26–30 October 2026 | Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
How does syntropic agroforestry affect farmers’ livelihoods, soil health, and biodiversity? What evidence do farmers need before adopting it?
These questions will guide the APOPO International Syntropic Agroforestry Research Workshop 2026, organized by APOPO in collaboration with Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA). Researchers and agricultural organizations from several countries intend to develop a shared, long-term research framework, identifying practical indicators to measure soil health, biodiversity, climate resilience, productivity, and farmer income.
Data collection using these indicators is scheduled to begin in November 2026 at sites in both Tanzania and Cambodia. A central focus will be the 60-hectare syntropic agroforestry demonstration plot at SUA in Lugala, Tanzania. The workshop will help shape its development as a site for long-term research, practical learning, and testing farming methods.
Connecting Research With Farming Experience
Participating research and implementation partners include the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the Royal University of Agriculture (RUA) in Cambodia, SUA, the Cambodian Institute for Research and Rural Development (CIRD), EcoTop, Forests4Farming, and the University of Victoria in Canada.
Along with developing the research framework, participants will identify opportunities for joint research projects, connecting scientific expertise with practical farming experience.
Currently planned research will focus on a number of selected agroecological zones. Researchers intend to compare syntropic agroforestry plots with conventional plots, as well as different agroforestry systems and locations. Key measures will include crop yields, soil water-holding capacity, and soil carbon. For example, studies in drier areas could compare soil water retention and crop yields across different planting systems, helping identify the approaches that are best suited to local conditions.
The aim is also to extend research beyond the Lugala demonstration plot. Farmers, students, and local organizations could help collect data from working farms, using simple monitoring methods to track crop yields and other agreed measures.
Together, this data could help researchers understand more clearly how syntropic agroforestry performs under different conditions. The findings are expected to inform improvements to farming systems and help farmers assess which particular approaches suit the specific conditions of their land.
Using Evidence and Experience to Support Wider Adoption
An ability to demonstrate reliable evidence may also help local organizations attract investment. One future option that APOPO is keen to develop is outcome-based funding, which links financing to verified results, such as measurable environmental or livelihood benefits.
APOPO has experience with this approach through its Minefields to Ricefields project in Cambodia. Combining that financing experience with new scientific research, field data, and local partnerships could help extend syntropic agroforestry to more farmers.
The research workshop is supported by the Arthur Waser Foundation and Biovision, helping APOPO HeroTREEs and its partners develop the evidence needed to guide wider adoption of regenerative agriculture.