Within the scope of our commitment to sustainability, we want to take our expertise and our resources straight to the origin – for example, to the countries where our various raw materials are grown. Dynamic agroforestry or DAF is a particularly promising approach to this endeavour (see Agroforestry Policy).
In many places, cocoa is grown as a monoculture. Farmers choose this approach in order to generate higher yields and, as such, higher incomes. After a few years of monoculture farming, however, the practice has a negative impact on soil fertility: the soil becomes depleted and the cocoa plants become more vulnerable to pests and disease. As a result, yields decrease. Farmers seek to make up for the deficiency using mineral fertilisers and pesticides, but this does not have the desired effect in the medium and long term. Instead, it harms the environment.
DAF offers a solution: It involves the mixed cultivation of cocoa, fruit trees and timber trees, which mirrors the original rainforest habitat of cocoa. Cocoa can grow in combination with annual crops such as corn, beans and cassava, perennials such as bananas, avocado and mangoes, and with timber trees such as mahogany and cedar. The various plants benefit from one another: tall-growing plants provide shade, protecting the cocoa from heat and drought. Plants with high nutrient requirements receive support from neighbouring plants that provide nutrients. Organic matter produced during this cultivation method remains on the ground and becomes natural fertiliser.
DAF offers cocoa farmers additional advantages on top of consistently high crop yields: Produce from crops such as maize, green beans or avocados provides additional income at local markets, offers the possibility of self-sufficiency, and thus makes an important contribution to food security. In addition, the cultivation of precious timber also serves as retirement benefits. After 20 to 30 years, the timber is felled, sold, and new saplings are planted. DAF can therefore significantly increase the incomes and living standards of farmers while at the same time addressing social problems such as exploitative child labour practices, malnutrition or migration to the cities. Nature is a beneficiary too: with DAF, cleared areas of land are being reforested. Biodiversity in the plantations is enhanced, and the insects and other animals that are vital for pollination return. The hardwood trees planted act as a natural defense against erosion while also increasing the soil's water storage capacity.
Moreover, the trees on the DAF plots bind CO₂, thereby helping to protect the climate. The productivity of these diverse cocoa agroforestry systems is increasing and remains high in the long term. This means that cocoa farmers do not have to clear new sections of forest in order to set up additional cocoa plantations and maintain their cocoa production at a steady level. Dynamic agroforestry therefore makes a significant contribution to forest protection.
In order for the farmers to fully realize the DAF potential, they need specialized expertise. That is why HALBA’s DAF projects are planned for multiple years, and selected farmers are intensively trained in the methods of agroforestry. Within this context, HALBA draws on the extensive know-how of its consultancy partner Ecotop. The trained farmers can then become trainers themselves, passing on their knowledge to other farmers around them. In a DAF project, they receive the required plant material for their plots for free. This includes seedlings for cocoa trees, high-grade timber trees and fruit trees plus seeds for staple foods. In addition, they receive tools and technical support for the professional care and management of the cultivated areas. In this way, this enables them to take ownership of the local projects in the long term and contribute significantly to the creation of new jobs and thus to rural development.
HALBA is implementing DAF projects in Ecuador, Ghana, Honduras, Peru, the Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. They are run and co-funded in collaboration with partners organizations. Our goal is to increase the amount of cocoa beans grown from DAF continuously and, by doing so, make a contribution to ecological and social sustainability.
Dynamic agroforestry is not only limited to cocoa. In our supply chains, this approach to mixed cultivation has also proven a successful and sustainable method of growing cashews and mangoes in Burkina Faso and coconut trees in Ivory Coast. We have also evaluated this approach in temperate zones for the cultivation of hazelnuts and berries and would like to implement it there in the future. We are planning to create pilot plots in Eastern Europe, consisting of hazelnut trees combined with other plants, such as fruit trees, berries or herbs.
