Academic collaborations

• Through a research collaboration, we assessed with the Ecole des Ponts ParisTech social and economic features of a forecasted project in Ghana (2012)

• In partnership  with the Cambridge University, we evaluated the business impact of Accor savings thanks to Accor’s towel reuse project (2016)

• In partnership with the Harvard Kennedy School, Hawassa University and the Louis Dreyfus Foundation, a research project was developed in Ethiopia in order to assess the socio-economic impact of the Sidamo project. The study has been focused on income diversification and amplification, food security and gender equity. The study encompasses all the aspects of the initiated project: coffee agroforestry systems, coffee rejuvenation, vegetable gardens and improved cookstoves. We also worked with Harvard University on the assessment of economic impacts of Agroforestry on coffee farmers in Colombia and Guatemala (2017)

Together with the United Nations Environment Programme, the European Forest Institute (through the 1 for 20 Partnership) and Cargill, PUR Projet wrote a publication on economic research conducted in Côte d’Ivoire. This research aims at better understanding and modelling the impact of cocoa agroforestry on smallholder farmers’ income. Based on this research, it was estimated that agroforestry has the potential to increase cocoa farmers household revenues from 9% up to 50% over 30 years on average. But this increase in incomes through agroforestry will have to be combined with other revenue increase and diversification strategies to be able to lift cocoa farmers out of poverty. The full publication is available here (2020)

• A research project is being led in Colombia by an UCLA student. The study is led in partnership with Yale university and two Colombian universities (UNAL and Unicauca) and is supported by renowned professors. The study focuses on the value of agroforestry coffee systems as :

  – A soil carbon pool

  – An instrument of soil preservation and erosion reduction

  – A lever for socio-economic development

In partnership with the HEC Master in Sustainable Development program, PUR Projet has formalized our approach for measuring the benefits experienced by the companies participating in community-based agroforestry projects. Based on this methodology, various case studies are being constructed across PUR’s current project portfolio.

• We hosted the internship a student from EDHEC, who was involved in a market study for the timber from our agroforestry parcels (2016)

• A research project is being led in Colombia by an UCLA student. The study is led in partnership with Yale university and two Colombian universities (UNAL and Unicauca) and is supported by renowned professors. The study focuses on the value of agroforestry coffee systems as :

  – A soil carbon pool

  – An instrument of soil preservation and erosion reduction

  – A lever for socio-economic development

With the support of the Université Libre de Bruxelles, we developed a protocol for assessing the impact of tree cover on cocoa yields in agroforestry systems. This first study allowed us to identify dominant trends. The protocol is now being improved ; we would like to implement a long-term monitoring of the different plots in order to obtain statistically solid results.

The soil erosion monitoring protocol, developed in Peru and improved in Guatemala, has been implemented in Honduras on plots in cocoa-based agroforestry systems, in partnership with the local university UNA. With this university, we could also estimate the soil macrobiodiversity for different soil uses, using the TSBF method (Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility).

With the help of a student of the AgroParistech Master in « Forest Nature and Society », we developed the forest management plan for the Alto Huayabamba and Jubilacion Segura projects. An economic feasibility study is being conducted. The plan will be applied by our local partners (Acopagro and Fundavi).

As part of her research thesis, an ONFI doctoral student, scientifically supervised by IRD and CIRAD, studies the development of agroforestry practices within the cocoa supply chain in the Alto Huayabamba project in Peru. Her thesis focuses on “the development of agroforestry systems under an agricultural contract in the cases of coffee and cocoa supply chains in Peru and Nicaragua” and aims at analysing the relevance of partnerships with the industries for the development of agroforestry. First results are expected in 2017.

Master’s students in Environmental Policy Management studied the Plant for the Planet Program (PFP) developed with AccorHotels as part of a consultancy mission. The aim of the study was to measure the involvement and the participation rate within the towel reuse program developed by Accor. Questionnaires intended for customers, housekeeping staff and hotel managers have been developed as well as a quantitative method to measure the reuse rate. This first work is an excellent basis to extend monitoring to more hotels participating in the PFP program.

Our collaboration with the French school of agricultural engineering ENSAT and the Peruvian university UNAS allowed us to develop a protocol to measure the impact of soil use on erosion. According to the method of “experimental plots”, three plots have been studied in Peru since the end of 2014. We have already estimated a 80% reduction in soil losses from bare to reforested soils.

At the end of 2015, a work led together with Montpellier Supagro, a French engineering school, and the Rural University of Guatemala enabled us to improve our soil erosion monitoring protocol, initially developed in Peru, and implement it on agroforestry coffee plots. Data collection during rainy season has begun, first results are expected for the end of 2016.

A research project is being led in Colombia by an UCLA student. The study is led in partnership with Yale university and two Colombian universities (UNAL and Unicauca) and is supported by renowned professors (Dr Cusack and Dr Montagnini). The study focuses on the value of agroforestry coffee systems as :

– A soil carbon pool

– An instrument of soil preservation and erosion reduction

– A lever for socio-economic development

In 2015, a student from Bern University, alongside Dr Fromm, has led in Honduras various socioeconomic studies, which enabled us to collect baseline data for the Aprosacao agroforestry project, developed with small-scale cocoa farmers.

UCL Master in Anthropology and German company Adaptogether’s expertise allowed us to collect baseline data for the Alto Huayabamba project in Peru and address the question of socio-economic development through the prism of anthropology.

In partnership with Harvard Kennedy School, Hawassa University and the Louis Dreyfus Foundation, a research was developed in Ethiopia in order to assess the socio-economic impact of the Sidamo project. The study is particularly focused on income diversification and augmentation, food security and gender equity. It includes all the activities of the project : coffee agroforestry systems, coffee rejuvenation, vegetable gardens and improved cookstoves. Besides, a researcher from Hawassa University conducted for PUR Projet a study on the impacts of our self-sufficiency activities in Ethiopia (2019)

UCL Master in Anthropology and German company Adaptogether’s expertise enabled us to collect baseline data for the Alto Huayabamba project in Peru and address the question of socio-economic development through the prism of anthropology (2014).

Our collaboration with the French school of agricultural engineering ENSAT and the Peruvian university UNAS allowed us to develop a protocol to measure the impact of soil use on erosion. According to the method of “experimental plots”, three plots have been studied in Peru since the end of 2014. We have already estimated a 80% reduction in soil losses, from bare to reforested soils.

The monitoring protocol for soil erosion, developed in Peru and improved in Guatemala, has been implemented in Honduras on plots in cocoa-based agroforestry systems, in partnership with the local university UNA. With this university, we could also estimate the soil macrobiodiversity for different soil uses, using the TSBF method (Tropical Soil Biology and Fertility).

A research project is being led in Colombia by an UCLA student. The study is led in partnership with Yale university and two Colombian universities (UNAL and Unicauca) and is supported by renowned professors. The study focuses on the value of agroforestry coffee systems as :

– A soil carbon pool

– An instrument of soil preservation and erosion reduction

– A lever for socio-economic development