Presentation short abstract

Sustainable cacao is gaining terrain in the Amazon. Drawing on a case study, we analyse the sustainability claims and how it contrasts farmers’ realities. Social, cultural, and institutional barriers hinder sustainable practices, while vague “sustainability” enables the expansion of a cacao frontier

Presentation long abstract

The increasing global demand for sustainably produced cacao (Theobroma cacao) and fine chocolate has led to a cacao boom in its centre of origin, the Amazon basin. The Peruvian cacao sector is the fastest growing in Latin America. Cacao is widely promoted by state actors and development and conservation agencies as a strategy to counter various societal and environmental threats, including rural poverty, deforestation, and climate change. In this study, we address the main sustainability claims of cacao production systems and, based on semi-structured interviews with smallholder cacao farmers (n=95) and representatives of public and non-governmental organizations (n=44) in Madre de Dios, Peru, we contrast claims with local realities. We’ve analysed three ‘myths’: cacao as a deforestation strategy; sustainable cacao through agroforestry; and high-quality cacao by means of fine flavour varieties and certification. We found a clear contrast in what is promoted and local realities with a number of social-cultural factors and the institutional environment that form barriers to smallholders adopting sustainable cacao production systems. We argue that the loose definition of ‘sustainable’ cacao allows organisations to implement low-diversity cacao plantations and cacao projects that challenge the resilience of smallholders livelihood and forest protection, thereby contributing to the expansion of the cacao commodity frontier in biodiverse regions.