Exploring the Role of Community Organizations as Environmental Vulnerability Insurance for Cacao Smallholders in Colombia : Strategies for Achieving Equitable Prices Through Spatial Analysis

Replacing illicit crops with cacao in Colombia's South-Pacific region involves social-ecological restoration, linked to local and international NGOs' roles. Technical improvements are contingent on social progress to support vulnerable Afro-Colombian communities in a territory typically dominated by illicit crops. This transition is not just economic but crucial for post-conflict agreements and violence reduction. This paper analyses the determinants of differences in the selling price of cacao, assuming that the decision to be able to sell cacao dry and access international markets is more likely related to the support and assistance provided to farmers and their families than to the monetary price they receive. To be able to obtain a sustainable production of quality dry cacao is conditioned by access to adequate infrastructures. And, without access to this higher quality production, the substitution of illicit crops does not seem viable, and with it, the environmental sustainability and social cohesion of the territory. This research delves into the determinants of farmers' ability to sell dry cacao through a spatial econometric model that considers the influence of the related neighbourhoods. Our findings show that increasing the participation of producers in community councils supported by international NGOs is fundamental to deal with environmental risks