PANGUINTZA - In Ecuador, cocoa farmers with UN financing and the support of a Dutch Foundation implemented blockchain technology to undermine the market power of big food companies and create more transparency in international supply chains. It’s a desperate intent to fight back illegal gold mining in the Amazon and generate more income for peasants.

Journalists went to the remote village of Panguintza where the blockchain experiment took place and investigated how it works as well as the social, economic, and ecologic impacts. Although the declared aim of the project to replace development aid with trade is still out of reach, the blockchain has the power to make visible inequalities and generate more income for the cocoa growers, but falls shortof changing the unequal terms of trade inherent to thestructure of international cash crop markets.

Supported
€15.000 allocated on 23/02/2022
ID:
ENV1/2022/057
Grant:
Environmental Journalism

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