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Abstract
This thesis examines questions of conservation and development pertaining to the Ngbe,an indigenous group in western Panama, with a focus on cacao (Theobroma cacao Linn.)agroforestry. A political ecology framework is applied to cacao agroforestry as sustainabledevelopment amongst the Ngbe in a historical context. Through research based on bothacademic and grey literature, as well as an unpublished thesis, I discuss Ngbe symbolic valuesof cacao in the context of conservation and development trends in the region. I make specificreference to the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC), a transnational conservation programwhich promotes cacao agroforestry in Ngbe communities. I conclude that future conservationefforts should be directed towards the development of policies that enhance broader Ngbevalues for cacao and should not rely overwhelmingly on market-based criteria.