Transformative change: Rethinking biodiversity and equity in coffee and cocoa value chains

Did you know that farmers earn just 6 per cent of the revenue from every chocolate bar you buy at the supermarket? Besides cocoa, other products which are among the leading causes of deforestation and biodiversity loss in tropical regions include coffee, palm oil, soy, and beef. It is clear that our food systems need an urgent transformative change to tackle these pressing social and environmental challenges. This blog introduces the Transformative Change for Biodiversity and Equity (TCforBE) project and explore how transformative different stakeholders can implement different transformative change strategies and actions to make coffee and cocoa value chains more biodiverse and equitable.

The term ‘transformative change’ has gained traction across academia, public institutions, the private sector and social movements. IPBES (2019) defines it as ‘a fundamental, system-wide reorganization across technological, economic, and social factors, including paradigms, goals, and values.’ But what does it truly entail? And can it help to tackle some of the world’s most pressing wicked problems – such as biodiversity loss, climate change, and poverty – or is it merely another academic buzzword with little real-world impact?

Coffee and cocoa are two of the most coveted commodities globally. They are produced primarily in tropical regions to satisfy the increasing demand in industrialised countries. Coffee cultivation was expanded worldwide in the 19th century, driven by the rise in European demand and fuelled by colonial and post-colonial labour systems. In Mexico, for example, German immigrants introduced large-scale coffee plantations (haciendas), which in the mid-20th century transitioned into smallholder cooperatives. In Mexico, with the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), smallholder coffee producers faced a highly competitive international market, forcing many to adapt by shifting toward specialty markets such as organic coffee, bird-friendly coffee and fair-trade coffee. While these markets have contributed to more stable incomes for farmers in Mexico and several other countries, and have supported the preservation of traditional agricultural practices, they have yet to make a substantial impact on reducing poverty or effectively addressing environmental degradation (Benitez-Kanter et al., 2020). Similarly, cocoa production in West Africa and Latin America continues to grapple with complex challenges, including inadequate compensation for farmers, persistent child labour, gender disparities, an aging farming population, and declining yields driven by climate change and the accelerated spread of pests and diseases (Fountain & Hütz-Adams, 2020).

Although European consumers are very much aware of environmental and human rights issues, purchasing behaviour in supermarkets often prioritises flavour, affordability, familiarity over sustainability. This paradox, known as the behavioural-action gap, is influenced by inflation, lack of clear information, and cognitive biases (White et al., 2019). Sustainability certifications, labelling policies and corporate social responsibility initiatives have not meaningfully addressed the structural inequalities in global value chains. Many smallholder farmers remain below the poverty threshold of $2.15 per day (UN, 2022), while coffee and cocoa production continues to drive deforestation and biodiversity loss across the tropics. Clearly, a more profound systemic shift – a transformative change – is needed to create a more equitable and sustainable future.

A critical question emerges: should sustainability strategies focus solely on producers and consumers, or do they need to engage all stakeholders along the value chain? Transformative change requires shifts at multiple levels, occurring rapidly and profoundly, yet not necessarily in a linear fashion. At the TCforBE project, we argue that fostering meaningful change starts with understanding the values, perceptions, and motivations of all actors within the system – from producers and traders, to policymakers, social movements, non-governmental organisations, the academia, and consumers. There is no single blueprint for transformation, and imposing top-down solutions can ignore the realities experiences by those most affected by them.

To catalyse transformative change, we emphasise co-creation – engaging diverse stakeholders in designing sustainability pathways which are both inclusive and actionable. Our approach incorporates participatory methodologies, such as serious games-defined by Speelman et al. (2023) as ‘games designed for serious purposes and not for entertainment’ which support predetermined goals and keep the user interested. Serious games have several advantages. On the one hand, they are a form of interaction among different stakeholders who would otherwise not interact with each other. On the other hand, the game itself is a form of transformation, where participants can, for example, imagine the feelings of the producers or traders when trying to sell their cocoa.

When the game was played at the Chocoa 2024 conference, a participant involved in international chocolate trade stepped into the shoes of cocoa producers: "While playing, I felt deeply connected with the producers and traders and with the environment. We were truly struggling for producing and selling the cocoa, at a time when we wanted our children to stay in school [as opposed to work on the cocoa fields]. This made me think about the role that we can play to improve the economic conditions of the producers." This example illustrates how serious games can provide a platform to explore diverse perspectives on issues such as biodiversity and equity within the cocoa value chain. They hold the transformative potential to cultivate empathy, foster understanding, and inspire meaningful action in addressing complex, interconnected challenges like biodiversity loss and poverty.

The urgency of climate change, biodiversity loss, and rural poverty calls for bold, systemic shifts. If we truly want to make cocoa and coffee value chains more sustainable, we must move beyond producer and consumer-focused strategies and embrace multi-stakeholder collaboration, participatory governance, and context-specific solutions. Transformative change is not just an academic concept ; it is a necessary and practical approach to reshape the world’s food systems for the better and for all.

Each time you visit the supermarket, consider that choosing sustainable products is more than just a trend; it is a vital step toward promoting biodiversity conservation and social equity. However, while individual choices matter, transformative change cannot rest on individuals alone. Achieving truly sustainable coffee and chocolate requires aligning diverse values, perspectives, and motivations, and strengthening collaboration among stakeholders across the entire value chain. Ultimately, we also need to support strategies at multiple governance levels that reconnect people with nature and with one another, because lasting deeper changes happen when collective efforts come together.

References

Benitez Kanter, M., Pinto, L. S., Lugo, E. I. E., & Fernández, L. A. P. (2020). Huertos familiares y alimentación de grupos domésticos cafetaleros en la Sierra Madre de Chiapas, México.Agricultura, Sociedad y Desarrollo,17(1), 27-56.

Fountain, A., & Hütz-Adams, F. (2020). Cocoa barometer 2020. In:Cocoa barometer 2020: Fountain, Antonie & Hütz-Adams, Friedel. SÜDWIND eV-Institut für Ökonomie und Ökumene. Bonn, Germany. 119 pp.

IPBES. (2019). Global Assessment Report on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

Speelman, E. N., Escano, E., Marcos, D., & Becu, N. (2023). Serious games and citizen science; from parallel pathways to greater synergies. Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability, 64, 101320.

UN. (2022). The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022. United Nations.

White, K., Habib, R., & Hardisty, D. J. (2019). How to SHIFT consumer behaviors to be more sustainable: A literature review and guiding framework.Journal of marketing,83(3), 22-49.

Extra information

Go here to read more about the TCforBE project and in what ways FNP is contributing.

Read more about the influential Transformative Change Report by IPBES.

FNP will organise a talk and discussion about transformative change and the IPBES report on Tuesday 6 May 12:00h, in Gaia 1, Wageningen Campus.

Photo at top: Coffee plants in Mexico (phot Marina Benitez Kanter)