Cocoa-based agroforestry systems represent one of the most widespread land-use models in the humid forests of Central Africa, combining cocoa production with the maintenance of shade trees and forest biodiversity. This study examines the diversity, structural characteristics, and overall ecological health of a cocoa agroforest system located in the humid dense forest of East Cameroon, a region at the interface of agricultural expansion and biodiversity-rich forest.
Through systematic vegetation surveys and health assessments of shade trees and cocoa plants, the research documents the richness of woody species retained within the agroforest, their spatial distribution, and the degree to which they maintain habitat connectivity with adjacent forest patches. The results indicate that well-managed cocoa agroforests can serve as important biodiversity refuges, supporting a significant proportion of the flora and fauna found in undisturbed forest.
These findings have direct implications for conservation policy and agricultural extension in Cameroon, supporting the case for incentivizing shade-grown cocoa systems as a tool for reconciling food production and biodiversity conservation. BCL advocates for agroforestry approaches that reward farmers for maintaining ecological services, contributing to both sustainable livelihoods and forest landscape integrity.
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