Valuation of Cocoa Agroforestry Ecosystem Services: Impacts on Biodiversity and Farmer Income

This scientific article estimates the economic value of non-market ecosystem services provided by cocoa agroforestry systems and analyzes their relationship with biodiversity and smallholder income. Conducted in two cocoa landscapes in Sumatra, Indonesia, the study combined a biodiversity inventory (shade plants, birds, ants) in high- and low-shade plots, a participatory survey of 120 farmers, and the Contingent Valuation Method to estimate willingness to pay for shade-tree scenarios, alongside a trade-off analysis of ecological indicators (species richness, carbon) against economic ones (20-year NPV).Farmers reported a willingness to pay of IDR 1.3–3.0 million per hectare per year to maintain shade trees — roughly 8% of annual income, equivalent to about USD 164/ha/year in non-market services. High-shade plots showed a species richness index 20–30% higher than monoculture (12 shade-tree species versus 2). Bean yields under moderate shade (40–50%) were only about 10% lower than in monoculture, while total income was higher thanks to by-products such as fruit, firewood, and timber. Removing shade raised cocoa yields by 40% but cut carbon stocks by 75% and forest species by up to 60%, leading the author to identify roughly 30% shade as a balance point. Policy recommendations centre on payments for ecosystem services, a "shade cocoa" premium scheme, and technical assistance to guide moderate rather than zero-shade intensification.