In south-eastern Guinea, known as Forest Guinea, tropical rainforest remnants and their biodiversity are threatened by logging, recurrent bush fires, and the expansion of agriculture. Meanwhile, traditional farming practices are leading to the establishment of forest-like systems with a positive impact on biodiversity conservation. The variety of cropping systems, as well as their structure and species composition, was characterized in 7 villages chosen to be representative of the variety of situations encountered in Forest Guinea. Two main agroforestry systems were identified: coffee-based agroforests and Elaeis parklands with rainfed rice cultivation. Farmers' traditional practices that lie behind those agroforestry systems result in sustainable management of natural resources, despite the legal context that does not take into account the positive effects of those practices. The practices thus represent an important contribution of local farmers to the conservation of a high degree of biodiversity outside protected areas.