<<< Impact Areas
The Challenge
Many frontier areas in the forested tropics are experiencing rapid expansion of plantations for agrocommodities such as palm oil, soy, coffee, cocoa and timber leading to deforestation and reduced landscape diversity.
Our Goal
By 2030, our goal is to reverse the trend by promoting sustainable production models that support smallholders rather than driving deforestation.
Our Work
We collaborate with local actors to design and adopt diversified production systems, empowering communities to shift away from unsustainable practices.
- Systems co-design and optimization: To enable local communities and smallholders to embrace diversified production systems while increasing their awareness and capacities.
- Collaboration and knowledge exchange: We collaborate with local, national, and international actors to promote zero-deforestation commitments and the broader adoption of diversified production systems.
- Market access: To increase the economic viability of smallholders, together with small and medium enterprises (SMEs) we create access to (new) markets and reward alternative products and benefits of diversified production systems.
Contact
To learn more about our initiatives or to collaborate with us, please contact Jinke van Dam, Lead on Diversified Production Systems at jinke.vandam@tropenbos.org
News and blogsShow more
The positive economic and environmental effects of coffee agroforestry in Viet Nam
Until recently little was known about how growing trees in coffee plantations in Viet Nam might affect the economic and environmental performance of the plantations. In 2023, however, TBI, together with Tây Nguyên University and experts from the Dutch start-up, FarmTree BV, used the Farm Tree tool to estimate the costs and benefits of three agroforestry farms.
Cocoa agroforestry in West Africa - experiences from the private sector and opportunities for collaborative action
Despite efforts to promote agroforestry in the cocoa sector in West Africa, farmers have been slow to adopt it. In light of its benefits — sustainability, increased resilience of farmer livelihoods, and contribution to climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation — several private companies have committed to promoting agroforestry in the cocoa sector.
Scaling Agroforestry in Indonesia
This article emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts to scale and promote agroforestry practices in Indonesia. It presents a policy brief that highlights promising solution pathways to overcome the challenges and seize the benefits, inviting stakeholders to contribute to and unlock the full potential of agroforestry, ultimately benefiting communities and ecosystems across Indonesia.
Advancing coffee agroforestry in Viet Nam’s national Payments for Environmental Services (PES) policies
In Dak Lak, Viet Nam, within the context of the Working Landscapes programme funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Tropenbos Viet Nam and Tropenbos International have collaborated with FarmTree and Tây Nguyên University (TNU) to offer scientific evidence on the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of coffee agroforestry systems versus conventional monocrop systems. This valuable information is a stepping stone for Tropenbos Viet Nam to engage with relevant stakeholders and policymakers, aiming to integrate agroforestry into the national Payments for Environmental Services (PES) policies.
Promising outcomes in the revitalisation of rubber agroforests in West Kalimantan, Indonesia
Tropenbos Indonesia’s initiatives in the Simpang Dua subdistrict are yielding promising outcomes for indigenous farmers. Through strategic training and collaboration, farmers are enhancing the quality of their rubber produce, resulting in increased remuneration. Additionally, as part of MoMo4C, the careful management of their agroforests is fostering diversified income streams, which is expected to act as a safeguard for farmers during periods of low rubber prices.
Tropical Forest Issues 62 is available
Why do many farmers still resist adopting and scaling agroforestry? Are the economic benefits not enough, or not perceived to be enough? Or are there other reasons? These are the questions that were asked when work began on Tropical Forest Issues 62.
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Latest resourcesShow more
VideosShow more
Village forest and oil palm: friend or foe?
In this short video we present how the villagers of Laman Satong in West Kalimantan prevented their forest from being converted into an oil palm plantation by applying for a village forest permit. But they did not ban oil palm completely.
The impact of oil palm growing on land use and food security in Kalangala district
Before the advent of oil palm plantations in Kalangala islands on Lake Victoria, subsistence agriculture and fishing were the dominant economic activities. However, oil palm plantation monoculture is now the leading economic activity and has resulted in vegetation and land use changes. The oil palm plantations came with many wide ranging negative impacts from deforestation, land grabbing, shift in the agricultural systems, food insecurity to loss of livelihoods among others. This video highlights lessons from Kalangala to raise awareness of the negative impacts of oil palm plantations, so that investors and communities make better informed decisions in the future.