (referred to as Rani), which resulted in increased household livelihood security, reversed forest loss, and sustained watershed health. The rehabilitation efforts followed a successional process, using regenerative agriculture, analog forestry, and conservation forestry. The landscape design divided Rani’s landholding into several land uses. In addition to the forest gardens which were modelled on the adjacent forest, there were paddy fields, chena and cash crop areas, and a buffer zone between the disturbed natural forest and the landholding. Comprised of 175 different species, the forest gardens provide various regulatory ecosystem services, and over half provide food, medicine, timber, firewood, ornamentals and biopesticides, which are either used for household consumption or sold to generate income. Monitoring and evaluation revealed positive impacts on biodiversity, soil fertility, and food and income security. By 2013, Rani's landholding had become a biodiversity corridor, attracting more birds and increasing her total income to USD 32 241, mainly thanks to her forest gardens. As a result, Rani achieved financial stability, enabling her to invest in and educate all five of her children, eliminating any need to clear forests for livelihood. Despite an average FG profit of USD 24 413, challenges of increased rainfall variability, animal pests, and rising costs of purchases stress her newfound livelihood. Nonetheless, watershed rehabilitation with forest gardens succeeded in reversing forest loss, restoring ecosystem services, and increasing livelihood security. To ensure more households benefit as Rani’s did, policymakers and planners must consider population growth and allocate new lands for expanding watershed populations while implementing laws to prevent forest destruction.  

Laos has experienced an emergence of coffee cultivation as Loa farmers, many of them women, have been cultivating coffee in the understorey of natural forests. This form of agroforestry produces high-quality specialty coffee, earning farmers a significant income while preserving biodiversity. Farmers’ adoption of agroforestry, in place of traditional shifting agriculture has been supported by initiatives like the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) project, which establishes agroforestry learning centres and mini-processing centres, in collaboration with companies such as the MX Coffee Company and the Comma Coffee Company. Developments in coffee cultivation have been on the rise in the last three decades in Keoset, a community in Khoun District, where failed development projects were later revived by SDC and improved upon with market-oriented initiatives. The project has assisted in establishing coffee nurseries, providing training, and establishing partnerships with private companies for processing and marketing and as a result, farmers have advanced from selling unprocessed cherries to selling parchment (semi-processed beans), earning them a higher income. Farmers selling green beans are also collecting a premium price from roasting companies and exporters. The ability to generate an income from coffee cultivation is significant, because 90% of the farmers engaged in coffee cultivation are women, who are now able to depend on an independently earned income, granting them a greater voice in household decision-making.

Climate change poses potential risk to the future of coffee production, but the protection offered by forests largely shields coffee crops from storms and changes in temperature. The forests' maintenance of biodiversity also protects the predators of pests and disease, ensuring no chemical methods are needed for pest control, including against the coffee cherry borer (Hypothenemus hampei). A variety of challenges remain for which there are recommended responses. Challenges of institutional and legal context require capacity building within the government; world price fluctuations necessitate that farmers practice a mixed farming system to not rely solely on coffee; geographical limitations promote a focus on specialty-grade coffee; and competition from other cash crops requires awareness of the environmental risks associated with other crops and stricter zoning and regulation over different production systems. It is worth heeding these recommendations, as agroforestry coffee systems enhance livelihoods, empower women, promote environmental sustainability and demonstrate resilience to climate change, making it a potential model for countries facing similar challenges in similar agroecological zones.  

Agroforestry systems, particularly rubber agroforests, are crucial for Dayak communities in Indonesia, providing economic benefits and vital assets for their livelihoods. Two common types in Simpang Dua sub-district are tembawang (traditional fruit gardens) and rubber agroforests. Both have flourished for generations but they now face threats of conversion due to declining rubber prices and the oil palm boom. Tembawang is considered more resilient due to better protection of tenure rights under local customary law and its greater provision of socioeconomic benefits. In some instances, rubber agroforests are only maintained because of their deep rooted social and cultural importance, but they have potential to still be economically valuable. Rubber agroforests can provide a diversified income, offering resilience against volatile rubber markets, and although oil palm provides higher income in the short term, rubber agroforests can provide higher income over the entire system cycle.

Long-term financing is essential to improve yields and product quality, to support smallholder rubber agroforests, but obtaining this type of financing is difficult. Obstacles include low rubber prices, poor-quality latex, a lack of productivity of agroforestry crops and low attention from investors, financiers, and markets. Non-commercial financial support, including technical support, could help strengthen farming practices and market-based instruments, including carbon payments, could help stabilise farmers' income. The expansion, however, of large-scale oil palm plantations has shifted the rural labour force from rubber smallholders to plantation workers. Efforts to address these challenges include the establishment of a rubber processing and collective marketing unit, UPPB, to improve market access and prices for smallholder farmers. Founded in 2022, the unit aims to arrange collective marketing and provide technical capacity for farmers to meet the specifications of Standard Indonesia Rubber. By aggregating rubber slabs, farmers can earn up to 25% higher prices than individual farmers, but irregular supplies from farmers and low prices are affecting their success. Despite facing challenges, local farmers' groups remain resilient in organising themselves to improve their systems with the support of NGOs. Commitment from government and private sector stakeholders is additionally needed to further promote sustainable and inclusive rubber agroforestry businesses.