Bridging Forests and Markets Through Sustainable Cocoa Livelihoods in Peru
20 December 2024
A groundbreaking collaboration with the award-winning Asháninka Kemito Ene cooperative in Peru is enabling Indigenous smallholders to use cutting-edge technology to break down barriers to accessing international markets for their sustainably produced cacao.
As global deforestation continues to threaten biodiversity and climate stability, regulatory frameworks such as the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) have emerged to hold corporations accountable. While necessary and long overdue, these regulations pose challenges for small-scale producers, who risk being excluded from markets despite their sustainable practices.
In response, RFUK and Kemito Ene launched a pilot project using ForestLink technology to demonstrate the traceability of cacao produced by Indigenous communities. This initiative mapped the plots of 230 smallholder farmers in the Peruvian Amazon, providing regulation-compliant data to help the cooperative meet the requirements for organic certification and EUDR compliance.
ForestLink, originally developed by RFUK to support Indigenous communities to defend their territories, has been adapted into a powerful tool for sustainable farming. This smartphone app enables smallholders to:
- update cocoa production details for better planning and forecasting
- geolocate farms to establish traceability
- map larger plantations with detailed polygons to define cocoa production boundaries
The data collected is seamlessly integrated into the ForestLink platform, making it accessible to cooperatives and formatted to align with certification and regulatory needs. Mauro Zúñiga, General Manager of Kemito Ene, reflected on the challenges and benefits of this collaboration:
“The international market places us in a challenging position with the EU’s zero-deforestation regulation. This initiative has been vital, allowing us to meet these regulations, participate in organic certification and demonstrate the quality of our cacao. This opens doors to new markets while ensuring forest conservation.”
While compliance demands significant effort, the potential benefits are transformative. By promoting sustainable practices and conserving biodiversity, Indigenous cooperatives like Kemito Ene are not only meeting global standards but also strengthening their market position.
You can read our new briefing here. Please click here to learn more about our work in Peru or contact our Peru Coordinator, Daniela Velit, for further information.
This work has been made possible thanks to the generous support of @Size of Wales.

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