Sustainable cocoa production: a question of taste or survival? Eliciting farmers’ preferences with a two-step choice experiment

The transition to sustainable agricultural production (SAP) is a worldwide challenge, especially for farmers in the Global South who face production and commercialization challenges, often compounded by political and economic instability. Despite efforts to promote SAP, farmers often remain reliant on conventional agriculture and dependent on established trading systems. To better understand cocoa farmers' preferences and elicit options for a change, we conducted a two-step choice experiment (CE) - before and after a deliberative workshop - in two regions of Ecuador: in the coast and in the Amazon. The CE comprised five attributes: (i) production systems, (ii) commercialization channels, (iii) microclimate, (iv) recommendations from various actors, and (v) a monetary premium on the product price. Despite providing a deliberation space, cocoa farmers’ preferences remained relatively stable in both regions. Farmers showed a preference for organic or natural production systems and recommendations from governmental entities. Regarding commercialization, intermediaries have a strong influence in the cocoa supply chain, as farmers mainly preferred to commercialize through this channel. The positive effects on the microclimate by introducing shadow trees did not outweigh the perceived disadvantages. Furthermore, we found that appropriate communication channels and tailored technical recommendations could support the widespread adoption of SAP. Our findings demonstrate that although farmers’ stated preferences indicate a willingness to change their production and trade systems, socioeconomic conditions can be a major obstacle for an actual implementation in practice. Therefore, ensuring stable and equitable conditions for cocoa production and commercialization is essential for successfully promoting sustainable agricultural practices.