Ngobe cultural values of cacao and sustainable development in western Panama
Abstract
This thesis examines questions of conservation and development pertaining to the Ngöbe,
an indigenous group in western Panama, with a focus on cacao (Theobroma cacao Linn.)
agroforestry. A political ecology framework is applied to cacao agroforestry as sustainable
development amongst the Ngöbe in a historical context. Through research based on both
academic and grey literature, as well as an unpublished thesis, I discuss Ngöbe symbolic values
of cacao in the context of conservation and development trends in the region. I make specific
reference to the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC), a transnational conservation program
which promotes cacao agroforestry in Ngöbe communities. I conclude that future conservation
efforts should be directed towards the development of policies that enhance broader Ngöbe
values for cacao and should not rely overwhelmingly on market-based criteria.
URI
http://purl.galileo.usg.edu/uga_etd/stoike_jeffrey_j_200908_mshttp://hdl.handle.net/10724/25957