Citation
Critchley, M., Sassen, M. and Umunay, P. (2021) Mapping opportunities for cocoa agroforestry in Côte d’Ivoire: Assessing its potential to contribute to national forest cover restoration targets and ecosystem services co-benefits. UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Cambridge UK
Cote d’Ivoire is the world’s biggest cocoa producer. However, the expansion of cocoa farming – as well as crops such as rubber, coffee and palm oil – has been a driving force of deforestation in the country over recent decades, with forest cover in the country now less than 9%, compared to 15% in the mid-1980s. To support ongoing aims to achieve 20% forest cover by 2030, this report identifies opportunities to implement cocoa agroforestry across existing monoculture cocoa landscapes and degraded lands, as a means to increase and restore forest cover. The potential impact of climate change and the co-benefits of doing so for climate, people and nature are also explored.