Promoting biodiversity conservation and economic sustainability in the cocoa sector  

This PhD project investigates the environmental and economic trade-offs and co-benefits of cocoa agroforests in southern Bahia, Brazil. Using an interdisciplinary approach that combines ecological field surveys with farm-household interviews, it investigates how shade tree management in agroforests influences both biodiversity conservation and the profitability of cocoa production for farmers. The research also explores the potential of the Sul da Bahia Geographical Indication (GI) to enhance ecological outcomes and provide economic advantages to cocoa farmers. The findings aim to inform more sustainable agroforestry practices that reconcile biodiversity conservation with farmers’ livelihoods in cocoa-growing landscapes. 

This research project, funded by a FRIA grant from the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS), is led by Steffi Dekegel (2022–2025) in collaboration with the State University of Santa Cruz (Brazil) and the Centre for Research and Conservation (CRC) of Antwerp Zoo.