We investigate whether the social capital present in the native Amazonian communities and/or agricultural associations can promote sustainable cocoa agriculture in rural Amazonia, or whether, conversely, it makes the population more vulnerable to the negative socio-environmental effects of unsustainable agriculture and deforestation processes. Social capital in this context refers to the ability of actors to secure benefits by virtue of membership of social networks or other social structures (Bourdieu, 1985; Coleman 1988; Putnam, 2003; Portes, 1998; Ramírez, 2005). Therefore, we ask the following question: How does the social capital present in the associative connections of indigenous and non-indigenous Amazonian cocoa producers influence their adoption of sustainable soil practices?

In our study, (i) we analyze the social capital present in the Amazonian native communities and agricultural associations connected to cocoa cultivation; (ii) we describe the soil practices of cocoa producers in Peruvian Amazonia, differentiating between indigenous and non-indigenous; and (iii) we explain the relationship that the social capital of indigenous and non-indigenous cocoa producing association members has with the adoption of soil practices.

We find that it is not enough to belong to an association or a native community to ensure the adoption of sustainable soil practices, but that, nonetheless social capital can minimize the collective problem of soil degradation and ensure positive externalities for conservation, if certain conditions, which are analyzed in this study, are met.