Carbon storage in coffee agroforestry systems: A bibliometric analysis and meta-analysis

This study combines a bibliometric analysis and a meta-analysis of carbon storage in coffee agroforestry systems (CAFS) using 84 publications indexed in Scopus and Web of Science for the period 2006–2022. The authors document an exponential growth trend in scientific production on the topic, with the United States, Brazil, and Mexico having the most publications, and Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Mexico having the most field studies. Institutions such as CIRAD, CGIAR, and the Autonomous University of Chapingo stand out as the most productive, and the predominant research areas are environmental science, forestry, and ecology. The meta-analysis estimates a total mean carbon content of 178.9 ± 36.6 MgC ha⁻¹, with soil organic carbon being the largest reservoir (105.4 ± 48.0 MgC ha⁻¹), followed by aboveground carbon in trees. One hundred and fifty-six multipurpose perennial species were identified in the shaded layer, with the genera Albizia, Cordia, Erythrina, Ficus, Inga, Musa, Persea, and Terminalia being the most representative. Coffee-growing forests (CAFS) store more carbon than full-sun systems, although with considerable variability depending on tree density, age, and type, climate, management practices, and soil properties. The authors point out research gaps regarding the economic benefits and carbon markets, the relationship with soil microbiota, and the impact of climate change on carbon stocks, and link the topic to policy instruments such as the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda, the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) for coffee, and the European Union's deforestation-free product regulation (EUDR).