Agri-based value chains are powerful drivers for transforming food systems. Value chains are often differentiated according to the markets targeted by the actors for the final marketing of the products. Domestic and export markets are often distinguished and there is the widespread thinking that export markets and global value chains are most likely to create inclusive and sustainable growth in agricultural economies. In this presentation, we take advantage of the VCA4D* database to compare the sustainability of value chains in a variety of countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. We have selected the cocoa value chain in three very contrasting situations since the markets are mostly domestic for Colombia (more than 60% of the national production is consumed inside the country), overseas for Ecuador (more than 90% of the production is exported and mainly towards Europe) and shared between these two destinations for Nicaragua (70% exported in neighboring countries). The effects are compared from the point of view of the contribution of national value chains to economic growth, the inclusiveness of vulnerable actors, the social sustainability and the environmental sustainability of these different value chains. Several indicators are used to carry out this analysis: share of small producers, wages distributed, weight of processing activities, added value per ton, rate of integration into the national economy, impact on public funds and on the trade balance, social risks and environmental impacts. From these evidences, we show that the domestic and regional markets supported by traditional and new food consumption patterns offers potential for inclusive and sustainable growth through the transformation of food systems in the agricultural economies of Latin American countries and Caribbean.