Smallholder Cacao (Theobroma cacao Linn.) cultivation in agroforestry systems of West and Central Africa: challenges and opportunities

The cultural features, management practice, environmental sustainability, a nd economic profitability of smallholder cacao (Theobroma cacao) production in West and Central Africa are reviewed. The aim is to highlight factors a ffecting the cacao production and marketing sector and to propose appropria te strategies to ensure sustainable and profitable cacao production in the region. The cacao cultivation system causes minimum damage to soil resource s. In terms of carbon sequestration and below- and above-ground bio-diversi ty, the cacao agroforest is superior to the alternative food crop productio n land use. The food crop production system is based on the practice of sla sh-and-burn farming, which, due to population pressure and reduced fallow c ycle, is no longer sustainable. Economic profitability analysis of this sys tem in Cameroon showed that, at current prices, even with no value assigned to the tree species, the sector could still be profitable. Based on the cu rrent review and our knowledge of West and Central Africa, there is an urge nt need to: (a) rationalize and optimize arrangement of the various compone nts in cacao agroforest, (b) domesticate high value and shade tolerant indi genous species such as Gnetum africanum and integrate into the system in or der to enhance the system's diversity and profitability, (c) develop shade- tolerant and disease-resistant cacao varieties, (d) integrate small-stock p roduction into the system, and (e) develop an enabling policy environment a ddressing cacao marketing, plant protection, land tenure and transformation of non-cacao primary products from the cacao agroforests.