Smallholder cocoa farmers face growing challenges due to climate change, which increases pests, diseases, and pressures on crop quality. Ecuador is the third-largest global producer with 1.7 million people relying on cocoa for the livelihoods. Climate change threatens the Ecuadorian cocoa industry, undermining farmer incomes and food quality. By introducing a low-carbon agriculture approach, we seek to address the impact of unpredictable weather conditions on growing cocoa by training 2,800 farmers in climate-smart agriculture.
Small-scale cocoa farmers around the world are facing unprecedented challenges, with climate change being one of the most pressing. It leads to an increase in pests and diseases, while also placing immense pressure on the high standards of quality and productivity required throughout the supply chain.
Ecuador, the third-largest cocoa producer globally, exported 396,042 tons of cocoa in 2023. Over 400,000 farmers rely on cocoa production as their primary source of income. They harvest cocoa on 516,629 hectares. However, climate change poses a significant threat to their livelihoods. Environmental crises not only jeopardise farmers' incomes but also threaten biodiversity and other key sustainability goals in the cocoa industry. To address these challenges, a strategic alliance between the public and private sectors is fundamental to driving a transformation towards low-emission agriculture and improving the climate resilience of food and agricultural systems.
Rikolto has teamed up with ofi (olam food ingredients) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) to make the cocoa supply chain in Ecuador more resilient to climate change while lowering its environmental footprint.
To achieve this, we are helping small-scale cocoa farmers to improve their productivity by introducing innovative strategies in sustainable farm management. This promotion of a low-carbon supply chain will result in increased income while complying with social and environmental sustainability criteria. This makes the cocoa industry grow at the same time that farmers' incomes rise, which makes cocoa production a good business in the long run.
“Together with GIZ and Rikolto, we’re strengthening the sustainable cocoa supply chain in Ecuador, helping to make it more resilient to climate change while lowering its environmental footprint. By introducing this low-carbon agriculture approach in our own sustainability programmes with our customers, we’re supporting smallholder farmers to innovate the way they manage their farms to boost cocoa productivity and helping them on a path towards achieving a living income. This supports the aims of our overarching sustainability strategy, Choices for Change, to drive climate action and positive change across farming communities.”
Paula Andrea Rueda Peña, Sustainability Manager ofi Ecuador
The project follows an agroforestry approach, promotes regenerative practices and implements farm-level circular economy models. Enhancing post-harvest management and quality will also be crucial aspects of the project. These approaches allow cocoa to grow alongside other plant species, helping farmers to improve cocoa yields and receive additional income from other planted crops while reducing carbon emissions and promoting biodiversity.
Smallholder cocoa farmers will participate in trainings on sustainable farm management. The trainings will be delivered through 600 tailored coaching sessions or 'field schools'. Farmers will learn how to integrate sustainability principles into existing farming approaches. To achieve this, the project includes the dissemination of technical knowledge and cooperation with national actors. The project is co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and ofi and implemented by Rikolto, aligning with the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR) and international market demands.
“Global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss require collaboration across sectors and stakeholders. Strategic alliances between public and private sectors are crucial for developing and implementing innovative projects that drive low-emission agriculture and improve climate resilience in food and agricultural systems, benefiting Ecuadorian cocoa producers and enhancing sustainability in the global cocoa supply chain. This project aims to promote climate change adaptation by introducing strategies that sustainably improve productivity, increasing income while meeting social and environmental criteria, such as reducing carbon emissions.”
Ralf Buss, Project Manager, AgriChains Ecuador
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As part of the project, we will
"Sustainable implementation through climate-smart cocoa agroforestry systems will generate a triple impact in terms of improving production, addressing the ravages of climate change and ensuring a living income for producers. At Rikolto, we believe that capacity building, innovation and sustainability are key pillars for improving the livelihoods of cocoa producers."
José Luis Cueva Cango, Cocoa Project Coordinator, Rikolto
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