A systematic literature review was conducted on the impact of climate change on the quality definitions of cocoa in Ecuador, Ghana, and Indonesia using data from various search engines (Table 1). This systematic review followed the “preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses” (PRISMA) standards (Figure 1) [74]. The PRISMA checklist is detailed in the Appendix. The systematic literature search and the application of inclusion

Table 1. Database and Internet search protocol for studies on cocoa.

*Figures in parenthesis are reports or records assessed for eligibility (n = 124).

Figure 1. PRISMA flow diagram of the study selection.

criteria are consistent with review studies that identified an appropriate subcategory of literature [58][29][74]. Search terms, phrases, titles, and abstract screening were performed on 1,809 articles using the following inclusion or filtering criteria:

1) Studies that examined the effects of climate change on soil, shade, drying, cocoa variety, and pests in the identified countries from 2000 to 2023.

2) Studies with climate trends in identified countries from 2000 to 2080.

3) Studies with an explicit focus on predictions of climate change impact on precipitation, temperature, biodiversity, ecosystem services, soil, shade, drying, cocoa variety, and pests.

4) Studies that explicitly link the effects of adaptation and mitigation strategies of cocoa certification in Ghana, Indonesia, and Ecuador to the following: cocoa variety, pest, water, air, soil, ecosystem services, biodiversity, shade trees or agroforestry, and climate change from 2008 to 2023.

5) Original research (quantitative and qualitative reports) and all existing major English publications, review papers, and grey literature.

Additional literature was discovered by searching for references in the first set of documents. A final data extraction on 39 of the studies was performed.

This systematic review offers a unique opportunity to:

Explore the unaddressed, multifaceted issues of climate impact on the quality attributes of cocoa and the implications for sustainable geographical indication.Perform case studies and address questions relating to the minimum biophysical and environmental conditions required for producing quality cocoa in producer countries.Delve into potential adaptation strategies and scientific interventions to mitigate the adverse consequences of climate change on premium cocoa production, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts among researchers, policymakers, and certificates to foster resilience and develop sustainable environmental practices within the cocoa supply chain.

This study explores climate-related standards for cocoa production in Ecuador, Ghana, and Indonesia, aiming to understand climate mitigation and adaptation standards for sustainable premium cocoa production, focusing on certificates' potential for climate adaptation. The standards are designed to assist producers in adjusting to the effects of climate change (e.g., standards on soil management, water conservation, shading, and pest management). A literature review was conducted to investigate the codes of conduct, including, but limited to Fairtrade Climate Standard (pp. 40-48) (expected date of next review was 2020), the Fairtrade Standard for Hired Labour (2005: 41-52) (expected date of next review was 2019), and the Fairtrade Standard for Small-Scale Producer Organizations (pp. 17-33) (expected date of next review is 2024) [30][31]. Other standards examined include the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard (2019: 4-51) (applicable for Medium-Large Farms, draft Standard V2.0 for external consultation) and Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard (SAN, 2017: 37-48) [76][75]. A filtering criterion was established with a strict focus on environmental standards that only applied to crop production.

Moreover, all crop management standards required of producers to adapt tree crops to climate change, including shading or agroforestry, soil conservation, water and pesticide management practices were extracted. Furthermore, focusing on crop management standards and adaptation impacts, the findings of scientific studies on Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certification on cocoa production and the environment were summarized (Table 1). Another focus was to examine the climate change mitigation initiatives of cocoa certificates. As such, this study explored environmental standards, focusing on mitigation initiatives appropriately specified to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The essential adaptation and mitigation standards associated with the identified certificates were catalogued.

In this section, the major findings drawn from literature and documents containing standards of certificates are summarized. The application of search criteria for peer-reviewed studies resulted in 753 total documents. An initial assessment of abstracts, titles, and full articles and removing duplicates reduced this number to 124. The final evaluation against the inclusion criteria reduced this number to 29. Four more texts were identified after reviewing the cited references in these 29 articles. The selection criteria brought the number to 33 publications for data extraction: 19 for Ghana, 9 for Indonesia, and 5 for Ecuador.

An application of a search strategy for studies on certification impacts resulted in 1056 total documents. An initial assessment against the inclusion criteria reduced this number to 23. A subsequent, more detailed review, including a review of the full articles that only focused on the observed impacts of certification programmes in identified producer countries, brought the number to 6. Many publications were unsuitable for the review because this present retrospective study focused on management practices and voluntary standards of cocoa certificates for climate change adaptation and mitigation. In addition, the review was limited to the potential influence of local climate on geographical quality definitions of cocoa, which provides traditional producer countries with recognized “geographical indications.” It should be noted that the final number of 39 articles selected for the review did not include 5 independently scanned codes of conduct of certificates.

The findings suggest variations in the climate patterns in leading producer countries, with projected effects varying among the countries. All three countries are projected to have higher temperatures based on the analyzed climate change model [39][62][85][19]. On a regional basis, there is an unambiguous indication of a consistent rise in annual and monthly temperature and precipitation (Table 2). The most severe effects are anticipated in cocoa-producing locations in Ghana and Ecuador (above 2˚C). Despite the existing high temperatures associated with the El Niño effect, Indonesia’s climate is predicted to be relatively higher (1.7˚C high). Projections show that the annual rainfall in Ecuador and Indonesia will rise significantly. As a result, the climatic suitability of the current cocoa-growing regions in all three nations will reduce considerably by 2050 (Table 2).

In this subsection, the study explores the impact of climate change on biophysical conditions in cocoa-producing countries, focusing on selected producer countries (Table 3).

Table 2. Summary of climate projections for producer countries from 2020 to 2080.

Table 3. List of cocoa-producing countries, certificates, and varieties.

3.3.1. Ghana: Hybrid Cocoa

Hybrid cocoa is the dominant variety in Ghana. [100] shows that high-quality, premium-priced Ghanaian cacao beans are about 10% higher than the world market average market price due to favourable climatic conditions in cocoa-growing areas. Rising temperatures, potentially reaching 38˚C in cocoa-growing regions within West Africa’s cocoa belt, pose a significant threat to Ghana’s bulk cocoa [32][7][86]. Ghana’s cocoa production, reliant on less advanced technology, is vulnerable to climate change, with the average temperature expected to rise by up to 2˚C in 2050, which would result in an enhanced drought (Table 2). Higher temperatures may increase cocoa tree evapotranspiration, leading to severe water stress on the trees [86]. The situation suggests that cocoa plant water requirements may change due to potential droughts, which could impact cocoa pod quality and potentially lead to reduced yields. The drought stress may cause a concentration of quality cocoa production in a few regions of Ghana [86]. By 2050, the Western region, Eastern region, and Ashanti region will be the most climatically favourable for cocoa production [62][7][86]. The existing favourable climate in these areas has influenced cocoa productivity and quality. A few cocoa-growing regions, such as Volta, Central, and Brong-Ahafo could be adversely affected by a change in climate and biophysical conditions [86]. The situation is the case for Ghana as cocoa yields along climatic gradients and increases significantly from less climatically favourable locations to more favourable humid locations [1]. Climate change and longer growing seasons can increase cocoa pests and pathogens, causing seasonal changes in host resistance and disease physiology [6][42]. Certain shade trees in cocoa-growing regions in Ghana exhibit limited resilience to extreme climates, a location-specific issue due to the varying impacts of climate on shade trees [3]. [60] demonstrated that soil quality in six cocoa-growing locations in Ghana varies due to precipitation, with the Western region having the highest quality, followed by Brong Ahafo and Volta regions. Ghana’s soil fertility status, particularly in Ashanti, Central, and Eastern regions, is characterized by low suitability for cocoa cultivation due to changes in pH and CEC (ibid.). The Western, Brong Ahafo, Ashanti, and Eastern regions are semi-deciduous zones of high rainfall. The optimal soil conditions required for cocoa growth are more prevalent in these areas [51]. It is worth noting that increased rainfall (on average, 44 mm per day) leads to soil erosion, which affects crop production in Ghana [21]. Changes in biophysical characteristics impact Ghana’s premium cocoa, with Ghana’s cocoa production declining from 969,000 tons in 2016/2017 to 900,000 tons in 2018/2019 [46].

3.3.2. Indonesia: KakaoLindak

Indonesia’s cocoa-growing areas are predicted to experience significant climate change in the coming decades, potentially overwhelming the production of Kakao Lindak on the island of Sulawesi, which accounts for 75% of the country’s cocoa production (Table 2). Indonesia’s cocoa areas experience warmer climates than West Africa, indicating no significant environmental risks due to the absence of noticeable adverse impacts. However, periodic droughts in main production centres in Eastern Indonesia associated with El Niño and ENSO cause prolonged drying, leading to seedling mortality, cocoa yield loss, and increased witches’ broom disease infection rates. Expansion of farms leads to deforestation, causing increased temperatures and reduced rainfall, affecting soil moisture content and biodiversity [81][39][101]. Cocoa production in areas without shade worsens due to shorter dry seasons, causing pod failure and affecting bean yield and size [101]. Prolonged drying and extreme rainfall significantly impact the quantity and quality of beans (ibid.). Prolonged wet seasons have been linked to increased fungal diseases (Phytophthorapalmivora), fruit rot, and a slowdown in the drying process of cocoa beans [82]. Indonesia’s cocoa regions may experience a decrease in yield due to a decline in climatically suitable areas [101][67]. Disease-infested pods increase cocoa processing costs, and cocoa production decreased from 400,000 tons in 2012/2013 to 220,000 tons in 2018/2019 [67][46]. Climate change is causing a 1.80% annual loss in Indonesia’s cocoa area from 2003-2022, with young plants dropping at the fastest rate of 6.62% per year. Despite a minor increase in output, Indonesia dropped from fourth to seventh in the world’s cocoa production rankings [82].

3.3.3. Ecuador: Cocoa Nacional/Arriba

The equatorial Pacific’s seasonal warming is linked to increased temperatures in cocoa-growing regions (Table 2). Due to the country’s terrain and equatorial location, the beans have a range of flavours—fruity or nutty [18]. Due to climate change, the global production of fine-flavoured cocoa beans decreased from 320,000 tons in 2015/2016 to 298,000 tons in 2018/2019. Climate change impacts cocoa-growing regions, leading to disease infestations and fungal infestations that affect the quality and flavour of cocoa beans. In 2017, the El-Niño phenomenon influenced the increased incidence of Monk pest infestations.The fungus (e.g., Moniliophthoraroreri) characteristically outbreaks during the rainy season when temperature and humidity conditions are favourable, causing watery cocoa rot. The condition caused the cocoa beans to deteriorate further. Unfavourable rainfall causes pods to rot before they can be harvested. Cocoa trees in other regions restricted pod development due to increased water requirements and high temperatures [48]. Due to the occurrence of the event, cocoa lost its appeal to producers which led to the replacement of cocoa with more profitable crops such as bananas and coffee. Ecuador’s position as a top exporter of fine beans was affected by plant disease and the rise of new outstanding cultivars in Africa and Asia [18]. Ecuadorian cocoa exporters require cocoa beans without moniliaroreri blend, smoke contamination, and 15% humidity. However, a fungus-blend issue arises from unnatural drying in an optimum climate. The situation makes Ecuadorian producers face a significant challenge in adapting cocoa to climate change while meeting high requirements [53].

This study considered the top cocoa certificates that promote sustainable and fair cocoa farming practices. The Rainforest Alliance and Utz, which merged in January 2018, along with Fairtrade, were among the certificates evaluated [25][47]. Results of this study indicate emissions of greenhouse gases from agricultural activities are a crucial topic in discussions on climate change mitigation [34]. It should be noted that agriculture soil management contributes to greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide, methane, and carbon dioxide, which are primarily produced as by-products of soil transformations in the nitrogen and carbon cycles. Fossil fuel use in agricultural practices, alongside methods that reduce carbon levels and alter soil organic matter, is the primary contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade advocate for scientific practices to promote energy efficiency and mitigate climate change, focusing on renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies for agriculture.

“Carbon counting” is a critical component of Fairtrade climate standards. Carbon accounting is for the accurate tracking of evaporation and transpiration in agricultural fields. Implementing measures to decrease emissions and prevent significant human intervention in the climate system can potentially stabilize greenhouse gas levels and enable natural ecosystem adaptation [50]. Both certificates mandate buffer zones for natural ecosystem preservation and prohibit logging of “virgin forests,” while Rainforest Alliance standards showcase agroforestry management practices for biomass improvement. A well-managed agroforestry system can effectively combat climate change by reducing emissions and sequestering atmospheric carbon [26][42]. The results indicate that the Rainforest Alliance certification promotes tree planting, which can enhance landscape diversity and benefit the environment. Implementing these management practices in specific cocoa-growing regions can yield substantial advantages (Table4). According to [26], reforestation is a sustainable method that effectively mitigates the negative effects of deforestation, thereby reducing emissions. Certificates’ standards significantly increased awareness about forest management as a crucial measure to combat climate change, ensuring efficient utilization of forests by adhering to strict ethics. In addition, the standards aim to maximize forest benefits by reducing methane emissions, increasing biomass energy use, and serving as a carbon sink [37][8].

Climate change impacts cocoa production, necessitating effective management of water, soil resources, shade trees, and pest control to ensure high-quality cocoa [2][3]. The results of this study indicate the conservation practices, crop management, and adaptation techniques required to balance crop needs and minimize system vulnerability and stressors.

3.5.1. Soil and Water Management Practices Applied to Climate Change Adaptation

Climate change impacts on cocoa producers can be mitigated by promoting water conservation and soil management practices, enhancing irrigation efficiency,

Table4. Energy and GHG emissions reduction practices applied to climate change mitigation.

and promoting sustainable water use in cocoa-growing regions. Timely irrigation, crop rotation, and conservation practices like the use of cover crops and maintaining ground cover can significantly reduce water loss and evapotranspiration rates, ultimately enhancing soil quality in drier regions experiencing severe droughts. The Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade have similar standards for soil conservation practices. However, the standards of the Rainforest Alliance recommend contour planting. Implementing these practices can enhance agricultural land’s net carbon sequestration potential, reduce erosion rates, and improve nitrogen-use efficiency, paving the way for a sustainable transition [33][13]. The review indicates the Rainforest Alliance has more stringent and precise standards regarding water-use efficiency and soil quality (Table 5). The significance of employing system approaches to adaptation and fostering resilient production becomes more pronounced as the severity of climate impacts escalates. It is worth noting that encouraging transformative climate-smart cocoa production is critical for the continuing development of systemic or incremental adaptation (Figure 2). Certificates may consider

Table 5. Soil and water management recommendations applied to climate change adaptation.

Figure 2. Certification intervention towards sustainable, climate-resilient production. (Source: Author’s elaboration).

research or policies prioritizing systemic adaptation such as pest and disease control, improving soil nutrient retention, and shade management. A technology beyond providing shade trees, water management, rapid communication of research, and successful extension can be considered as part of systemic adaptation efforts [15]. Considering scaling up efforts for a continuous transformation or incremental adaptation, certificates may consider additional rewards for ecosystem management and making research findings available to farmers (Figure 2). This finding is consistent with previous research that observed a positive impact of certification programmes on sustainable cocoa. “The RA certification had a positive impact on producers’ income, savings, and cocoa bean production. Cooperatives increased their cocoa quality: measures of flavour, colour, amount of foreign matter, and moisture content have improved across the board. While operations in Ecuador and Indonesia have been halfway successful, there are indications that operations in Ghana have enhanced farmers’ practices related to soil and crop fertilization. Other practices include preventing soil erosion, positive changes in forest conditions, and biodiversity over time” [69].“The focus of the Rainforest Alliance and the distribution of environmental requirements within the standard are observable. ‘Rainforest Alliance has much broader standards and offers unlimited potential to deal with the environmental problems of the Indonesian cocoa sector’. On the other hand, a definite advantage to introducing Fairtrade certification in Indonesia would be to focus on more social issues but also to strengthen agricultural cooperatives, from which the communities can benefit through development plans” [54].

3.5.2. Shade Management Practices Applied to Climate Change Adaptation

Shading aids in adaptation by reducing extreme wind, throughfall, and elevated temperature impacts [59][62][72]. Certification standards on shade management involve planting trees and establishing vegetation, with minimum tree requirements on farms (Table 6). Rainforest Alliance certificate encourages producers to adopt high-shade practices. The certificate supports the allocation of trees for suitable crops to protect biodiversity and reduce disease and pest risks. Farms with adequate shade can safeguard biodiversity and reduce diseases and pests when maintained properly [84][83][78][92][16][4]. However, in certain cocoa-producing countries, it is still a paradox that some cocoa producers refuse to accept that shading can be advantageous for cocoa growth [79][5]. Despite the potential issues associated with excessive shading during long dry seasons, it can significantly enhance the chemical composition of cocoa beans [71].

3.5.3. Pest Management Applied to Climate Change Adaptation

Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance standards acknowledge chemicals affecting bean quality, such as pesticides and herbicides. Chemical classification helps inform technical officers and farmers about their nature and toxicity. Safety standards restrict certain chemicals for environmental promotion, while agrochemical classification by certificates and labels enforces nonconformity (Table 7). For example, standards prohibit farmers from combating weeds with herbicides and chemicals under the “Red List”. Both certificates establish non-application zones in producing areas to conserve water quality and reduce agrochemical off-site carriage. Additional pest management strategies may focus on crop and tree selection and interaction, as interaction affects insect frequency, with monophagous insects restricted to specific host plants. In contrast, insects with a vast host range (e.g., polyphagous insects) multiply on several host plants [77][95].

Table6. Shading/Agroforestry recommendations applied to climate change adaptation.

Table7. Pest management recommendations applied to climate change adaptation.

The impact of climate change on sustainable cocoa was examined in this research by evaluating the forecasts in leading cocoa-producing countries. Prior studies primarily focused on the negative impacts of climate change on cocoa-growing regions in top cocoa-producing countries due to elevated temperatures and drought [62][86][85]. The uncertainty in future climate projections poses a significant knowledge gap, but climate variability is expected to significantly impact optimal growing conditions in the coming decades (Table 2). Studies examined highlight the need for adaptation planning in cocoa-growing regions due to the overall biophysical shift problems associated with climate change. This present research shows that climate change may significantly influence soil chemical properties and nutrient release, which, in turn, harms the organoleptic properties of existing premium cocoa varieties. The metabolic requirements of plant growth enhancers, soil food web stability, and soil fertility are expected to be influenced by the effects of climate change [41][68][57][91][80]. The predicted inadequate total cation exchange capacity (35%) and soil pH of 5.0 - 7.5 resulting from climate change are expected to lead to soil nutrition problems in producing countries, and the rapidly changing climate may exacerbate the situation [44]. This negative impact will affect the quality of cherelles and pod size that rely on soil nutrients for maturation (ibid). High temperatures cause prolonged water stress, harming cocoa genetic variability and climate change may exacerbate these threats. Elevated temperature affects the lipid content and genotypes of cocoa [22][23][9]. Climate and edaphic changes in Ecuador are expected to significantly influence the flavour and genotype of cocoa [90]. Ghana’s fluctuating temperatures induce soil fertility heterogeneity, cocoa quality, and yield, with wetland and midland regions having higher organic carbon content than dry areas [1]. The findings of this study indicate that climate variations impact cocoa quality and yield, with Ghana at risk of inhibition of the Theobromine and Flavonoids in its hybrid variety. To address the issue effectively, certificates can promote locally produced liming materials, manure, and organic residues to enhance soil pH and CEC in Ghana and Indonesia [10][60]. Efficient soil management strategies may optimize water use, conserve organic matter, and improve carbon sink function, contributing to nutrient supply and long-term carbon sequestration due to climate change effects. The knowledge gap in implementing quality response experiments for enhancing soil and water quality in premium cocoa production remains substantial. Ghana’s Hybrid cocoa will thrive in specific climate-appropriate regions, while other locations may face challenges like severe drought and temperature-related pests. Increased temperatures and drought in Indonesia threaten the decomposition rate of soil organic matter in cocoa locations. Hydrological conditions and elevated temperatures may cause a shorter dry season, impacting cocoa bean size and potentially affecting fruit tree phenology in Indonesia [63][101]. The extreme drought effects in Indonesia cause significant production yield losses ranging from 10% to 46% [87].

Prior studies increasingly recognized agroforestry as a climate change mitigation tool [26][52][42]. This study indicates that cocoa regions in three producer countries need precautionary mitigation strategies to ensure positive environmental and economic outcomes (Box1). Well-managed agroforestry has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fossil fuel usage by minimizing the use of organic fertilizer inputs. The findings of this study highlight limited standards for reducing fossil fuel emissions, emphasizing the need for GHG reduction initiatives. Additionally, the findings emphasize the need to categorize emissions from natural sources, supply chains, and land use changes. Explicit standards for efficient manure application and nitrogen fertilizers can reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

Box1. Biophysical GHG mitigation potential.

Cocoa genotypes that are resistant to heat stress and have efficient water use traits may be recognized and utilized [2]. Planting shade trees can be an effective measure to safeguard cocoa plants from elevated temperatures and enhance soil functionality [13]. Shading is a viable alternative to minimize the susceptibility of cocoa to heat stress and improve soil function. Due to elevated temperatures, the buffering capacity of shade trees against drought can benefit arid areas of producer countries (Box 2). The findings of this research are consistent with previous studies that showed Rainforest Alliance has a high-shade measure necessary for climate change adaptation [27][38][54]. In Ghana and Indonesia, the optimum use of shade trees to protect cocoa from elevated temperatures seems to be the optimum conservation practice [6][59][92][79][85]. Projections of high precipitation in Indonesia and Ecuador may require shade trees to reduce throughfall to protect cocoa from heavy raindrops [70]. Promoting technical efficiency and robust innovation systems are the best strat-egies for producers’ resilience to drought in Indonesia [56][87]. Moreover, soil management practices, such as improving nitrogen-use efficiency and preventing erosion, can enhance soil fertility and water-use efficiency in cocoa farms. Considering incremental adaptation efforts, certificates may consider introducing an ideal amount of the most nutrient-efficient shade tree species to increase biomass [73]. Future research would be critical to determine whether shading and shade density standards compromise shade thresholds in certain cocoa-growing regions. The growth of pests and diseases caused by dry-wet cycles threatens cocoa [84][6]. It is worth mentioning that some fungicides and pesticides can significantly reduce cocoa yield and quality in dry periods [2]. Due to the threats of climate change, certificates may focus on developing location-specific adaptive measures to increase the resilience of production systems to disease and pest risks. Additionally, certificates may focus on well-designed integrated pest management (IPM) to minimize interference in cocoa ecosystems [95].

Box2. Adaptation strategies.

The agronomic practices and edaphic conditions required for attaining “territory-based geographical indications or place-based intellectual property” can be influenced by projected drought or excessive heat in producer countries [20]. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into the potential challenges that cocoa-producing countries may face in maintaining the distinct flavours and characteristics of their cocoa amidst changing climatic conditions. This present study posits that, just like wine, chocolate reflects the environment where the bean is produced, dried, and fermented [18]. The anticipated rise in climatic differences between wet and dry regions will significantly limit geographical quality. The condition suggests a potential decrease in the organoleptic quality of existing cocoa varieties, potentially leading to countries with favourable climates gradually dominating the cocoa market. The concern brings attention to two significant biophysical impacts of climate change. On the one hand, the challenges in quality cocoa production are expected to cause a shift in production areas, creating both opportunities and threats within and between countries [86]. On the other hand, producing high-quality cocoa in certain producer countries may cease unless more drought or heat-tolerant varieties are developed. In an extreme situation, progressive crop change is the most likely climate-resilient strategy to protect geographical indications (GIs) in producer countries [86][85]. However, a longer planning horizon is required for crop change and the adoption of modern science-based methods to improve conditions (ibid). These proposed methods appear to be unachievable mechanisms for maintaining the credence attributes of products or GIs. Despite these critical issues, future bioclimatic suitability in producer countries could lead to a more even distribution of cocoa production, depending on available adaptation mechanisms. Certificates may partition agricultural lands in producer countries to implement standards, encouraging the zoning of cocoa-growing regions for investment in adaptation plans within specific zones. Zoning can sustainably increase cocoa production in areas less susceptible to climate change, compensating gains in one location for losses in other cocoa-growing regions [85]. Because spatial changes in agroclimatic zones allow agroecological zoning, a probable expansion could benefit less shade-tolerant varieties. In addition, an expansion approach will allow homologous climate zones to adapt to cocoa management strategies [16]. These effective agronomic strategies can help maintain the cost and quality of trademarks without altering production processes.

In another potential scenario, certificates and producer countries may explore redistribution and substitution options to enhance cocoa cultivation in response to future climatic conditions [12]. For instance, in the coming years, the predicted higher rainfall and temperatures for Ghana and Ecuador may suit a variety from Indonesia (above 30˚C projected). Varietal substitution would promote sustainability by replacing less productive varieties with suitable ones. The substitution strategy is not for achieving sustainability only but has the potential to compensate for losses in certain countries by replacing less productive cocoa varieties with more productive ones.

Certification assistance programmes that prioritize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aspects, along with sustainable practices, to safeguard the credence attributes of products and emphasize product differentiation can reduce the risk of producer countries losing geographical indications (GIs) or place-based intellectual property. Producer countries must effectively engage with the growing importance of ESG, allowing growers a pathway to environmental, social, and governance certification. To preserve the quality trademarks of cocoa without changing production processes, producer countries may prioritize viable adaptation and marketing standards for GIs. Because the connection between a commodity and its original place of production makes GIs achievable, efficient preservation of production processes and cocoa quality attributes is necessary to adapt geographical indications [24][102][20].

This study examined the impacts of climate change on the biophysical environment of cocoa and the adaptation and mitigation potential of cocoa certificates. However, there are several limitations regarding analyses on standards of certificates that should be considered when interpreting these analyses. The scope of this research was restricted to environmental standards while looking for climate-related standards. Furthermore, the eligibility criteria for determining suitable articles for this research did not allow for the inclusion of complete texts written in Spanish or French. As such, there are limited facts considering expected climate impacts on cocoa and the actual role of certificates in non-English speaking producer countries (e.g., Ivory Coast). The situation may explain why few English studies were available for a case study on Ecuador, considering the topic.