MISSION
Operations
CASE STUDY
Assisted Natural Regeneration
YEAR
2024-2026
CLIENT
Piloting an innovative agroforestry approach in Côte d’Ivoire
01
Context
International mobilization since 2017 to halt deforestation in Côte d’Ivoire, followed by the launch and scale of massive tree planting projects in cocoa growing areas;
While the performance of planting programs is little documented and questionable, research showed high potential of Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) to restore forest cover within and around cocoa farms;
Since 2019, the new Forest Code clarifies tree ownership in favor of landowners (or, the planter – provided there is a formal agreement) although it still needs to be largely disseminated in rural areas.
02
Approach
3 year-project launched in 2024 in the Indénié-Djuablin region in partnership with a cocoa cooperative, based in Abengourou;
Promoting agroforestry in cocoa farms by identifying and fostering the growth of seedlings naturally adapted to the local environment;
Transferring botanical and forestry skills and knowledge to farmers to increase adoption;
Thinking the pilot at scale from the beginning to later allow for the dissemination of results in a cost-effective way.
03
Key Takeaways
The pilot is a joint project with research organization Cirad. It aims at studying during two years the potential for performance of ANR (ex: higher tree survival, better growth) as well as designing and testing tools for scalability (ex: rapid field diagnostic to assess the status of both regeneration and existing shade cover);
First field observations are promising and show a high diversity of tree species naturally regenerating on farm – a significant potential for biodiversity improvement!