From Contamination to Impact: Cadmium Levels in Cacao Soil and Beans and Their Effect on Economic Sustainability Along the Coast of Ecuador

This study assessed, in two coastal locations of Ecuador (Cerecita, Guayas; Bajada de Chanduy, Santa Elena), cadmium (Cd) occurrence in cacao cultivated soils, its transfer to plant tissues (leaves and cotyledon/beans), and its implications for producers’ economic sustainability. Twelve cacao-producing sites in Cerecita and eleven in Bajada de Chanduy were georeferenced, and thematic GIS maps were generated to identify potential Cd hotspots. Sampling comprised topsoil (0–10 cm), leaves (fourth fully expanded leaf), and dried/fermented beans, followed by laboratory Cd quantification. In addition, producer surveys were conducted to characterize productive and economic structure, the economic sustainability index (IK) was calculated using Sarandón’s methodology, and interviews with collectors and agri-export companies were performed. Soil Cd levels were comparable between locations (0.24–1.55 mg kg−1), whereas higher concentrations were detected in cotyledons/beans (0.53–5.01 mg kg−1) and leaves (1.13–11.07 mg kg−1), following the pattern leaves > cotyledon > soil. From an economic perspective, all farms exhibited IK < 2, with a marked territorial gap (≈1.6 in Cerecita vs ≈0.5 in Chanduy). Cadmium in cocoa beans poses a long-term risk to marketing; in addition, total cadmium in the soil did not consistently predict cadmium in the cotyledons, and adverse impacts are amplified in territories with limited economic capacity to respond.