Decommodification through fine flavour cacao (FFC) offers opportunities for more sustainable and differentiated cacao markets but also risks excluding smallholder producers who cannot meet stricter quality, environmental, and social standards. Based on interviews with 76 buyers and surveys of 337 farmers in Cusco and Piura, the study maps producer and buyer types and evaluates how well their requirements align. While some farmers are well positioned for FFC markets, many face significant gaps—particularly in bean quality, zero-deforestation and agroforestry practices, and women’s participation. Supporting institutions and trading arrangements are essential to help vulnerable producers benefit from an increasingly diversified, high-quality cacao sector.
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