Local behavioral and systemic factors in the transition to successional cacao agroforestry on the coast of Ecuador

Successional agroforestry—also known as syntropic agriculture—is increasingly recognized as a regenerative farming system that mimics natural ecological processes while offering significant environmental and socioeconomic benefits. This approach is based on the principles of ecological succession and stratification, organizing multiple agricultural and forestry species through successional stages and positioning them optimally in both space and time. This study investigates the behavioral and systemic factors that local actors consider critical for implementing successional cacao agroforestry systems in coastal Ecuador. We employed an adapted COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation - Behavior) framework, supplemented by the more detailed Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to examine these factors. To capture the diversity of local perspectives, we applied Q methodology. In-depth interviews conducted between August and September 2023 were the basis for the collection of opinion statements. The sorting of these statements was conducted on a second round of interviews conducted between May and August 2024.