How Agroforestry Delivers Climate Impact When Design Meets Farmer-Centred Practice

Gusi Ayu Putri Chandrika Sari
2 hours ago
6 min read

Editor’s Note:

Agroforestry is often promoted as a climate solution, but too often it is implemented without sufficient attention to farmer realities, local context, or long-term support. This article was developed to challenge that gap, highlighting how farmer-centred design and capacity building turn agroforestry from an abstract concept into a scalable, measurable climate intervention.

Executive Summary:

Agroforestry delivers climate and livelihood benefits when systems are farmer-centred and locally adapted. The article outlines core design principles—farmer-centred planning, adaptation to local agroecological conditions, and ecological synergy—that determine whether agroforestry systems are practical, adoptable, and resilient.
Capacity building is the bridge from design to adoption. Through Farmer Field Schools, on-farm coaching, and participatory learning, producers build the technical, financial, and management skills needed to establish, manage, and sustain diversified agroforestry systems.
Demonstration plots in Aceh show how training translates into measurable outcomes. The case study illustrates how regenerative cocoa agroforestry demo plots, continuous monitoring, and gender-inclusive participation support system adoption, improve resilience, and lay the groundwork for deforestation-free supply chains.

Agroforestry is rapidly emerging as one of the most powerful natural climate solutions, yet it remains underutilized across global food systems. A recent review published in Nature Climate Change identifies agroforestry, the intentional integration of trees into agricultural landscapes, as a high-potential yet underrecognized natural climate solution. The study finds that the climate-mitigation potential of agroforestry is comparable to that of more established strategies such as reforestation, positioning it among the most significant contributions agriculture can make toward global climate goals (Nature Climate Change, 2022). Beyond its climate mitigation potential, agroforestry offers multiple co-benefits. It can:

boost crop yields
diversify farm incomes
enhance the sustainability and climate resilience of food production systems
foster biodiversity
protect both people and livestock from extreme heat and other weather events.
restore soil quality and protect it from erosion, maintain soil moisture, suppress weed growth, and increase soil organic matter

At Koltiva, we see agroforestry not only as an environmental solution but as a farmer‑centred transformation focus. When designed with producers, adapted to local realities, and paired with long‑term capacity building, agroforestry becomes a catalyst for resilient livelihoods and deforestation‑free supply chains.

This blog explores the principles that make agroforestry successful, the capacity‑building approach Koltiva delivers globally, and a real-world case study from Aceh where regenerative agroforestry is already transforming cocoa landscapes.

Understanding Agroforestry: Key Principles of Agroforestry Design

Agroforestry is a transformative approach to sustainable farming, integrating trees, crops, and livestock to enhance productivity and resilience. According to CIFOR-ICRAF, effective agroforestry systems are built on the following key principles (CIFOR-ICRAF, 2022):

Farmer-Centered Design
The most impactful agroforestry systems are those built around the needs, aspirations, and constraints of producers. Agroforestry interventions should align with the producers’ goals, priorities, and aspirations of farming families to ensure practical and lasting outcomes. This begins with deeply understanding how farmers work, what they value, and what results they aim to achieve. By placing producers at the heart of decision‑making, agroforestry becomes not only technically sound but genuinely adoptable, ensuring long-term success and meaningful, real‑world impact.
Adaptation to Local Context
Designing agroforestry projects is never a one‑size‑fits‑all exercise. Every agroforestry system must be tailored to its specific environment, where models cannot simply be copied from one farm to another without considering each farm’s unique characteristics. Effective agroforestry design must reflect local agroecological conditions, producer capacity, available resources, and local knowledge, while meeting producers’ expectations. By grounding each design in these site‑specific factors, agroforestry systems are able to thrive under real‑world conditions rather than idealized assumptions.
Synergy
Agroforestry thrives on diversity. By integrating diverse species, agroforestry systems generate multiple income streams while improving biodiversity, soil fertility, climate resilience, and ecosystem services such as pollination and shade. Importantly, synergy can be achieved even in simpler agroforestry systems where one or a few crops remain dominant and trees or livestock are added to provide additional products, income, and ecological benefits for the household.

This diversified system strengthens ecological health while supporting long-term productivity. But the success of agroforestry depends on thoughtful system design, an area where Koltiva brings deep expertise.

Building Agroforestry Capacity at the Farm Level

Adopting agroforestry is a journey, one that requires knowledge, confidence, and sustained technical support. At Koltiva, we accelerate this and support agribusinesses through a powerful combination of dynamic group-based training (Farmer Field School) and personalized coaching that strengthen producers’ technical and entrepreneurial capacities. Guided by our field agents, producers are supported to adopt agroforestry practices through:

Understanding agroforestry as a smart climate farming approach for both mitigation and adaptation
Exploring agroforestry diversification concepts, including species selection and farm design
Acquiring step-by-step knowledge to establish and manage diversified agroforestry systems sustainably
Strengthening resilience through financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and enterprise diversification

Training sessions emphasize participatory learning, encouraging producers to actively engage in collaborative discussions. Insights drawn from their lived experience play a critical role in shaping agroforestry layouts tailored to individual farm contexts and needs.

“Agroforestry represents an important approach for both climate change adaptation and mitigation, providing benefits to crop resilience while also offering opportunities to enhance household income for those who steward the land. Through field-based training, we equip producers and field agents to become long-term stewards of both their farms and the landscape” — Amarilis Setyanti Putri, Agronomist Lead, Koltiva

From Training to Measurable Outcomes

Our commitment extends beyond capacity building, as we consistently share comprehensive reports with agribusiness. Supported by the KoltiTrace MIS Event Management Dashboard feature, our rigorous monitoring process ensures the effectiveness of our training initiatives. Tracking fully trained producers monthly and overall session participation is integral to the success of our program. Qualitative triumphs are showcased through impactful success stories, reflecting the transformative journeys of our participants.

Agribusiness partners receive detailed reporting on:

Number of registered and trained producers
Number of coaching session & topics
Number of female participants
Field activity progress

In our pursuit of excellence, we initiated a survey at the project's start, with a follow-up planned, demonstrating our enduring commitment to positive change. Insights gathered from our producer feedback survey further enhance our ongoing refinement efforts.

Case Study: Demonstration Plots & Regenerative Agroforestry in Aceh, Indonesia

In Aceh, Indonesia, Koltiva established ten regenerative agroforestry demonstration (demo) plots within the Leuser buffer zone to translate theory into practice. Designed as living classrooms, each 2,500 m² plot integrates cacao with carefully selected shade and intercrop species, allowing producers to observe side-grafting techniques, apply Good Agricultural Practices, and adapt agroforestry designs to local conditions.

Weekly monitoring by Koltiva’s field staff ensures timely technical guidance, particularly around clone compatibility, an often overlooked factor that can determine whether yields peak or collapse after year eight. These plots form the backbone of the Diversified Cocoa Agroforestry (DCA) model, which replaces extractive monoculture systems with diversified plantings that restore soil health, enhance biodiversity, and distribute economic risk across multiple crops.

KOLTIVA and local producers planting hope through agroforestry; right: a cacao farm already implementing shade-grown agroforestry—toward a more sustainable and productive future

To understand baseline conditions, Koltiva conducted a regenerative agriculture survey across cocoa farms in the area, revealing an average RegenAg score of 52 out of 100. This finding informed a targeted training program combining DCA design, regenerative practices, and farm-level financial planning. By June 2025, the initiative had reached 403 producers, advising on planting schemes of 600 cocoa seedlings and 200 shade trees per hectare, with women representing 30 percent of participants.

Beyond individual farms, the demo plots are expected to generate a ripple effect as host producers share both successes and lessons learned with neighbouring communities, gradually shifting local production systems toward more resilient, climate-aligned landscapes.

The group training process took place in a model cocoa farm (demofarm) and was attended by producers from Lawe Kulok village. The session highlighted the active participation of women producers, who presented their farm designs using the DCA (Diversified Cocoa Agroforestry) model mock-ups.

Moving from Insight to Action

Agroforestry will only deliver on its climate promise if it is translated into context-specific practice, supported by long-term capacity building and measurable outcomes. This is where agribusinesses, policymakers, and supply-chain leaders have a decisive role to play.

By investing in farmer-centred training, regenerative agroforestry design, and continuous monitoring, stakeholders can:

Invest in farmer-centred agroforestry capacity building
Implement context-adapted regenerative designs
Track climate, livelihood, and biodiversity outcomes
Accelerate progress toward deforestation-free, climate-aligned supply chains

Koltiva stands ready to support every step, designing, implementing, and verifying agroforestry interventions that strengthen landscapes and livelihoods.

Conclusion: Agroforestry as a Pathway to a Regenerative Future

Agroforestry offers one of the most scalable, impactful pathways for climate mitigation, biodiversity conservation, and livelihood resilience. But unlocking its full potential requires more than planting trees—it requires farmers at the centre, science-informed design, and sustained support.

Koltiva is committed to leading this transformation. Through rigorous training, measurable impact tracking, and on‑the‑ground demonstrations like those in Aceh, we help producers and partners transition toward regenerative, climate-smart agriculture.

Ready to bring agroforestry to your supply chain? Contact Koltiva today to collaborate on regenerative solutions that deliver real climate impact and empower farming communities.

Resources:

Hart, D. E., Yeo, S., Almaraz, M., Beillouin, D., Cardinael, R., Garcia, E., Kay, S., Lovell, S. T., Rosenstock, T. S., Sprenkle-Hyppolite, S., & Stolle, F. (2023). Priority science can accelerate agroforestry as a natural climate solution. Nature Climate Change, 13, 1179–1190. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01810-5
Gassner, A., & Dobie, P. (2022). Agroforestry: A primer – Design and management principles for people and the environment. World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF). https://doi.org/10.5716/cifor-icraf/bk.25114