Info Note: Peru Cacao Alliance: Carbon sequestration as a co-benefit of cacao expansion

This info note is part of a series analyzing low emissions agricultural practices in USAID development projects, with a specific focus on carbon sequestration as a co-benefit of cacao expansion. This info note presents information on the Peru Cacao Alliance (PCA), a public-private partnership that works with cacao farmers in the Ucayali, San Martín and Huánuco regions of the Amazon basin. Established in 2012, PCA was a 4-year project implemented by Carana Corporation and funded through USAID’s alternative development initiative. 

 

Included in the info note is information on low emission development, the agricultural and environmental context of Peru, agricultural practices that impact greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and carbon sequestration, a summary of projected GHG emission and carbon sequestration co-benefits, GHG emission intensity and methods for estimating emissions. 

 

The info note explains that the PCA project has contributed to climate change mitigation and reduced emissions intensity for cacao through improved carbon sequestration and increased yields. PCA improved cacao postharvest handling by building knowledge and capacity in producer organizations.