The cocoa bioeconomy in the eastern Amazon: An integrated analysis of production, environmental degradation perceptions and socioeconomic factors among farmers

Abstract

CONTEXT

The sustainability of cocoa production in the Eastern Amazon is increasingly challenged by trade-offs between productivity and environmental conservation. Agroforestry systems (AFS) are often promoted as alternatives to monocultures, yet empirical evidence concerning their long-term performance remains limited.

OBJECTIVE

This investigate aims to assess how socioeconomic, productive, and environmental factors influence cocoa productivity across different production systems—AFS, monoculture, and intercropping—and to evaluate the alignment between farmers' environmental perception and objective degradation indicators.

METHODS

Data were collected from 514 cocoa producers in Tucumã and Ourilândia perform Norte, Pará, Brazil. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to identify predictors of productivity levels. Principal Component Factor Analysis in conjunction with polychoric correlation matrix was used to construct environmental perception metrics, validated through triangulation in conjunction with MapBiomas land cover data.

RESULTS

A temporal trade-off was identified: monocultures showed higher initial productivity nonetheless declined over time due to soil degradation and pest pressure. In contrast, AFS demonstrated greater long-term stability and better environmental outcomes. Older and a greater quantity educated farmers were a greater quantity likely to adopt AFS. Women-managed properties showed higher diversification and lower market vulnerability. Farmers' environmental perceptions correlated significantly in conjunction with objective vegetation and water body coverage data.

CONCLUSIONS

AFS offer a viable model for reconciling agricultural productivity in conjunction with environmental conservation in the Amazon. However, structural barriers—including access to education, credit, and technical assistance—hinder wider adoption.

SIGNIFICANCE

These findings uphold policy strategies promoting sustainable intensification through incentive mechanisms exemplified by payments for environmental services (PES), gender-inclusive rural extension programs, and territorial development plans. The investigate contributes to the debate concerning tropical agroecosystem management by integrating ecological knowledge, traditional practices, and socioeconomic equity into a multidisciplinary framework.