Regenerative cacao
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Regenerative cacao is defined as cacao (also known as "cocoa") that is produced on a farm that employs regenerative agriculture and agroforestry methods. It is most closely associated with the Ecuadorian chocolate company To’ak, the organic food supplier Navitas, the rainforest conservation organization TMA (Third Millennium Alliance), and the social-agricultural enterprise Terra Genesis.[1][2] Cacao is the raw material that is used to produce chocolate.
Regenerative cacao is characterized by biodiverse agroforestry plantations in which cacao trees are grown in the shade of other trees, mimicking a natural forest ecosystem. This form of cultivation is used as a method to restore the forest canopy on abandoned cattle pasture and other areas of deforested agricultural land.[3] It is generally regarded[by whom?] as a “win-win” strategy of sustainable land management, in which farmers can generate food and revenue while regenerating the forest.[4]
The regenerative cacao movement is a reaction against monoculture cacao plantations, which are often a cause of deforestation in the tropics[citation needed].
Agroforestry
[edit]The eco-friendliness of cacao farming entirely depends on where and how the cacao trees are planted. When planted in a monoculture, cacao farming can be ecologically destructive. When planted in an agroforestry setting, it can be regenerative[clarification needed]. This principle is the basis for regenerative cacao.[5][1]
Agroforestry has long been touted as an ecologically sustainable method of agricultural production. It is best described as an agricultural method that grows crops in the form of a forest. For example, incorporating fruit trees, timber trees, and nitrogen-fixing trees that improve soil fertility—all in the same parcel of land.[6]
Regenerative agroforestry uses this principle as a mechanism for forest restoration.[7] One of the benefits of this approach is a net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere[citation needed]. Other benefits include enhanced yields from staple food crops, enhanced farmer livelihoods from income generation, increased biodiversity, improved soil structure and health, and reduced erosion.[8] With improved soil structure, crops produced via regenerative farming contain higher levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.[9] More phytochemicals can enhance the flavor of foods compared to conventional agricultural practices.[10] In general terms, regenerative agroforestry is a form of regenerative agriculture that employs mostly trees rather than annual crops[citation needed].
Cacao trees, which are native to the rainforests of Ecuador,[11] are naturally adapted to survive and thrive in the understory of the tropical forest.[12] This, combined with the ever-increasing global demand for chocolate, makes cacao trees an ideal component of agroforestry plantations in the tropics.[13]
Climate change mitigation
[edit]Regenerative cacao is also reported to have climate change mitigation benefits. Cacao-based agroforestry was measured to sequester 4.7 to 9.3 tons of CO2 per hectare per year in Central America[14] and up to 17.9 tons of CO2 per hectare per year in Ecuador.[15]
Regenerative cacao in practice
[edit]The luxury Ecuadorian chocolate company To’ak and the rainforest conservation organization TMA (Third Millennium Alliance) jointly manage a regenerative cacao project in coastal Ecuador, specifically with the agricultural communities that surround the Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve. The program was designed as a strategy to reverse the trend of deforestation of the Pacific Equatorial Forest (also known as the Pacific Forest of Ecuador)[citation needed].
TMA provides local farmers with start-up capital, seedlings, irrigation equipment, and financial incentives to convert deforested land into regenerative forests. The program is financed by carbon offset revenue, which provides bridge income to the farmers for the first five years, before the cacao trees reach productive age. Once the cacao trees start to produce cacao pods, To’ak offers to purchase the cacao at premium prices—at least 3x higher than local market prices.[16][17]
Jerry Toth, one of TMA's co-founders, says, “As many cacao farmers will readily admit, planting cacao trees is the easy part. The hard part is finding a buyer willing to pay fair prices. This is where To’ak’s role becomes indispensable.” To’ak, which is known for selling the most expensive chocolate in the world, pays cacao growers the highest prices in the world—200% to 800% above Fair Trade prices, depending on the Cru.[18][19]
Ancient Nacional cacao is believed to be cultivated in only three appellations in the world: in the Jama-Coaque mountains and the valley of Piedra de Plata in Ecuador,[20][21] and in Marañón Canyon in Peru.[22]
Navitas, a California-based company that sells organic cacao powder, sources regenerative cacao from the Liloma Cocoa Cooperative in Sierra Leone, which is Regenerative Organic Certified. “Regenerative farming is a holistic way of growing food that closely mimics nature's design, and goes beyond simply sustaining our natural resources, to replenishing or regenerating them,” says Zach Adelman, co-founder and CEO of Navitas Organics.[23]
Terra Genesis's regenerative cacao project is also based in coastal Ecuador and extends into coastal Colombia.[24]
As a response to deforestation
[edit]The World Cocoa Foundation reported that deforestation is a major issue in many cacao-growing regions, particularly in West Africa, where Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana collectively produce nearly two-thirds of the world's supply of cocoa.[25] Research published by Mighty Earth revealed that, in the period between January 2019 and January 2022 alone, 58,918 hectares of forest was replaced with cacao plantations in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana combined.[26] Confectionary News reports that in Indonesia, 687,000 hectares (1.7 million acres) were cleared for cocoa between 1988 and 2007.[27]
Etelle Higonnet, Mighty Earth's legal and campaign director, says that one solution is for the chocolate industry to switch to agroforestry and shade-grown cacao, and that cacao traceability mechanisms need to be greatly improved.[28]
References
[edit]- ^ Chhabra, Esha. "California Brand Goes Regenerative With Its Cacao". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "What is Regenerative Cacao?". To'ak Chocolate. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Using Cacao to Reverse Deforestation". To'ak Chocolate. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Kuyah, Shem; Whitney, Cory W.; Jonsson, Mattias; Sileshi, Gudeta W.; Öborn, Ingrid; Muthuri, Catherine W.; Luedeling, Eike (2019). "Agroforestry delivers a win-win solution for ecosystem services in sub-Saharan Africa. A meta-analysis". Agronomy for Sustainable Development. 39 (5): 47. Bibcode:2019AgSD...39...47K. doi:10.1007/s13593-019-0589-8. S2CID 201967423.
- ^ confectionerynews.com (28 April 2015). "Chop, chop: Cocoa dependents must finance farm training before more forests are axed". confectionerynews.com. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "What is Agroforestry?". World Agroforestry | Transforming Lives and Landscapes with Trees. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Regenerative agroforestry". Regen Farmer. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Agroforestry Practices | USDA National Agroforestry Center". www.fs.usda.gov. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Montgomery, David R.; Biklé, Anne; Archuleta, Ray; Brown, Paul; Jordan, Jazmin (2022-01-27). "Soil health and nutrient density: preliminary comparison of regenerative and conventional farming". PeerJ. 10: e12848. doi:10.7717/peerj.12848. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 8801175. PMID 35127297.
- ^ "Study: Regenerative farming boosts soil health, yielding more nutritious crops". Mongabay Environmental News. 2022-06-03. Retrieved 2022-11-18.
- ^ Dockrill, Peter (29 October 2018). "The Mysterious Origins of Chocolate Just Got Pushed Back by 1,500 Years". ScienceAlert. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "cacao | Description, Cultivation, Pests, & Diseases | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "What the heck is shade-grown cacao? This pricey treat is actually good for the planet". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Somarriba, Eduardo; Cerda, Rolando; Orozco, Luis; Cifuentes, Miguel; Dávila, Héctor; Espin, Tania; Mavisoy, Henry; Ávila, Guadalupe; Alvarado, Estefany; Poveda, Verónica; Astorga, Carlos (2013-07-01). "Carbon stocks and cocoa yields in agroforestry systems of Central America". Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 173: 46–57. Bibcode:2013AgEE..173...46S. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2013.04.013. ISSN 0167-8809.
- ^ Jadán, Oswaldo; Cifuentes, Miguel; Torres, Bolier; Selesi, Daniela; Veintimilla, Dario; Günter, Sven (2015). "Influence of Tree Cover on Diversity, Carbon Sequestration and Productivity of Cocoa Systems in the Ecuadorian Amazon". Bois & Forêts des Tropiques. 325 (325): 35. doi:10.19182/bft2015.325.a31271. ISSN 1777-5760.
- ^ "Building a modern business from ancient cacao traditions, the To'ak Chocolate way". Confectionery Production. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Using Cacao to Reverse Deforestation". To'ak Chocolate. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "HCP #9". HEIRLOOM CACAO PRESERVATION FUND. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Transparency Report: How Much We Pay Cacao Growers". To'ak Chocolate. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "The Near Extinction of Ancient Nacional Cacao". To'ak Chocolate. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ @NatGeoUK (2019-09-02). "How Ecuador is falling back in love with chocolate". National Geographic. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Fabricant, Florence (2011-01-11). "Rare Cacao Beans Discovered in Peru". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ Chhabra, Esha. "California Brand Goes Regenerative With Its Cacao". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Regenerative Cacao". terra-genesis.com. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Cocoa & Forests Initiative". World Cocoa Foundation. 2018-08-27. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Chocolate". Mighty Earth. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ confectionerynews.com (26 September 2017). "The final cut: What can the chocolate industry really do to halt cocoa deforestation?". confectionerynews.com. Retrieved 2022-06-13.
- ^ "Investors say agroforestry isn't just climate friendly — it's also profitable". Global EverGreening Alliance. 2020-07-10. Retrieved 2022-06-13.