Resilience of short food supply chains to external shocks: an Ecuadorian cocoa case study

Global food systems are increasingly exposed to external shocks, ranging from pandemics to climate-related crises, that disproportionately affect smallholder farmers in export-oriented Short Food Supply Chains (SFSCs). This study examines how smallholder cocoa producers in Ecuador, embedded in agroecological systems and solidarity-based organizations, mobilize resources and capabilities to build resilience during the COVID-19 crisis. Employing a qualitative mixed-methods design informed by Social-Ecological Resilience (SER) and the Contingent Resource-Based View (CRBV), we conducted 14 in-depth interviews across multi-tiered associations. Findings highlight that dynamic agroforestry, diversified market channels, and entrepreneurial orientation support key resilience capabilities, including redundancy, diversity, and visibility. Supply base complexity emerged as both a constraint and an enabler, generating adaptive feedback loops we term the “resilience engine.” These loops illustrate how managing structural complexity strategically enhances system-level responsiveness and learning. Unlike cases from Central America, West Africa, and Europe, Ecuador’s hybrid model balances global market access with ecological stewardship and endogenous governance. The study bridges strategic management and social-ecological resilience theory by advancing emergent capability formation as a core concept. It offers practical insights for improving agri-food system resilience amid global disruptions and contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production).