The Story
Forever Cacao was born following my introduction to pure chocolate and a conversation with Dilwyn Jenkins from Ecotribal who wrote the Rough Guide to Peru and has been working with the Ashaninka for around 30 years. Over this time he’s established a supply chain to export the coffee they grow and when asked whether they grew Cacao, he said yes…it took 5 years before it was ready for us to share this heirloom Cacao with the rest of the world.
When Dilwyn, first visited the Ashaninka of the Rio Ene in 1978, they already had some established Cacao trees. The variety is Criollo, many of these chocolate trees are still producing and some of the Ashaninka are experimenting with local Cacao varieties found wild in the forest known as the abuelos (grandfathers). No pesticides or chemical fertilisers are used by the growers and they all follow organic farming practices. Peru is world renowned for it’s quality flavour Cacao and these beans are no exception. It’s taken time to establish this direct supply chain and we look forward to sharing these heirloom beans.
Several years ago the community of Cutivireni established a Cacao Producers Association. They presently sell collectively to Ecotribal and to a cooperative located down river. The producers’ association separates a percentage of its income to pay for community health and emergency needs.
Ecotribal have partnered with Size of Wales who have a unique approach to rainforest protection and have seen forty-four indigenous communities galvanised into shielding 2.5 million acres of pristine rainforest safeguarding ancient Cacao and other crops they rely on.
You could call this viral conservation, with village after village lining up to to protect their forest.