Sustainable sourcing policies for biodiversity protection, climate mitigation, and improved livelihoods in the cocoa sector

The conversion and degradation of tropical forests has multiple negative socio-environmental impacts. Conversely, the restoration of forest landscapes, including enhancing tree cover on already cleared farmland, are powerful nature-based solutions to climate mitigation and adaptation, with potentially large biodiversity and rural livelihood and resilience co-benefits. A major driver of forest loss and degradation in the tropics is the production and trade of food commodities and associated land management practices, with cocoa being the leading forest-risk commodity in West Africa. Yet cocoa production in agroforestry systems harbors the potential to partially restore biodiversity in key hotspots. Acknowledging these challenges and opportunities, ending deforestation and encouraging agroforestry has become a high priority in cocoa supply chains as part of interventions such as the Cocoa and Forests Initiative. In the proposed research we aim to investigate the conditions under which supply chain sustainability initiatives (SSIs) can lead to zero-deforestation and increased shade-tree cover in cocoa production systems and, in turn, a triple-win of biodiversity, climate, and livelihood benefits. To meet this aim we integrate six objectives: 1) Develop new data on cocoa supply chains, SSIs, and agroforestry extent and integrate these with additional land cover, biodiversity, carbon, and yield data, 2) Quantify shade-tree cover impacts on carbon, biodiversity, and livelihoods, 3) Identify drivers and impacts of SSIs on shade-tree cover, deforestation, and livelihoods, 4) Estimate the potential carbon and biodiversity benefits of shade-tree adoption at the regional scale, 5) Assess overlap between SSI benefits and company motivations for adoption, and 6) Deliver recommendations for how to improve the design, uptake, and implementation of SSIs in cocoa producing landscapes to promote biodiversity, climate, and livelihood synergies. To achieve these objectives, we integrate ecological fieldwork in cocoa agroecosystems, household and supply chain interviews, supply chain and land cover mapping, regional modeling, and stakeholder workshops. Our cross-scale, interdisciplinary, and transnational approach will provide unprecedented insights into the on-the-ground impacts of existing SSIs in the cocoa sector and the potential impacts of scaling up SSIs to reduce deforestation and enhance shade-tree cover further. Furthermore, it will clarify the role that agroforestry can play in helping deliver multiple sustainability objectives: protecting biodiversity, climate mitigation, production resilience, and improved farmer livelihoods. It thus aligns well with the EU’s efforts to step up action to protect and restore the world’s forests.