Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin

In the tropics, combining food security with biodiversity conservation remains a major challenge. Tropical agroforestry systems are among the most biodiversity friendly and productive land-use systems, and 70% of cocoa is grown by >6 million smallholder farmers living on <2$ per day. In cacao’s main...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Tscharntke, Teja, Ocampo Ariza, Carolina, Vansynghel, Justine, Ivañez-Ballesteros, Blanca, Aycart, Pablo, Rodriguez, Lily, Ramírez, Marleni, Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf, Maas, Bea, Thomas, Evert
Format: Journal Article
Language:Inglés
Published: Wiley 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/128068
_version_ 1855525021179445248
author Tscharntke, Teja
Ocampo Ariza, Carolina
Vansynghel, Justine
Ivañez-Ballesteros, Blanca
Aycart, Pablo
Rodriguez, Lily
Ramírez, Marleni
Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf
Maas, Bea
Thomas, Evert
author_browse Aycart, Pablo
Ivañez-Ballesteros, Blanca
Maas, Bea
Ocampo Ariza, Carolina
Ramírez, Marleni
Rodriguez, Lily
Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf
Thomas, Evert
Tscharntke, Teja
Vansynghel, Justine
author_facet Tscharntke, Teja
Ocampo Ariza, Carolina
Vansynghel, Justine
Ivañez-Ballesteros, Blanca
Aycart, Pablo
Rodriguez, Lily
Ramírez, Marleni
Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf
Maas, Bea
Thomas, Evert
author_sort Tscharntke, Teja
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description In the tropics, combining food security with biodiversity conservation remains a major challenge. Tropical agroforestry systems are among the most biodiversity friendly and productive land-use systems, and 70% of cocoa is grown by >6 million smallholder farmers living on <2$ per day. In cacao’s main centre of diversification, the western Amazon region, interest is growing to achieve premium prices with the conversion of high-yielding, but mostly bulk-quality cacao to native fine-flavor cacao varieties, culturally important since pre-Columbian times. Conversion to native cacao can be expected to favor adaptation to regional climate and growth conditions, and to enhance native biodiversity and ecosystem services such as biological pest control and pollination, but possibly also imply susceptibility to diseases. Experience from successful conversion of non native cacao plantations to fine-flavor cacao agroforestry with rejuvenation by grafting and under medium-canopy cover levels (30%–40%) can ensure a smooth transition with only minor temporary productivity gaps. This includes ongoing selection programs of high yielding and disease resistant native fine-flavor cacao genotypes and organizing in cooperatives to buffer the high market volatility. In conclusion, the recent interest on converting bulk cacao to a diversity of native fine-flavor varieties in countries like Peru is a challenge, but offers promising socio-ecological perspectives.
format Journal Article
id CGSpace128068
institution CGIAR Consortium
language Inglés
publishDate 2023
publishDateRange 2023
publishDateSort 2023
publisher Wiley
publisherStr Wiley
record_format dspace
spelling CGSpace1280682025-12-08T09:54:28Z Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin Tscharntke, Teja Ocampo Ariza, Carolina Vansynghel, Justine Ivañez-Ballesteros, Blanca Aycart, Pablo Rodriguez, Lily Ramírez, Marleni Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf Maas, Bea Thomas, Evert resilience land-use pest control plant domestication ecosystem services resiliencia utilización de la tierra control de plagas In the tropics, combining food security with biodiversity conservation remains a major challenge. Tropical agroforestry systems are among the most biodiversity friendly and productive land-use systems, and 70% of cocoa is grown by >6 million smallholder farmers living on <2$ per day. In cacao’s main centre of diversification, the western Amazon region, interest is growing to achieve premium prices with the conversion of high-yielding, but mostly bulk-quality cacao to native fine-flavor cacao varieties, culturally important since pre-Columbian times. Conversion to native cacao can be expected to favor adaptation to regional climate and growth conditions, and to enhance native biodiversity and ecosystem services such as biological pest control and pollination, but possibly also imply susceptibility to diseases. Experience from successful conversion of non native cacao plantations to fine-flavor cacao agroforestry with rejuvenation by grafting and under medium-canopy cover levels (30%–40%) can ensure a smooth transition with only minor temporary productivity gaps. This includes ongoing selection programs of high yielding and disease resistant native fine-flavor cacao genotypes and organizing in cooperatives to buffer the high market volatility. In conclusion, the recent interest on converting bulk cacao to a diversity of native fine-flavor varieties in countries like Peru is a challenge, but offers promising socio-ecological perspectives. 2023-01 2023-01-24T15:25:13Z 2023-01-24T15:25:13Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/128068 en Open Access application/pdf Wiley Tscharntke, T.; Ocampo-Ariza, C.; Vansynghel, J.; Ivañez-Ballesteros, B.; Aycart, P.; Rodriguez, L.; Ramirez, M.; Steffan-Dewenter, I.; Maas, B.; Thomas, E. (2022) Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin. Conservation letter Online First Paper (28 December 2022) e12936 10 p. ISSN: 1755-263X
spellingShingle resilience
land-use
pest control
plant domestication
ecosystem services
resiliencia
utilización de la tierra
control de plagas
Tscharntke, Teja
Ocampo Ariza, Carolina
Vansynghel, Justine
Ivañez-Ballesteros, Blanca
Aycart, Pablo
Rodriguez, Lily
Ramírez, Marleni
Steffan-Dewenter, Ingolf
Maas, Bea
Thomas, Evert
Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin
title Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin
title_full Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin
title_fullStr Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin
title_full_unstemmed Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin
title_short Socio-ecological benefits of fine-flavor cacao in its center of origin
title_sort socio ecological benefits of fine flavor cacao in its center of origin
topic resilience
land-use
pest control
plant domestication
ecosystem services
resiliencia
utilización de la tierra
control de plagas
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/128068
work_keys_str_mv AT tscharntketeja socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT ocampoarizacarolina socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT vansyngheljustine socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT ivanezballesterosblanca socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT aycartpablo socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT rodriguezlily socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT ramirezmarleni socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT steffandewenteringolf socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT maasbea socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin
AT thomasevert socioecologicalbenefitsoffineflavorcacaoinitscenteroforigin