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Sector, Landscape or Rural Transformations? Exploring the Limits and Potential of Agricultural Sustainability Initiatives through a Cocoa Case Study

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  • Valerie Nelson
  • David Phillips

Abstract

This paper analyses the changing nature of sustainability initiatives and their capacity to tackle sustainability challenges, focusing on cocoa in West Africa, and distilling lessons pertinent across agro‐export industries and regions. Using data from empirical studies, literature review and consultations with key cocoa actors, we find ‘sustainable’ cocoa at a critical juncture. Applying an existing theoretical framework that distinguishes between resilience, transition and transformation of systems, we explore and analyse previous, current and future sustainability responses. We conclude that there are important innovations and upscaling of investment occurring in the cocoa sector on sustainability, but also that current approaches risk achieving only incremental change, helping to sustain the industry under deteriorating conditions (resilience), without enabling smallholders to claim rights and greater representation (transition) or tackling more fundamental root causes of the vulnerability of smallholders (transformation). Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

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  • Valerie Nelson & David Phillips, 2018. "Sector, Landscape or Rural Transformations? Exploring the Limits and Potential of Agricultural Sustainability Initiatives through a Cocoa Case Study," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(2), pages 252-262, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:bstrat:v:27:y:2018:i:2:p:252-262
    DOI: 10.1002/bse.2014
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Verina Ingram & Fedes Van Rijn & Yuca Waarts & Henk Gilhuis, 2018. "The Impacts of Cocoa Sustainability Initiatives in West Africa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-20, November.
    2. Marcos A. Lastiri-Hernández & D. Álvarez-Bernal & R. Moncayo-Estrada & G. Cruz-Cárdenas & J. T. Silva García, 2021. "Adoption of phytodesalination as a sustainable agricultural practice for improving the productivity of saline soils," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(6), pages 8798-8814, June.
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    4. Xiaowei Chen & Tianyu Zhang & Fu Jia, 2020. "Industry convergence as a strategy for achieving sustainable development of agricultural complex: The case of Sandun‐Lanli in China," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 2679-2694, September.
    5. Bahruddin, & Macdonald, Kate & Diprose, Rachael & Delgado Pugley, Deborah, 2024. "Scaling-up sustainable commodity governance through jurisdictional initiatives: Political pathways to sector transformation in the Indonesian palm oil sector?," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).
    6. Marco Lerro & Maria Raimondo & Marcello Stanco & Concetta Nazzaro & Giuseppe Marotta, 2019. "Cause Related Marketing among Millennial Consumers: The Role of Trust and Loyalty in the Food Industry," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Janina Grabs & Sophia Louise Carodenuto, 2021. "Traders as sustainability governance actors in global food supply chains: A research agenda," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 1314-1332, February.
    8. Victoria A. Maguire-Rajpaul & Vinesh M. Rajpaul & Constance L. McDermott & Luís Fernando Guedes Pinto, 2020. "Coffee certification in Brazil: compliance with social standards and its implications for social equity," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 2015-2044, March.
    9. Simon R. Swaffield & Robert C. Corry & Paul Opdam & Wendy McWilliam & Jørgen Primdahl, 2019. "Connecting business with the agricultural landscape: business strategies for sustainable rural development," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 28(7), pages 1357-1369, November.
    10. Tennhardt, Lina & Lazzarini, Gianna & Weisshaidinger, Rainer & Schader, Christian, 2022. "Do environmentally-friendly cocoa farms yield social and economic co-benefits?," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 197(C).
    11. Sánchez, Andrea C. & Kamau, Hannah N. & Grazioli, Francesca & Jones, Sarah K., 2022. "Financial profitability of diversified farming systems: A global meta-analysis," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    12. Manyise, Timothy & Dentoni, Domenico, 2021. "Value chain partnerships and farmer entrepreneurship as balancing ecosystem services: Implications for agri-food systems resilience," Ecosystem Services, Elsevier, vol. 49(C).
    13. Ibrahim Prazeres & Maria Raquel Lucas & Ana Marta-Costa, 2021. "Cocoa Markets and Value Chains: Implications For Sao Tome and Principe Organic Smallholders," International Journal of Innovation and Economic Development, Inovatus Services Ltd., vol. 7(2), pages 64-76, June.
    14. Tannis Thorlakson, 2018. "A move beyond sustainability certification: The evolution of the chocolate industry's sustainable sourcing practices," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(8), pages 1653-1665, December.
    15. van der Haar, S. & Gallagher, E.J. & Schoneveld, G.C. & Slingerland, M.A. & Leeuwis, C., 2023. "Climate-smart cocoa in forest landscapes: Lessons from institutional innovations in Ghana," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 132(C).

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