Work

Toward Sustainable Cocoa Production in Brazil: Certification Systems and Sustainability Challenges in Bahia

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Forest certification has become an important market-based tool for promoting environmental sustainability, biodiversity conservation, and improved governance across agricultural and forest production systems. This state-of-the-art (SotA) review examines forest and cocoa certification schemes in Brazil, focusing on cocoa-based agroforestry systems in southern Bahia. Major programs, including the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Brazilian Forest Certification Program (Cerflor), Instituto Biodinâmico (IBD), UTZ Certified (UTZ), Rainforest Alliance (RA), and Geographical Indication (GI) systems, were analyzed for implementation, sustainability outcomes, and accessibility across producer groups. This SotA review identifies persistent barriers to certification adoption, including high costs, complex regulations, limited technical capacity, and unequal access among producers. Certification adoption varies substantially among producer groups, with cooperatives playing a critical role as intermediaries that reduce barriers and facilitate market access. Finally, this SotA review proposes a conceptual classification of cocoa producers and an AI-enabled perspective for deforestation-free certification in biodiversity hotspots such as southern Bahia, offering new insights into sustainable cocoa production and forest conservation.

Source: Forests

DOI: 10.3390/f17070843

Authors: Mathurin François, Cristiano Villela-Dias, Eduardo Mariano-Neto, Alain N. Rousseau, Deborah Faria

Institutions: Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique

Language: English

Topic: Global trade, sustainability, and social impact

Subfield: Strategy and Management

Field: Business, Management and Accounting

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Life on land, Responsible consumption and production, Zero hunger, Partnerships for the goals, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,137