One Health in Cocoa Dynamic Agroforestry in Ghana

Obesity, undernutrition and climate change pose significant challenges driven partly by global food and agricultural systems. One Health offers a holistic approach that recognizes the inherent links between human, animal and environmental health to address these challenges. Despite this recognition, One Health research has often neglected interconnected health in agricultural contexts. This study aims to bridge this gap by employing a One Health approach to examine the influence of dynamic agroforestry, a sustainable farming practice, on the holistic health of humans, animals and the environment, prioritizing local perspectives and focusing on farmers’ health. The study was conducted where Ahafo, Ashanti and the Western North Regions of Ghana intersect. Data was collected using a mixed-methods approach comprising 22 semi-structured qualitative interviews and 474 quantitative surveys with dynamic agroforestry farmers involved in the Sankofa project and a control group. The results revealed a nuanced complex understanding of farm health among both farmer groups, highlighting themes such as “cocoa health”, “good soil”, “farm management”, “timber trees” and “weather and climate”. While no significant difference in self-reported well-being was found between farmer groups, a notable proportion of dynamic agroforestry farmers indicated that dynamic agroforestry has the potential to enhance various health dimensions, notably due to the absence of agrochemicals. Additionally, there was no significant difference in medicinal plant use between farmer groups and dietary diversity showed to be comparable between the two groups with farmers not engaged in dynamic agroforestry showing a slightly higher dietary diversity, reflected in a greater reliance on market-based food consumption. However, the study also identified several limitations, including social desirability bias, language barriers, seasonal variability of food production and young age of dynamic agroforestry fields. Looking ahead, the study suggests that future research should put a greater focus on animal health dimensions within dynamic agroforestry systems, alongside the inclusion of interdisciplinary research teams to deepen our understanding of the interrelated health dynamics within dynamic agroforestry systems.