Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) contracted ECOTOP as value chain expert for cocoa, cardamom and clove in the learning review of its SUCODE project, implemented with Green Bridges. In November 2025 ECOTOP assessed farmer fields and SAT’s training sites in the Morogoro region, trained SAT staff and farmer representatives in the principles of dynamic agroforestry and installed a first demonstration plot with them.
The assessment report proposes a pilot phase of about four years: small demonstration plots on cooperative land, professional pruning and grafting workshops for cocoa, and a gradual scaling once the plots show results.
The farmer cooperatives SAT works with grow cocoa, cardamom and clove, often in simplified systems that depend on external inputs and are exposed to dry spells. SAT’s training centre already promotes organic fertilisation, mulching and diversification; the question was how far dynamic agroforestry can strengthen production, value chain integration and climate resilience on the farms.
ECOTOP’s assignment was to document field experience on the three crops, assess the production systems and recommend how agroforestry principles can be integrated, and to co-author the findings in a participatory process with farmers, cooperatives, private sector partners and local authorities.
• Field visits to three farmer cooperatives with practical exercises on DAF nuclei (islands) around young cocoa trees
• Workshop on DAF principles for more than 30 community leaders and farmer group representatives from the villages of Mhonda, Kwelikwiji, Mafuta, Luwamba, Ubiri and Kwadoli
• Installation of a 20 × 20 m demonstration plot, from pegging and direct seeding of mother trees to soil cover with biomass
• Recommendations for a pilot phase with demonstration plots of up to 0.25 ha on cooperative land, plus cocoa pruning and grafting workshops
Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania (SAT) – non-profit organisation based in Morogoro that trains farmer groups in organic and agroecological farming.
Green Bridges – Verein für Globale Zusammenarbeit und Nachhaltige Entwicklung, partner of SAT in the SUCODE project.
