Reflections from my conversation with Keith Bearden, CEO of Alter Eco
Chocolate is one of those everyday pleasures that can hide a much bigger story—about soil, farmers, forests, and the future of food. In the newest episode of Journey to Regeneration, I sat down with Keith Bearden, CEO of Alter Eco, to unpack how a premium chocolate brand is trying to build a supply chain that restores ecosystems and livelihoods rather than quietly depleting them.
We dug into what regenerative agroforestry looks like in practice for Alter Eco’s smallholder farmer network across Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, and Peru. We also talked candidly about the hard economics of regeneration: the transition costs real money upfront, yields can dip before they rise, and today’s cacao price shocks are forcing the whole chocolate industry to confront climate reality. Along the way, Keith shared sharp reflections on B Corp’s value, consumer power, and why indulgence and impact have to travel together if regenerative chocolate is going to scale.
Some highlights from our conversation:
Diversified forest farms are key: integrate crops like plantain, mango, and coconut to strengthen both ecosystems and income streams.
Farmer-led learning drives adoption: early adopters become powerful advocates for regenerative practices.
Regenerative methods improve yields: healthier soils deliver more cacao even after reducing planted acreage.
Industry norms are shifting: extreme price volatility exposes the risks of climate-vulnerable, conventional supply chains.
Certification and transparency build trust: B Corp and Fair for Life help ensure farmers receive real premiums.
Listen to the full episode here:
Driving Regeneration Through Chocolate
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…
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The regenerative business practices and sustainability innovations highlighted in this week’s Regenerative Insights directly tackle the critical issues of corporate responsibility explored in my recent book explored in my recent book, The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profit and Socializes Cost.