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Cocoa bean production by small-scale producers in the Amazon is surrounded by an image of success and balance with the rainforest, popularized by "fair trade" merchants. But reality, as always, is more complex... This documentary focuses on the members of four indigenous communities in Ecuador, in the foothills of the Amazon rainforest in the east of the country. These small-scale producers denounce the uncertain nature of the cocoa bean market and the lack of interest they have in participating in "fair trade" initiatives, as the premium on the price offered does not compensate for the extra work required. In this fragile context, more lucrative activities are emerging, such as livestock breeding and production. Communities need to rethink their production structures and, above all, gain control over the purchase price of their cocoa beans. Without external support, these communities will struggle to become socially and ecologically sustainable.

Image from the documentary

• Jonathan Lago-Lago est un auteur/réalisateur indépendant de fictions, documentaires et clips vidéos.
• Jilmar Castañeda est titulaire d'un Master en Gestion territoriale (UVSQ) et travaille dans le recyclage et valorisation dans la filière textile
• Juan Fernandez-M. est écologue au CNRS et ses recherches portent sur la durabilité de socio-écosystèmes 

Ce documentaire est l'un des résultats du projet SENAC "Adaptation des réseaux socio écologiques à un monde en mutation" financé par le LabEx en comme projet émergent sur 2017-2018.

• Jonathan Lago-Lago is an independent writer/director of fiction, documentaries and video clips.
• Jilmar Castañeda holds a Master's degree in Territorial Management (UVSQ) and works in recycling and recovery in the textile industry.
• Juan Fernandez-M. is an ecologist at the CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research) whose research focuses on the sustainability of socio-ecosystems.

This documentary is one of the results of the SENAC project "Adapting socio-ecological networks to a changing world" funded by LabEx as an emerging project in 2017-2018.

Publication

Castañeda-Ccori, J.; Bilhaut, A.-G.; Mazé, A.; Fernández-Manjarrés, J. Unveiling Cacao Agroforestry Sustainability through the Socio-Ecological Systems Diagnostic Framework: The Case of Four Amazonian Rural Communities in Ecuador. Sustainability 2020, 12, 5934