Agroforestry
Agroforestry is a land-use system in which trees or shrubs are deliberately grown with crops or livestock on the same land, in a spatial or temporal arrangement, creating ecological and economic interactions. In cocoa and coffee, it typically means growing the crop under shade trees.
Also known as: agroforest · shade-grown · shade trees · tree-crop systems
Why does it matter?
Agroforestry can diversify farm income, improve soil and microclimate, support biodiversity and store carbon. For companies, it is a common lever for climate, nature and resilience goals in cocoa, coffee and other tree crops, and a frequent basis for carbon insetting programmes.
How does it work in practice?
Typical systems include:
- Shade-grown cocoa or coffee, with native or introduced shade trees.
- Boundary planting along plot edges.
- Multistrata systems combining fruit trees, timber and crops.
- Silvopasture, combining trees and livestock.
Programmes distribute seedlings, train farmers, and monitor planted trees and their survival.
Agroforestry and deforestation maps
Because shaded plots have tree cover, forest maps can classify them as forest. This creates false deforestation flags or misclassification in EUDR checks. Plot-level evidence, such as history, crop maps and field photos, helps show a plot was an agricultural plantation at the cut-off date.
Common pitfalls
- Counting seedlings distributed instead of trees surviving.
- Species choices that farmers do not value, so trees are removed.
- Unclear tree tenure: farmers may not have rights to trees on their land.
- Carbon claims without robust MRV.
Farmer1st tracks planting, survival and farmer benefits through its trees and agroforestry service.
Frequently asked questions
Is agroforestry considered forest under the EUDR?
No. The EUDR definition of agricultural plantation includes 'agroforestry systems where crops are grown under tree cover', and agricultural plantations are excluded from the definition of forest. Converting forest into an agroforestry system is therefore deforestation.
What are shade trees?
Shade trees are trees kept or planted among crops such as cocoa or coffee to provide shade, improve microclimate and soil, and often produce fruit, timber or other income. Species, density and management vary by region.
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