Cacao Hunters

Colombia has some of the finest varieties of cacao in the world but these fine varieties haven’t been explored. Even though 70% of total cocoa production in Colombia is comprised of fine varieties, 96% of Colombian cocoa production has been low-end products consumed by the local market. This means cacao prices have been depressed leading to low productivity and a cycle of poverty in the cocoa farming communities of Colombia. The regions where cocoa is cultivated are some of the poorest in the country, reporting extreme poverty rates, significant shortage of basic services, and effects of the armed conflict.

 At Cacao Hunters we have accepted the challenge of finding, preserving and promoting the production of varieties of regional cacao, true treasures of nature and our country, in order to bring value back to the farmers.   Our cacao hunters continually visit remote areas of Colombia in search of native cacao trees. After careful evaluation, the varieties are preserved in genetic collections.  Each variety is thoroughly tested for fermentation and drying to determine the post-harvest conditions ideal for developing flavors and aromas unique to each source.