Navigating the Transition from Monoculture in the Coffee Sector: Challenges and Strategies in Adopting Agroforestry and Syntropic Practices

Climate change is increasingly affecting coffee farming: Extreme weather events, water shortages, and rising temperatures are threatening both quality and production, and thus the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their families. In addition, the monoculture cultivation of coffee, which was originally grown in the forest, harms the environment. Large areas of forest are cleared for cultivation, exacerbating climate change, soil degradation, and water scarcity. In sun-exposed monocultures, coffee is also less resilient to climatic changes than in its original shaded environment: Due to higher temperatures, heavy rainfall and a lack of biodiversity, it is more vulnerable to pests and diseases. To maintain yields, farmers often use pesticides, fungicides and chemical fertilizers, further depleting soil and microbial diversity.

The consequences are serious, with systemic shocks to the coffee sector on the rise and predictions that half of the world’s land suitable for coffee cultivation could be lost by 2050. Urgent action is needed: Only healthy production systems will enable coffee farmers to continue to produce good coffee in the future.

Agroforestry systems can take various forms: Some consist of loosely scattered shade trees, while others include grasses, crops, shade trees, and bushes, imitating natural forest systems. The most pronounced form is syntropic agriculture – “to emphasize the synergies between the various components”, explains Lima de Miranda. It goes back to Ernst Götsch, who experimented with agriculture as a closed system that works without external inputs such as fertilizer or pesticides, instead allowing plants to protect each other and provide each other with the nutrients they need. For example, grasses cool the soil, suppress weeds and prevent erosion; fast-growing mahogany trees provide shade and organic matter; and beans fix nitrogen and provide nutrients to young coffee trees. “In syntropic agriculture, every plant has a role”, explains Silvia Torres, Project Coordinator at HRNS do Brazil. Unlike ‘simple agroforestry’, syntropic agriculture involves growing plants at different heights (stratification) and according to their ecological lifespan (succession), creating a stable ecosystem that requires minimal human intervention. “An important element of syntropic agriculture, however, is the management of shade”, highlights Christina Singh from the Danish start-up GrowGrounds: Before the coffee flowers, shade trees are drastically pruned (pollarded) to give the coffee flowers enough light to develop, while still providing enough shade to protect them from dehydration and UV light afterwards. Despite the generally very high density of shade trees in syntropic farming, this careful balance prevents excessive shading, which can threaten coffee yields. The pruned wood is either shredded for organic matter or sold.

Unlike ‘simple agroforestry’, syntropic agriculture involves growing plants at different heights (stratification) and according to their ecological lifespan (succession), creating a stable ecosystem that requires minimal human intervention. “An important element of syntropic agriculture, however, is the management of shade”, highlights Christina Singh from the Danish start-up GrowGrounds: Before the coffee flowers, shade trees are drastically pruned (pollarded) to give the coffee flowers enough light to develop, while still providing enough shade to protect them from dehydration and UV light afterwards. Despite the generally very high density of shade trees in syntropic farming, this careful balance prevents excessive shading, which can threaten coffee yields. The pruned wood is either shredded for organic matter or sold.

In a pilot project in Minas Gerais, Brazil, HRNS is collaborating with GrowGrounds and Forests4Farming to convert up to 500 hectares of coffee monocultures into agroforestry based on syntropic farming principles. As a first step, starting in September 2024, four trial plots were established together with four lead farmers, creating models that can be replicated on other farms. In addition, a cohort of 50 coffee farmers is being trained in syntropic farming to foster interest and commitment.

The first challenge in adopting agroforestry and syntropic agriculture is that these systems are not widely known among farmers. Even those familiar with the concepts often lack the knowledge to begin the transition. “This is where projects like the one in Minas Gerais come in, making a difference by providing training and support”, says Singh.

While many farmers recognize the need for change, others are skeptical about new methods. “Before taking the risk of converting, they want to see if and how agroforestry works”, says Torres. Addressing farmers’ concerns and clearly explaining the benefits of syntropic farming is therefore crucial in training. “For example, some farmers have had bad experiences with shade trees, but proper pruning and selection of species can mitigate these issues”, Torres notes. Additionally, interest in planting ‘Inga’ has grown as farmers have learned that it produces nectar that attracts natural predators of a common coffee pest in Brazil, reports Torres. A major advantage of syntropic agriculture in this respect is its flexibility: For example, cautious farmers can start by growing grasses and then gradually integrate other crops.

A reliable, profitable business case is essential for farmers to transition from monoculture to agroforestry – preferably from the outset.

First of all, transformation requires investment: Agroforestry needs to be customized, and seeds or seedlings need to be bought and planted. Supporting farmers in these initial steps and covering up-front costs is key. In some agroforestry models, such as in Tanzania, coffee yields may also initially decline as coffee trees are replaced by shade trees. However, effective shade management, a feature of syntropic agriculture, is expected to counteract this decline.

On the other hand, there are many factors that increase profit. “Most importantly, agroforestry increases coffee farmers’ resilience to shocks through healthy and protected soils that enable coffee plants to withstand extreme weather events such as droughts and heavy rains”, says Singh. Given the increasing frequency of these events, this is a key factor. Over time, improved soil quality and a favorable microclimate will increase both yield and quality, strengthening farmers’ main source of income. Farmers are also likely to save on fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation. In addition, agroforestry creates new sources of income through the sale of wood, fruit, vegetables and nuts; and planting new trees enables farmers to earn carbon credits. “While simple agroforestry typically involves planting 100 to 150 shade trees per hectare, it is about 700 trees per hectare in syntropic farming, allowing farmers to earn a significant number of carbon credits”, explains Singh.

This process requires local data on soil, climate, socio-economics, and species characteristics, which should be well prepared to maximize the efficiency of the process. “In our project in Minas Gerais, we are using the Farm Tree Tool for this complex planning, and it has been incredibly helpful”, Torres adds. This software creates different agroforestry scenarios and evaluates their economic and ecological impacts. It uses local data to assess factors such as plant compatibility, CO2 uptake and labor requirements, thus helping farmers make informed decisions on how to implement agroforestry effectively.

Agroforestry generally requires more manual labor than monoculture, especially in syntropic agriculture: Agroforestry establishment and regular pruning are done by hand, manual maintenance is preferred to chemicals, and shade trees and other vegetation make mechanical harvesting difficult. This increased labor demand is a major issue for farmers: “Almost all coffee-growing regions are experiencing labor shortages, which drives up wages”, Torres says. Solutions are therefore needed to ensure that increased labor requirements do not hinder the transition and that machinery can still be used. 

One option is to start by converting areas where machines are not used anyway, such as steep land. Once farmers see the benefits of agroforestry, it will be easier to convert other areas. Another possibility is using small machines compatible with agroforestry, but this development is still in its infancy and requires additional funding. The most promising approach is to design agroforestry systems that are suitable for machine use, particularly in highly mechanized regions such as Brazil. Syntropic agriculture‘s flexibility allows for various options. “For instance, farmers can integrate bushes or tall shade trees that do not interfere with machines”, says Torres. Singh mentions that they are currently working on a design that would replace every fifth row of coffee trees with shade trees, allowing large harvesting machines to operate. In the end, the key is to design systems that match the available labor and machinery. Assistance from trainers or the Farm Tree Tool can help with planning. In addition, higher coffee yields, new sources of income and input cost savings are expected to offset higher labor costs in the long term.

Moving away from monoculture and towards sustainable alternatives in the coffee sector is the order of the day: Agroforestry and syntropic agriculture benefit nature, people and the product alike, securing not only coffee income and smallholder livelihoods, but also ecosystems.

By providing tailored support, creating profitable business cases and effectively integrating labor and machinery, a successful transformation of coffee production can be facilitated. This systemic change should be approached step by step, based on thorough analysis and planning.