Estimating Carbon Acquisition in a Shade Cocoa Plantation in Southern Bahia, Brazil

Cocoa (Theobroma cacao) is one of the world’s most traded commodities. Cocoa grown in agroforestry systems is considered a climate-smart agricultural practice, in part due to the role of shade trees as carbon reservoirs and carbon sinks. In Brazil, most production is concentrated in Bahia state, where traditional cocoa agroforests—locally known as cabrucas—are well known to harbor significant above- and below-ground carbon stocks, although their ability to act as carbon sinks is less well established. By analyzing previously published data on the dynamics of tree assemblages within a 1.7 ha area on a cabruca farm, we estimated an annual carbon increment of 3.46 Mg C ha−1, a value comparable to other shade cocoa plantations elsewhere but more than three times the previous estimate for a cabruca. We discuss the importance of these findings and highlight the potential role of traditional cocoa shade plantations as climate-friendly crops, thus contributing to climate mitigation. It is also essential to highlight the importance of the carbon sequestration and storage services provided by tropical agroforestry systems.