The ageing fruit trees that are planted in agroforestry systems with cocoa or coffee in Cameroon need to be replaced, according to a study by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

An article in TradingCharts.Com reports on the benefits these trees provide, including boosting production and farmer income. The fruit trees were introduced into cocoa and coffee plantations in the central and south Cameroon in the mid-1980s and 1990s when the price of major export crops dropped.

Agroforestry systems, such as these, help reduce land degradation and provide beneficial shade to cocoa plants, while playing an important role in stocking carbon and mitigating climate change. The trees can also give farmers - who generally have limited land - an alternative source of income.

According to the FAO report, “global agroforestry sector is a significant source of local commodities such as timber and fruit, as well as global ones, such as coffee, tea and rubber”. It recommends policies to further promote agroforestry such as reforming unfavourable regulations in forestry, agricultural and rural codes and clarifying land-use regulations.

Read the full story: DJ FAO Urges Cameroon to Renew Fruit Trees to Keep Cocoa, Coffee Benefits