Evaluating the economic impact of agroforestry on cocoa production: Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire

Evaluating the economic impact of agroforestry on cocoa production: Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Evaluating the economic impact of agroforestry on cocoa production: Evidence from Côte d'Ivoire N'Golo Konaté, Auguste K. Kouakou, Yaya Ouattara, Kouakou Kouassi Apollinaire, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9220341/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Côte d'Ivoire, the leading cocoa producer in the world, faces increasing challenges concerning the sustainability of its cocoa farming. Agroforestry is frequently proposed as a viable option to harmonize agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, limited empirical research has quantified its true economic impacts inside the Ivorian environment. This study aims to assess the influence of agroforestry on cocoa yields and agricultural income in Côte d’Ivoire. Primary data were collected from 228 cocoa producers across three major production zones (Bonon, Soubré, and Biankouma). To address observable and unobservable selection bias, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) models were applied. These complementary approaches allow for robust causal inference regarding the effects of agroforestry compared to full-sun systems. The findings indicate that agroforestry substantially enhances agricultural income and productivity. The PSM estimates show an average yield increase of 116.68 kg/ha (approximately 22%) and an income gain of 128,341 FCFA/ha (around 25%) relative to full-sun systems. The ESR model confirms positive causal effects, revealing yield gains of 90.87 kg/ha (up to 36%) and income increases of 66,396 FCFA/ha (approximately 23%). Overall, agroforestry enhances the economic performance of cocoa farming systems. This study offers robust empirical evidence supporting agroforestry as a mechanism for the sustainable enhancement of cocoa producers' performance in Côte d'Ivoire. Agricultural Economics and Policy Agroecology Environmental Economics Agroforestry Cocoa Income Yield Côte d'Ivoire full-sun systems Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9220341","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":611881273,"identity":"430bf6cd-b3c7-4617-9966-790ea254a856","order_by":0,"name":"N'Golo Konaté","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA90lEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACCQj1H4iZGxg+ACk2dmK0HGBgBpKMDYwzQFqYSdHCzAPiEdIi2d578POHCrY8effGxsc2v7bJ8zEzMH74mINbizTPuWSJA2d4ig3PHGw2zu27bdjGzMAsOXMbbi1yEjkGEgfbJBI3zkhsk87tuc0I1MLGzItfi/GPg/8MIFose27bE9QiLZFjJnGwISFxvgRQC8OP24kEtUj2nDGzOHPsQOIGnoPNhr0Nt5PbmBmb8fpF4niP8Y2KmgOJ89ubDz748ee2LYjx4SMeLXBgcABIMLaBmIwNRKgHAnmwuj/EKR4Fo2AUjIKRBQDIClREmY4/hwAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0009-0008-8485-8528","institution":"Jean Lorougnon Guédé University","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"N'Golo","middleName":"","lastName":"Konaté","suffix":""},{"id":611881274,"identity":"434a82b4-2134-4e7d-bd6b-7ab36b823ccd","order_by":1,"name":"Auguste K. 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Agroforestry is frequently proposed as a viable option to harmonize agricultural productivity with environmental sustainability. Nevertheless, limited empirical research has quantified its true economic impacts inside the Ivorian environment.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study aims to assess the influence of agroforestry on cocoa yields and agricultural income in C\u0026ocirc;te d\u0026rsquo;Ivoire. Primary data were collected from 228 cocoa producers across three major production zones (Bonon, Soubr\u0026eacute;, and Biankouma). To address observable and unobservable selection bias, Propensity Score Matching (PSM) and Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) models were applied. These complementary approaches allow for robust causal inference regarding the effects of agroforestry compared to full-sun systems. The findings indicate that agroforestry substantially enhances agricultural income and productivity. 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