Increased soil health leads to greater nutrient availability for the cacao trees themselves and greater climate mitigation by serving as carbon sinks. Agroforestry is defined by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization as a “dynamic, ecologically based, natural resource management system that, through the integration of trees on farms and in the agricultural landscape, diversifies and sustains production for increased social, economic and environmental benefits for land users at all levels.” According to a recent study in the Dominican Republic, organic, agroforestry cacao systems have healthier soils than their conventional counterparts. Thus, it thrives best in mixed-use agroforestry systems. In its native habitat, cacao grows as a midstory canopy tree. While maximizing the number of cacao trees on their land may sound like a good idea from a productivity perspective, growing cacao in full-sun monocultures can actually decrease productivity per tree. This means that the entire acreage will be dedicated solely to the cacao tree. In conventional agriculture, crops are typically grown in monocultures. But what does this mean for farmers? Here are a few examples: The focus on market demands and away from the supply chain results in a lack of transparency and little regard for the social well-being of the farmers and the environmental well-being of the land. Conventional cacao is a commodity market crop, meaning it is bought and sold through brokers and traders in international exchange offices whose chief concern is the bottom line: turning profits on speculations of supply and demand. Perhaps the best way to understand the impact of organic farming in our chocolate supply chains is to consider the alternative. What does organic agriculture actually mean?Īccording to the Rodale Institute, “organic is a vision for working and living in harmony with nature.” Nevertheless, over the years, organic products have become more mainstream and some, like Harvard research associate Robert Paarlberg, even argue that further growth in organic agriculture will probably come from investments by consolidated firms and farms that “stay just barely within the rules by devising technical workarounds.” Despite changes in this system and market, Equal Exchange works directly with farmers and co-operatives who ensure that the practices remain “in harmony with nature” and in the best interests of the farmers and their environments.
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