Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Peru is recorded as the second largest organic cacao producer and the second largest coca producer
in the world. Consequently, the demand has made cacao an important alternative crop for coca.
Cacao can just be grown around the equator and is therefore an attractive cash-crop for export to
countries in Europe and North America. Therefore governments, enterprises and non-governmental
organisations are supporting organic cultivations of cacao.
This thesis has the objective to find out the situation of the livelihood of cacao producers in the
process of becoming certified cacao producers. What challenges and which hopes were considered
by the woman and man in the households? Would there be clear divides of work locations relating
to gender, and who was responsible for making the decisions in the family?
By the use of semi-structured interviews and participating practical methods, ten families in the
district of Irazola in the Peruvian Amazon were selected. The study proved customary roles of
women in charge of domestic work, children and small animals while men were more often
working in the fields and going to meetings. Off-farm work for women was found to be selling food
on the main street, while men were driving taxis and worked as technicians. Decision and opinions
were more similar within households than between women and men as a group. Although men often
had the main responsibility over money and decision for instance to become part of the certification
process. The farmers - women and men - wished to grow more cacao trees so they could afford
education for their children, a better house, move to other places, start a restaurant or shop.
There have not been many studies of small-holding cacao producers in Latin America and therefore
this study is useful to draw examples from without making any generalisations.