Value chains and deforestation: The myth of zero cocoa deforestation ?

Market-based mechanisms have been extensively used in global cocoa value chains to address the myriad of socio-economic and environmental sustainability issues inherent in the processes from cacao on farm to cocoa and... [ view full abstract ]

Market-based mechanisms have been extensively used in global cocoa value chains to address the myriad of socio-economic and environmental sustainability issues inherent in the processes from cacao on farm to cocoa and chocolate in consumer hands. The deforestation and degradation that cocoa production has caused has long been recognized but only recently spotlighted. Encroachment into the few remaining forested protected areas in West Africa and rising consumer and industry awareness led cocoa and chocolate manufacturers to publically commit to end deforestation in their supply chains at the recent COP23 UN Climate Change Conference. Degradation attributed to cocoa across the humid tropic cocoa belt has occurred on a larger scale since the late 1940s, with notably rapid expansion since the 1990s. Arguably, zero deforestation cocoa exists only when forests have already disappeared, or where protected forested areas in cocoa landscapes have been continuously maintained. Are decreases in cocoa related deforestation attributable to market-based sustainability initiatives and governance – such as CSR schemes, partnerships and certification - real or a myth? Might they be explained simply because so few forests and trees are left in many of the main cocoa production landscapes?

This article investigates market-based and project governance of cocoa landscape and value chains, notably via the private and civil society sectors, and public-private multi-stakeholder processes, related to “zero deforestation cocoa” and restoring cocoa forest landscapes. We examine how and if these based governance arrangements are a sustainable business model in catalyzing sustainable land-based development. First we clarify the often hazy definitions to get clear frame of what cocoa deforestation and degradation really means, its extent and timescales and the underlying logic and assumptions, by building a Theory of Change. Using a mix of literature and empirical studies on cocoa sustainablity initiatives seeking to impact deforestation/aforestation, we seek to untangle the interrelationships between cocoa driven deforestation and degradation and other drivers. We then seek to answer if voluntary zero deforestation pledges in relation to the cocoa value chain are really possible and what they imply at value chain and landscape level; and how to realistically and robustly operationalize, monitor and measure these. Recognizing the assumptions and myths inherent in recent commitments, we also assess the implications and effectiveness of voluntary market-based and project arrangements to eradicate deforestation in the cocoa value chain such as REDD+, payments for ecosystem services, afforestation and restoration initiatives.