Footprints of cocaine: a bibliometric analysis and systematic review of the environmental impacts of the cocaine value chain in Latin America

Abstract While cocaine production is reaching unprecedented levels, a comprehensive review of its environmental impacts throughout its value chain remains absent. This article presents the first bibliometric analysis and systematic review of the literature on the environmental impacts of the cocaine value chain in Latin America, aiming to uncover its specific effects across four stages: (i) coca cultivation, (ii) coca farming, (iii) cocaine manufacturing and (iv) cocaine trafficking. Using a four-step selection process, we reviewed 121 studies published between 1979 and 2022, retrieved from 10 search engines and scientific databases, complemented by an extensive screening of gray literature. The article identifies and quantifies most frequent study sites, research methods, data sources and metrics, followed by a critical review of the research findings. Key findings highlight that land use land cover change and deforestation in the coca cultivation and cocaine trafficking phases, along with soil degradation under the coca farming stage, are the main variables examined to evaluate impacts. Nevertheless, substantial gaps remain in our understanding of how these impacts are distributed across study areas, their applicability to the broader region, and the consistency and rigor of the research methodologies used. The article concludes by incorporating research and policy recommendations that underscore how these environmental impacts are deeply intertwined with the failures of the drug war, emphasizing the need to develop more comprehensive and evidence-based policy responses.