The Embedded Agroecology of Coffee Agroforestry: A Contextualized Review of Smallholder Farmers’ Adoption and Resistance

Abstract

Contemporary ecology and agronomy point to the many benefits of agroforestry crop systems for the provision of ecosystem services by regenerating native ecologies, and in many contexts, socio-economic benefits for coffee farmers, especially the contribution of nitrogen-fixing trees’ litter to soil nutrition and water retention. However, the implementation of agroforestry in coffee cultivation is thus far incomplete and uptake has been uneven. In this paper, we examine the adoption and non-adoption of agroforestry coffee growing techniques as a reflection of the historical, social and cultural embeddedness of smallholder coffee cultivation. It is structured as a narrative literature review contextualized with the results of surveys of smallholder coffee farmers in Colombia, Malawi and Uganda regarding their perceptions of agroforestry coffee in their respective contexts. Findings suggest that coffee farmers’ perceptions of agroforestry and the decision to implement or remove it are influenced by factors included in the notion of embeddedness, involving social relations, historical memory and formal and informal institutions, as well as practical capabilities. Intention and action are sometimes discordant due to the complex interactions of these institutional factors, and they often conflict with outside interveners’ expectations based on epistemological differences. The study illuminates some of the main sources, manifestations and dimensions of the social embeddedness of agricultural practices which mediate the perception of current practices, the sacrifice implied by potential changes, the credibility of theories linking action with outcome and the desirability of expected outcomes.

Organic amendment composition and sowing depth in coffee Arabica: Effects on seedling growth biometrics

“…This study's outcome also agreed with several other research outputs [ 2 , 4 , 5 , 32 , 34 , [44] , [45] , [46] , [47] , [48] , [49] ] who generally and concisely reported that taller plant heights were observed when grown using organic amendments such as forest soil, decomposed coffee husk, farmyard manure, vermicompost, animal and plant biochar etc. This could be because of a huge amount of organic matter and total nitrogen present [ 15 , 17 , 19 , 50 ] which enhance the capacity to easily uptake nutrients [ 42 , 51 ], maintain soil moisture and enhance soil fertility [ 52 , 53 ] that ultimately improves growth media porosity, aeration and water retention capacity [ 54 ].…”

“…Coffee is cultivated in more than 60 countries located in tropical and subtropical regions of the world [ 1 ]. Its agro-ecosystems support millions of farmers through income-generating and offering environmental services [ [2] , [3] , [4] , [5] , [6] ]. Coffee is one of the main crops grown in countries such as Brazil, Vietnam, Colombia, Indonesia, and Ethiopia [ 7 , 8 ].…”

Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol: Implications and Compliance Strategies for the Global Coffee Community

“…The coffee sector is facing challenges, including climate change [9][10][11][12][13], which has been well-documented [9,14,15]. Farming systems are already transitioning towards agroforestry [16][17][18][19], but a significant part of the solution will undoubtedly be genetic [20][21][22]. Coffea arabica is one of the most genetically narrow cultivated species [23,24], primarily due to drastic bottlenecks during its evolution [25,26].…”

COVID-19 and its impact on biodiversity in coffee farms in the Andean landscape

“…Coffee is a product that is in much demand in different countries and is the most consumed beverage, surpassing tea and other popular drinks like beer (Olajire 2020). Coffee cultivation has evolved, embracing a wide range of species of forests (Wienhold and Goulao 2023), vegetables (Osorio-Velásquez and Pombo 2019), and animals (De Leijster et al 2021). Moreover, coffee plantations with agroforestry systems have become more prevalent and representative of the industry (Wienhold and Goulao 2023).…”

“…Coffee cultivation has evolved, embracing a wide range of species of forests (Wienhold and Goulao 2023), vegetables (Osorio-Velásquez and Pombo 2019), and animals (De Leijster et al 2021). Moreover, coffee plantations with agroforestry systems have become more prevalent and representative of the industry (Wienhold and Goulao 2023). This approach fosters a symbiotic relationship between coffee crops and surrounding vegetation, enhancing sustainability and ecological bene ts (Siles et al 2022).…”