Adaptation strategies of cocoa producers in the face of forest rarefaction in the Sub-Prefecture of Bonon (West-Central Côte d'Ivoire)

Abstract

Côte d'Ivoire is the world's largest producer of cocoa beans. However, cocoa is cultivated on forest precedent, resulting in a drastic  reduction in forest reserves. Faced with land scarcity and falling productivity farmers have developed adaptation strategiesThis work was  carried out in order to determine the adaptation strategies of cocoa farmers in the face of forest scarcity in the Bonon Sub-prefecture. To  achieve this, a Landsat 2021 satellite image with 30 m resolution was used, followed by field visits to verify land-use classes and enable the land-use map to be produced. In addition, a questionnaire survey was carried out to determine farmers' strategies. The results  showed that the study area is made up of 4 land-use classes. The main reasons given by Bonon growers for the scarcity of forests were  agricultural activities and population growth. To cope with these constraints, farmers have developed strategies such as replanting cocoa  trees, switching to other crops and diversifying their sources of income. As a result of this work, it can be recommended that farmers  adopt cocoabased agroforestry to ensure the sustainability of cocoa farming in Côte d'Ivoire.