WOMAN COCOA FARMER: A SOCIOECONOMIC ANALYSIS IN MUNICIPALITIES OF THE TRANSAMAZONIC REGION, STATE OF PARÁ
Rural women, Cocoa farming, Gender equality; Amazon.
Cocoa farming is one of the main agricultural activities in the state of Pará, with the Transamazon region standing out as its primary production hub. Although family farming plays a central role in this context, the leadership of women in cocoa production remains largely underrecognized and undervalued, despite their strong presence across all stages of the value chain. This institutional and statistical invisibility limits women’s access to public policies and hinders the development of more equitable and inclusive strategies. This dissertation aims to analyze the socioeconomic and productive profile of women managing cocoa-producing units in four municipalities of the Transamazon region of Pará, with emphasis on the challenges they face regarding access to land, rural credit, technical assistance, and participation in social organizations. The study is based on primary data collected during a panel survey conducted between July and August 2023, covering 49 women. Although the data were originally collected with a focus on production, they were reinterpreted here through a gender lens. The results show that most women managers have low levels of formal education, self-identify as mixed race (parda), and manage small properties, generally under 100 hectares. Cocoa production is predominantly carried out in conventional systems, with low levels of fermentation or organic certification, although practices such as shading and fertilization are relatively common. Access to rural credit is sporadic, mainly directed at purchasing transport equipment and lacking technical guidance. Technical assistance is discontinuous and rarely tailored to gender-specific needs. Only 41% of the women reported receiving any form of guidance in recent years. Institutional participation is also limited: 67% of the interviewees are not part of any collective organization. It is concluded that, despite some progress, the empowerment of women in the cocoa sector of the Transamazon region still faces structural barriers. There is an urgent need to redesign public policies through a gender-sensitive lens that promotes the recognition of women as producers, expands access to resources, and creates conditions for their full autonomy and permanence in rural territories.