This form of cultivation is used as a method to restore the forest canopy on abandoned cattle pasture and other areas of deforested agricultural land.
[8] With improved soil structure, crops produced via regenerative farming contain higher levels of certain vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals.
Cacao trees, which are native to the rainforests of Ecuador,[11] are naturally adapted to survive and thrive in the understory of the tropical forest.
[12] This, combined with the ever-increasing global demand for chocolate, makes cacao trees an ideal component of agroforestry plantations in the tropics.
[15] The luxury Ecuadorian chocolate company To’ak and the rainforest conservation organization TMA (Third Millennium Alliance) jointly manage a regenerative cacao project in coastal Ecuador, specifically with the agricultural communities that surround the Jama-Coaque Ecological Reserve.
TMA provides local farmers with start-up capital, seedlings, irrigation equipment, and financial incentives to convert deforested land into regenerative forests.
The program is financed by carbon offset revenue, which provides bridge income to the farmers for the first five years, before the cacao trees reach productive age.
[18][19] Ancient Nacional cacao is believed to be cultivated in only three appellations in the world: in the Jama-Coaque mountains and the valley of Piedra de Plata in Ecuador,[20][21] and in Marañón Canyon in Peru.