In this episode, Professor Chris Marquis is joined by Keith Bearden, CEO of Alter Eco, a pioneering chocolate company that supports smallholder cacao farmers—typically working 12–15 acre plots in Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Peru— in transitioning away from risky monocultures toward dynamic agroforestry systems. By interplanting cacao with limes, mangoes, passionfruit, avocados, plantains, and even new coconut plantings in the DR, these farmers are building diversified incomes and more resilient ecosystems: deeper roots that tap groundwater in droughts, richer soils, cooler canopy cover, and higher yields over time. Keith also explains the cooperative structures and hands-on agronomy support that make this shift possible and why financing is essential when you’re asking farmers to cut out a third of existing cacao and wait years for new trees to mature. He reflects on Alter Eco’s long-standing commitment to accountability, as an early B Corp (since 2009) and climate neutral company (since 2010), and its use of Fair for Life to pay roughly 30% premiums that reach farming families. Keith leaves listeners with a grounded call to action: that every purchase is a vote, and that choosing chocolate rooted in responsibility, farmer partnership, and ecosystem health can help transform an industry.
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