Sustainable Cocoa from the Amazon unites Brazil, Colombia and Peru, opening a new perspective for the forest and local communities

Representatives of the chain involved in the production and commercialization of cocoa in the Brazilian, Colombian and Peruvian Amazon advance the proposal to work together to position the product's differences in global markets. The construction of the work plan between the three countries, driven by the Tropical Forest Alliance (TFA), a global platform of multiple actors, is explained in a video that can be accessed here

"The initiative arose from the regional dialogues that we promote regularly", explains Andrea Werneburg, Regional Coordinator of TFA Latin America. "It seeks to attract the attention of investors and buyers to the region through responsible sourcing, with traceability, and which guarantees local development without harm to the environment."

Native to the region, cocoa finds favorable climatic conditions in the Amazon to develop, which benefits its organoleptic and aroma properties. Furthermore, crops can be managed in systems that preserve species diversity, such as in agroforestry arrangements. Thus, it becomes a tool for the simultaneous production and restoration of degraded areas.

For José Yturrios, Director of Aliança Cacau Peru, "The idea of ​​an Amazonian cocoa is very interesting for Latin America, enabling the widespread dissemination of the product in international markets, with an emphasis on aspects such as conservation, traceability, non-deforestation and sustainability Social".

In fact, the interconnection of the Amazonian cocoa production chain can generate social transformation, increasing income for small producers, who make up the vast majority of fruit farmers in the three countries. In the Brazilian Amazon, around 18.500 producers generate an average of 135 thousand tons of cocoa beans per year, while in Peru, there are approximately 138 thousand cocoa producers, with an average of 136 thousand tons of annual production. In the Colombian Amazon, there are around 1.558 producing families in a cultivated area of ​​13.206 hectares.

"A regional strategy for Amazonian cocoa can play an important role towards zero deforestation by offering us agroforestry models that will generate greater connectivity in different areas of the Amazon forest and the possibility of a better income for a greater number of inhabitants", says Wendy Arenas , Director of the Alisos Foundation, which serves as Technical Secretary of the Cacao, Forests and Peace Initiative, Colombia.

"Without a doubt, this is a great opportunity for the entire chain in the three countries, as there are large areas available, without the need for deforestation, and cocoa can be a very significant income alternative for small producers in the Amazon. This is enormous potential for social transformation in the region", concludes Pedro Ronca, Coordinator of Cocoa Action Brasil.