A multicriteria GIS site selection for sustainable cocoa development in West Africa: a case study of Nigeria

Abstract

Cocoa occupies 6 million ha in coastal humid West Africa where 70% of world supply is grown, 90% on 2 million family farms, of 2 ha or less. Here, at least 16 million people mostly depend on cocoa but earn only $100/person/year from the crop. There is need to optimize the farming system, minimize the environmental impact of technologies, and improve socio-economic dynamics. This study identifies areas with potential for intensified cocoa farming and where maximum impact to household income could be achieved without deforestation. The selection involves defining suitability criteria, preparing an inventory of available data, determining suitability based on identified criteria, and combining suitability into hierarchical preferences based on weights proposed by local experts. GIS and Multi-Criteria land Evaluation technique using biophysical, socioeconomic, and demographic variables were employed in selection. Nineteen administrative units (20,000 km²) were selected in Nigeria where the intervention project could be implemented.