Agroforestry—the deliberate integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural landscapes—has re-emerged as a pivotal strategy for climate-smart agriculture. This review synthesizes current knowledge on carbon dynamics within agroforestry systems, exploring their potential to mitigate climate change and enhance ecosystem resilience. Agroforestry practices sequester significant quantities of carbon in aboveground and belowground biomass, soil organic carbon (SOC), and litter, with sequestration rates ranging from 0.29 to 15.21 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ depending on species, management, and site conditions. Multistrata systems such as homegardens and silvopastures show the highest carbon storage potential. Beyond mitigation, agroforestry improves microclimate regulation, hydrological buffering, and biodiversity, making it a robust adaptation strategy. The paper discusses spatial variability in carbon stocks across regions, from high SOC gains in tropical Asia to effective silvopastoral systems in Latin America. Methodologies for carbon assessment—ranging from allometric equations to remote sensing and life cycle assessment—are reviewed. Challenges related to knowledge gaps, tenure insecurity, and limited access to carbon finance hinder large-scale adoption. The review highlights emerging innovations in MRV (Measurement, Reporting, and Verification), modeling, and biochar integration as research frontiers. By bridging biophysical evidence with socioeconomic insights, the paper positions agroforestry as an indispensable nature-based solution in global climate policy. Scaling agroforestry systems requires interdisciplinary research, supportive policies, and equitable financing mechanisms to unlock their full mitigation and adaptation potential.
Chauhan et al. (Tue,) studied this question.