Agroforestry in woody-encroached Sub-Saharan savannas: Transforming ecological challenges into sustainable opportunities

Woody plant encroachment (WPE) is the widespread proliferation of trees and shrubs into historically open ecosystems. This phenomenon affects Sub-Saharan savannas, challenging biodiversity conservation and agricultural productivity. While typically viewed negatively in protected areas due to impacts on grass-dependent species and ecological processes, WPE has nuanced effects in agricultural contexts. Encroaching woody species can enhance soil fertility, moderate microclimates, control erosion, and provide valuable non-timber forest products, supporting agricultural resilience and rural livelihoods. This perspective paper advocates agroforestry as a transformative way to convert WPE from an ecological threat into an opportunity for sustainable land management. Drawing from successful West African agroforestry practices, including Assisted natural regeneration, Parkland agroforestry, and Alley cropping, we illustrate their benefits for agricultural productivity, climate resilience, and income diversification. However, scaling up agroforestry faces technical and institutional barriers, notably limited farmer knowledge, insufficient extension services, insecure land tenure and weak market structures. We recommend clear land and tree tenure policies, explicit agroforestry integration into national policies, financial incentives such as subsidies and payments for ecosystem services, and capacity building through targeted training. Finally, we highlight critical research priorities, emphasizing species-specific ecological studies, socio-economic evaluations, climate resilience assessments, and participatory community engagement. Our ongoing research in the Guinean savannas of Côte d’Ivoire near Lamto Reserve and Mont Sangbé National Park addresses all these aspects, aiming to enhance rural livelihoods, food security, and biodiversity conservation.