The Sustainable Expansion of the Cocoa Crop in the State of Pará and Its Contribution to Altered Areas Recovery and Fire Reduction

Abstract

The state of Pará, located in the Amazon region of Brazil, has observed in recent years an increase in cocoa ( Theobroma cacao ) cultivation and has become the largest producer in Brazil. Due to its physiological characteristics, cacao is cultivated in native forests understory or under the shade produced by fast-growing native tree species, serving as an important species for restoration of degraded areas. However, mapping and monitoring cocoa plantation using optical sensor images is a challenge given its botanical and arboreal characteristics that can be confused with other native species at various stages of secondary regrowth. Agroforestry systems are important components of sustainable production in the Amazon and our work sought to better describe the evolution of cocoa plantations in terms of their historical expansion, farming properties