The Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) cultivation method is based on the knowledge of the indigenous peoples of Latin America and combines many elements of regenerative agriculture or permaculture. Plants are cultivated at different levels (shrubs, half-standards, etc.) within the forest, and various local tree species are planted: useful plants, biomass trees, shade trees, and so on. A primary goal is to produce a large amount of biomass to improve soil quality. Therefore, not only cacao is cultivated, but also other tree and plant species such as cashew, mango, pineapple, etc., which can be processed by Fairafric. The production of biomass sequesters a significant amount of CO2 in the long term—considerably more than is emitted in Fairafric's entire value chain.

Cocoa is one of the most important cash crops in West Africa. Due to a lack of alternatives and to generate income for the family, land is often cleared and then planted with as many cocoa trees as possible. After a few years of intensive cultivation, the soil's nutrient reserves are depleted, necessitating the heavy use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides. In Ghana, conventional cocoa farming is responsible for the deforestation of 25% of the rainforest.

The deforestation of rainforests releases large amounts of CO2. Furthermore, the cultivation of monocultures and the massive use of pesticides degrade soil quality, leading to a reduced capacity for water and carbon sequestration.

Advancing climate change, in turn, leads to significantly altered weather conditions and an increase in climate disasters. As conventionally grown cocoa trees show significantly lower resilience, harvest failures are already occurring for conventional cocoa, while yields from regenerative farming methods like DAF are barely affected because the plants are healthier and exhibit high resilience.

The cacao tree is a shade-loving plant. This means that the cacao tree needs larger trees (e.g., palms) above it to shade it and help it grow and thrive optimally. At DAF, therefore, care is taken to ensure that the trees and plants next to the cacao trees provide sufficient shade and supply the nutrients the cacao tree needs. A wide variety of plants is necessary for this symbiosis. This symbiosis promotes biodiversity, increases the yield per tree, improves soil fertility and water retention capacity, and the biomass trees actively store CO2 in the soil.

The non-profit ECOTOP Foundation has produced a study to calculate how much CO₂ can be sequestered in the soil using this cultivation method. According to the study, approximately 1,000 tons of CO₂ can be sequestered in the soil on 167 hectares of DAF (approx. 100 tons of organic cocoa). Based on calculations by fairafric, this is many times more than the emissions of the entire fairafric supply chain.

1. Higher Cocoa Premium
In addition to the highest organic premium ($792/tonne) in West Africa, fairafric pays farmers a climate premium of $250/tonne. For each tonne of organic cocoa from DAF, cocoa families therefore receive $1,042. This is many times the regular organic premium ($300/tonne) or other certifications such as Fairtrade ($240/tonne).

2. Diversification of Income
Cultivating multiple crops helps diversify income and allows for earnings even outside the cocoa harvest season.

3. Better Soil Quality & Resilience to Climate Change
By improving soil fertility and leveraging other benefits of DAF for the soil, plants become significantly stronger and more resistant to environmental influences. Additionally, soil quality enhances the quality and yield of the fruits. This enables long-term and sustainable natural management of the land.

With our new Visitor Center, we also want to give our customers the opportunity to gain a deep insight into our operations. The factory tour will be combined with a visit to our farmer communities, all in one day! Unique in the world!