Impact Study

Toward a Sustainable Cocoa Sector

The SAN/Rainforest Alliance cocoa program has grown rapidly over the past five years, with just under 1 million hectares of cocoa farmland in 15 countries achieving SAN/Rainforest Alliance certification by the end of 2016. SAN/Rainforest Alliance Certified cocoa now composes 13.4 percent of the world’s cocoa supply, with increasing numbers of commitments by large cocoa buyers to source sustainable cocoa.

Now that the program has been in place for nearly two decades, it is critical to take stock of its results, reflect on successes and limitations, and consider how the program could be adjusted in the future to build on successes while addressing remaining challenges. This report answers the question: what have been the effects of the SAN/Rainforest Alliance cocoa program on cocoa-producing farms, households, and landscapes.