The purpose of this bachelor thesis was to examine what effects agroforestry has on ecological sustainability within cacao cultivations in the department of Huila, Colombia. This thesis consists of data collected from a literature study in combination with laboratory analyses of two different biochemical properties in soil collected from cacao farms and a complementary survey. The results of the study suggests that the use of agroforestry as a growing system in cacao cultivations is ecologically sustainable and does have positive effects on soil fertility. The field study was carried out via field visits to five different cacao farms in order to collect soil samples and gathering information regarding the farms’ cropping systems and approach to the use of shade trees. No general conclusions could be drawn from the laboratory analyses due to a too small sample size, although the analyzed data could be interpreted as an indicator, supporting the findings in the literature study. For similar studies in the future, a more detailed documentation of the specific farms and a bigger sample size for analyzation is recommended.
More research regarding agroforestry in cacao cultivations and its beneficial ecosystem services is requested. Such research could be used in educating farmers and authorities in order to aspire after a halt in the ongoing trend towards full-sun cacao cultivations, which could further contribute to the anthropogenic climate change.