A short season roundup: what we planted, what we learned, and what’s growing in the plots this past monthRead More

Research on high-canopy pruning in cocoa agroforestry systemsRead More

How smallholder farms in Madagascar are rewriting the rules on land use and biodiversity.Read More

Welcome to Field Notes — ECOTOP’s new monthly letter from the plots. Before we get into what we planted last month, a quick introduction to who we are.Read More

Slash-and-burn remains one of the most common land preparation methods in tropical agriculture, used by both smallholders and large-scale farmers for annual and perennial cropping. However, this practice causes rapid soil fertility decline, biodiversity loss, erosion, and vulnerability to weeds, pests, and diseases. Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF), provides a fire-free and input-free alternative that combines productivity...Read More

Cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.) production systems in West Africa face increasing climate risks, declining soil fertility, and market pressures that undermine both productivity and sustainability. In response, the “Sustainable Mangos and Cashews – Made in Africa” project—co-funded by the Swiss Coop Sustainability Fund, HALBA, and gebana— introduced and scaled Dynamic Agroforestry (DAF) as a regenerative,...Read More