Promoters of sustainability in cocoa agroforestry systems (TheobromacacaoL.) in Madre de Dios (Perú) and San Placido (Ecuador

Abstract

The study was executed in both locations Madre de Dios (Perú) and San Plácido (Ecuador). The main objective of this study was to establish suitable indicators for further research in cocoa agroforestry systems and the characterization and qualification methodology.  It was required to elaborate indicators and variables to assess the sustainability of the production systems in two types of groups: a conventional cocoa and cocoa-guadua plantation in the mentioned areas, also, the research was based on MESMIS methodology. The use of the proposed indicators allows identifying variations between cocoa with monoculture production farms and farms with the cocoa y guadua production system. Performing the sustainability evaluation, the holistic analysis of the different aspects enables one to address the complexity of the analysis and understand the relativity of the results according to the analyzed dimensions. Transformation of cocoa monoculture into sustainable cocoa production systems will facilitate cocoa producers not to relying on the production and commercialization of this isolated crop. The agroforestry system, proposed in this research, is expected to contribute to carbon sequestration efficiently. Hence, a radial graph should be applied; it will reveal the dynamics of the investigated variables. This graph will exemplify the critical points of the systems, giving an idea of the distance between the ideal situation and the current one. The integration of forest resources in cocoa monoculture production will generate improvement in the management dynamics of the successions in the cultivation system, similar to the observed ones in natural ecosystems.