Tropentag, September 16 - 18, 2026, Göttingen "Towards multi-functional agro-ecosystems promoting climate-resilient futures"

Climate-resilient cacao: The role of innovation channels and long-term research, insights from a Bolivian case

¹University of Hohenheim, Inst. of Agric. Sci. in the Tropics (Hans-Ruthenberg-Institute), Germany
²Res. Inst. of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), International Cooperation, Switzerland

Abstract

This research aims to understand the role of long-term research as an innovation channel to enhance the adoption of tested agroforestry management practices among smallholder cacao farmers in Bolivia and to learn which elements farmers identify as enablers or obstacles to mirror the management practices.
In 2008, a unique long-term experiment (LTE), a cocoa field trial, was established in Alto Beni, Bolivia, within the SysCom project. It is the result of a cooperation between a cacao farmers’ cooperative, national and international research and academic partners. At the trial, cacao agroforestry has shown potential for sustainable production in terms of biodiversity enhancement and improved farmers’ livelihood, food security and diversified incomes. Besides, these systems have proven to have better environmental performance and competitive yields than cocoa monocultures, with no external inputs.

This study adopts a transdisciplinary approach, combining scientific knowledge and local expertise, with a strong emphasis on stakeholder participation and the co-creation of tailored solutions. As part of the methodology, participatory workshops, focus groups discussions and feedback loops with cooperative members of 16 cooperatives randomly selected in each zone of Alto Beni, staff of the LTE, members of a local university research station and technical assistants of the cooperative, took place between October 2024 and December 2025. The scope was to document their perspectives, experiences, and ideas on the role of available innovation channels related to cacao farming considering socioeconomic characteristic of the farmers such as the location of the farm, cacao yield, time as a cooperative member, etc.

Participants identified obstacles such as the lack of criteria for selecting suitable forest species, high labour costs, and challenges in accessing technical services (e.g., shade tree pruning) to implement agroforestry. Opportunities were pointed out, including the simplification of agroforestry systems to reduce farmers’ workload, the use of beneficial fruit trees to improve productivity and resilience, and strengthening local capacities via innovation channels such as technical training and visits to demonstration plots and real farms, which successfully practice agroforestry. The role of the LTE was also discussed and recommendations by farmers about knowledge gaps it could address are highlighted.

Keywords: Bolivia, cacao agroforestry, innovation channels, knowledge co-creation, long-term experiments, participatory research, smallholder farmers

Contact Address: Melissa Morcote Martínez, University of Hohenheim, Social and Institutional Change in Agricultural Development, Stuttgart, Germany, e-mail: melissa.morcotemartinezuni-hohenheim.de