Agroforestry for improved food security: A case study in a cocoa-producing zone in Côte d'Ivoire

Food security is a pressing issue in tropical regions, where cash crop cultivation often competes with food crop production. This study evaluates the potential of agroforestry to enhance food security in a cocoa-producing zone in Côte d'Ivoire. A comprehensive survey identified commonly consumed foods, including pounded yam with okra sauce, rice with peanut sauce, rice with eggplant sauce, boiled yam with taro sauce, placali with palm fruit sauce, avocado, and guava. Analyses revealed varying characteristics among the foods, with pounded yam and okra sauce having the highest dry matter content (94.66%) and guava and placali with palm nut sauce exhibiting acidic pH values (4.13 and 4.61). Rice with eggplant sauce displayed the lowest titratable acidity, while avocado had the highest ash content. Rice with eggplant sauce and rice with peanut sauce were protein-rich, while guava, pounded yam with okra sauce, and rice with peanut sauce had low lipid content. Conversely, avocado, placali with palm fruit sauce, and boiled yam with taro leaves contained high lipid levels. All foods, except fruits, provided more than the recommended daily energy intake. Additionally, cocoa producers exhibited higher levels of food security (78.6%) and better food consumption scores (87.5%) compared to non-cocoa producers (82.5%).