Estrategia de Comercialización Bioeconómica para Bionegocios Amazónicos del Ecuador basados en el Sistema Agroforestal Chakra

Abstract

Abstract: The question guiding this study is specific: how much does it cost in practical and monetary terms to bring Ecuador s cocoa supply chain into compliance with Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation-free products? To address this, the following activities were carried out: a careful review of the regulation; interviews with key sector stakeholders (associations, an anchor company, a specialized NGO, and a certification body); and a costing exercise based on a hypothetical scenario involving an association of 25 members cultivating a total of 50 hectares. The costing analysis covers three productivity scenarios using data from Ministry of Agriculture records for 2019 2024: 0.574 t/ha for *Nacional* fine-flavor cocoa in Orellana; 1.030 t/ha for CCN-51 in Santa Elena; and an average cocoa production figure of 0.663 t/ha for Ecuador during that period. Technical staff costs were calculated based on a salaried employee receiving statutory benefits, amounting to USD 7,704 per year. The results show that maintaining compliance costs approximately USD 231 per hectare annually, though the impact depends entirely on farm yield; the analysis covers both monoculture and Amazonian *chakra* production systems. These costs represent between 7.4% and 10.5% of the price of Amazonian fine-flavor cocoa, between 4.1% and 6.4% for coastal CCN-51 cocoa, and between 6.4% and 9.1% for an organization with productivity levels close to the national average.