Agroecological Transition of Conilon Coffee (Coffea canephora) Agroforestry Systems in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil

Abstract

Coffee is a very important product in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil, and most of it is planted as unshaded coffee monocultures, with few growers managing shaded coffee agroforestry systems (AFS). To analyze the opportunities and challenges associated with coffee agroforestry management, we conducted 58 semistructured interviews with coffee growers. In addition, we conducted a field investigation that tested production of Coffea canephora with the shade trees Australian Cedar (Toona ciliata), Jequitibá (Cariniana legalis), and Teak (Tectona grandis). Of the 58 interviewed farmers, 64% (37) were satisfied with the AFS. One of the main factors that caused satisfaction was obtaining income from sources other than coffee. Unsatisfied farmers mentioned the competition between shade trees and coffee shrubs. Cedar was the shade tree that grew most and reduced coffee production, while the combination with Jequitibá maintained more stable yields. We conclude that the higher the growth rate of trees, the higher the negative impact on the coffee production in the study areas.

Keywords:

• perception
• family farms
• competition
• agroecology
• livelihood
• coffee agroforestry

Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the farmers that provided information about their farm, especially to the Dalvi family who allowed for the installation of the investigation with coffee trees on their land; to their extensionist colleagues of the institute that helped obtain information; to the Investigation Foundation of Espírito Santo (Fapes) for the scholarship; to the Consórcio Brasileiro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento do Café for the agreement on the investigation on the coffee plantations.