Agroforestry is a strategy for sustainable intensification in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),
promoting multifunctional landscapes that improve soil fertility, support livelihoods, enhance
carbon sequestration, and deliver ecosystem services such as water quality, erosion control,
and biodiversity conservation. Despite wide recognition of its benefit’s comprehensive
analyses of agroforestry's impact on soil fertility, livelihoods, and carbon storage are limited.
This systematic review analyses 145 publications to quantify and assess the contributions of
agroforestry in these areas within SSA. Results indicate that agroforestry systems substantially
enhance soil fertility and provide viable climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, thereby
diversifying and bolstering rural livelihoods against climate perturbations. Agroforestry also
offers significant potential for carbon sequestration in both aboveground biomass and soil,
although additional research is required to elucidate belowground carbon dynamics and
greenhouse gas fluxes. Challenges such as land tenure, limited access to resources, and the
need for context-specific research curtail the broader impacts of agroforestry. The review
highlights the necessity for targeted policy support and further research addressing carbon
rights, land tenure, and the implications of climate change to promote widespread adoption
of agroforestry and maximize its contribution to sustainable development across SSA.
Agroforestry Systems; Sustainable Intensification; Soil Fertility Enhancement; Carbon Sequestration; Climate Change Adaptation.