Steffie Rijpkema / Utrecht University
Duration: April 2015-February 2016

Coffee agroforestry systems are thought to provide climate related ecosystem services, including climate change mitigation and adaptation and enhancing soil conditions. This study aimed to assess these ecosystems services and determine the direct and indirect trade-offs with coffee productivity and major threats by pests and diseases. Data collection included carbon stock assessment, microclimate measurements, soil analysis and a management practices survey on coffee plantations in the region of San Martín, Peru. Results show that agroforestry systems can contribute to climate change mitigation since these systems hold a larger carbon stock in aboveground tree biomass on shaded plantations relative to unshaded plantations. Furthermore, there are indications that tall shade trees provide a climate buffering effect, which may contribute to adaptation to climate change. However, taller trees might hereby also provide favourable growing conditions for pathogenic fungi such as coffee leaf rust. Essential input of nitrogen in the soil was linked to an optimum in shade level. Optimum coffee yields were found for shade levels between 15% and 40%. Without negatively affecting coffee yield, agroforestry systems are economically feasible, climate-smart management systems that provide economic benefits to local farmers such as the provision of non-timber forest products and reduced costs of input