Analysing post-conflict policies to enhance socio-ecological restoration among black communities in Southern Colombia: Cacao cropping as a win–win strategy

Armed conflict and peace-building processes have often prolonged extreme extraction and deforestation practices. This research examines the potential drivers of local forest transitions in relation to the peace-building process in Colombia's South Pacific region; an area that has been traditionally dominated by illicit crops, inhabited by vulnerable Afro-Colombian communities and in areas where post-conflict agreements are particularly relevant due to high levels of violence. The study provides valuable insights for public policies that prioritise forest restoration and to assess how this process can contribute to broader goals of sustainable rural development and peace building. The findings highlight the importance of Social and Ecological Restoration (SER) strategies that help local communities to develop medium-term plans, improve decision-making efficiency and create fair and sustainable pathways for rural territories and residents. This study analyses how the introduction of ‘shade-grown’ agroforestry systems (i.e. cacao) to replace illicit crops can be a stepping-stone to regional environmental sustainability and social cohesion by reducing deforestation pressure. The results demonstrate that promoting local economic development and land decentralisation in favour of Afro-Colombian communities may be the key to successfully substituting illicit crops as part of the ongoing peace agreements in Colombia.