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Words and imagery by Alyssa D'Adamo Today is starting out with, you guessed it, another long ride. This time it’s extra bumpy and crammed with one more person than usual. Adler, a young native from Nueva Cajamarca who’s learning the technical side of cacao. The region of San Martín is nestled in the central-north of Peru and is widely recognized for its coca leaf production. Over the years, different environmental groups have groomed the area of coca and replaced it with cacao to regrow the forests, which we love. What we don’t love is that the cacao they planted is CCN51. So now in place once bountiful in wild or semi-native varieties bursting with flavor, we’ve got an entire region that is ready for mass, monotonous production, which is why Mey wrote it off. Don Leon exclaimed to Mey that it was worth a visit—that he had some interesting leads in the virgin forest. She resisted, but finally agreed to at least go and look for herself. We stop for a breakfast of stewed tripe and set out. There's not a single part of the road that was smooth, which is surprising because once again we find ourselves surrounded by flat, infinite rice fields. There are so many fields that it felt like we were going in a circle, which may also be due to confusion caused by the drones swarming around us spraying the fields. I keep turning around to see the mountain range behind us, cascading high above the fields to check if we are really moving in some sort of direction.
He immediately takes us to climb up a steep hillside of coffee trees, plantains, and achiote to where his property meets the virgin jungle. Through the copious and protruding branches of the coffee trees emerges the “cacao madre,” the mother of the cacao trees. She’s over 100 years old and looking great for her age. She’s adorned with copious, large, mature pods holding seeds that hit 21 on the brix scale, which will certainly call for interesting fermentation and flavor development. For the past thirty years, Don Esteban has been nourishing this tree and using its seeds to create a plot just down the hill.
Don Esteban’s currently sells his cacao to a cooperative that mixes his precious beans with neighboring plots of pure clones, but thanks to recent collaborations with local organizations, he would have the possibility to separate the fermentation batches if designated. Don Esteban generously offers us fresh oranges from his farm to cool off before his sweet granddaughter helped me take my final shots with the drone. This may be the last stop for me, but Mey’s just getting started. She will be back to visit these farms, check samples, prepare and ship them to the HCP. I ask her what a designation would mean for Don Esteban. Her reply is simple and true: A designation from the HCP would help preserve these precious forests, would give farmers more opportunity through specialized training, and finally put Peru on the Heirloom map. 
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Words and images by Alyssa D'Adamo When we talk about searching for cacao, we don’t think about the fine details in between that make each journey unique. I’ll paint a picture. We load up into Matias’s pickup, all crammed in, luggage tied, ready for our seven-plus hour journey to Bagua. The hours are filled with almost a calculated routine of: dose off for 20 mins, wake up to breathtaking mountain ranges, mumble questions in spanish over the epic playlists of 80s Peruvian rock.
La selva. A word I absolutely adore. Selvatico, salvaje, wild. Respected. Regarded. Regal in her splendor and power. Driving through as much as walking through is a sensation so humbling, like feeling completely protected yet at the complete disposition of any unpredictable event at any given moment.  Riverbed of Aserradero On our way to the farm, we’re stopped along the crest of the waters that devastated this village not 5 years ago. For how much Mother Nature continues to reclaim, us humans continue to take away. Each turn we take reveals more and more deforestation. Once lush forests are now seemingly endless fields that have been groomed for farming rice—a crop that does not allow for the rich, intricate, biodiversity that cacao farming encourages.  Rice field surrounding Don Alfonso's farm
I hold my breath as we drive over a tiny cement slab into a dense forest that abruptly appears at the edge of the seemingly infinite stretch of rice fields. We tip into the muddy “cacao island” as Mey calls them. “The good thing is that, in Amazonas, in these areas of cacao that [the farmers] preserve they’re also preserving the area itself. Because we see a lot of rice farms. I mean, there’s so much deforestation of the forests to plant rice that now there are these sort of cacao “islands” in the middle of all of these rice fields.” Leon introduces us to Don Alfonso, who has been farming this cacao for over sixty years. The farm once belonged to his grandparents, who had originally gotten the seeds from Brazil well over a century ago. The trunks of these cacao trees are dark with thick knobs bulging out from the base, which is decorated with healthy, bright green pods all the way to the tops of the branches that look like they could be made of iron for how strong they are.
While the team is taking measurements, cracking open pods, and registering BRIX, Don Alfonso starts to open up about how where we now see rice was once entirely dense forest absolutely filled with cacao just like his. Cacao has been Don Alfonso’s entire life. He makes his own chocolate, too, to share with his family and to drink himself. One of his sons has a farm of his own, and will manage his dad’s farm when the time comes. As he’s telling us the story of his family farm he giggles and says, “I’m seventy years old! I’ll die with this cacao.” Maybe it sounds better in Spanish!
We visit CEPROAA to do the same. All of the staff at the cooperative gather around the fermentation boxes for a live demonstration and explanation by Don Leon, while Mey inspects the drying facilities and cacao processing equipment. I agree with Mey when she says that it finally feels like we're all on the same page. We're working towards a common goal: preserve cacao, support farmers, save the planet, and make really good chocolate. Next stop for us, and last stop for me for now: the native community of Tornillo.
 Don Leon consulting at CEPROAA
Drying at CEPROAA Peru crew at Don Alfonso's farm Writings, photos, and videos by Alyssa D'Adamo After a week or so, a few flights, and many boats, it’s abundantly clear: Peru is massive. We’re continuing on through the thick air of the northwest coast where Monsanto’s grip is tight: Piura. We follow a long and bumpy road into the foothills of the Cerro Amotape mountain range, the northern stretch of the Peruvian Andes, where the air starts to become lighter and lighter by the kilometer. Tucked away in these vast fields of genetically modified fruits and vegetables are native cacaos that have been passed down from generation to generation. 
I follow Mey, Luis, Alberto and Jose into the field, and listen as the discuss the potential origins of these massive cacao trees. There are some theories that they come from the area of Jaén, just nuzzled into the mountains, a mere nine hours away by car…who knows how long by donkey.  Although there’s discretion on the exact origin, the potential is undeniable. The beans are pearly white, sweet like mango, but with a bright, passionfruit-like finish. Mey and Don Luis take measurements and parameters for potential submission. These fruits are part of family history for a lot of these communities. If we don’t preserve them the stories die with the flavors. They’re a dime a dozen.
Why does he care so much? Well, he shows us. We walk just behind the cooperative across a small stream to reveal his treasure trove of fine-flavor cacao. The area is decorated with spotted, interestingly-shaped cacao pods boasting from tree to tree. It’s clear that this cacao is special. He knows it’s special, too. His cacao was awarded number one in the nation at the Salon de Cacao y Chocolate in Lima just last year, and continues to be recognized for it’s renowned flavor. Mey and Don Leon are taking precise measures to ensure that they have the greatest possibility to receive designation.  As we head back to the truck, Don Jose leans closer to me, looks me dead in the eyes and says, “Thank you for what you [HCP] are doing. This could mean so much for us.” He puts out his hand as I respond, “We would not be able to do what we do without you [farmers],” and sends us on our way.
Could these be the samples that finally put Peru on the map of Heirloom designation? The team of experts on the ground and in the labs are working hard to make that happen. We’re in high hopes for these samples for the community, and to finally put Peru on the map of HCP designation. We had the honor of awarding the two newest farmers with Heirloom designation at the Chocolate Makers UnConference in Seattle on October 4th. HCP Board President Richard Tango-Lowy led the ceremony, guiding audience members through an exclusive tasting of the chocolates provided by Guittard Chocolate that were made using the beans from each farmer, and evaluated by the HCP’s renowned tasting panel. Lyndel Meinhardt led the genetics discussion, comparing each designees.
Photos:
Top Left HCP Executive Director Anne Zazcek (right) and Communications Coordinator Alyssa D’Adamo (left) Top Middle Dancing Lion’s intricate assortment of Heirloom Excellence Top Right Loon Chocolate’s 70% Bolivian Heirloom TRANQUILIDAD, Bolivia Bottom Left: Grocer’s Daughter 85% Los Rios — VINCES, Ecuador Bottom Right Awarding former HCP President and Heirloom Designee in Belize, Jacob Marlin, with a glass cacao pod to honor him for his contributions to the HCP. Words, photos, and video by Alyssa D'Adamo Our expedition begins with a 12 hour leg roaring down the Amazon river in the dark. Mey’s done this trip just one week ago, and she’s determined to do it again. Once we arrive to Caballococha, there’s a man waiting for us in a small motor canoe to continue our journey down the intricate canals of the Amazonian wetlands. In the quietness of thick air, all I can hear are roaring* sounds of the motor and the cricks of a seemingly thin piece of wood that is the only thing separating all of us piled into this boat from the mysteries of the murky water. When planning, I asked Mey, “Is it worth it?” She didn’t hesitate to respond, “without a doubt.” 
We arrive to the village to find people going about their day, as if the ominous cloud of the coca cartel were not looming over them. Through Mey’s consultations with local farmers, it’s clear that there is a desire from the community to eradicate the illegal crop, and replace it with yuca, other fruits, and cacao. Mey is supporting the needs of the community by providing the knowledge necessary to make cacao profitable for the farmers. Don Luis brings us by another motor canoe to his farm—a journey that normally takes him two hours by foot. We’re gliding down these hidden waterways, ducking branches, and passing other boats as if we were in a car. We arrive to Don Luis’s farm to continue by foot. The vegetation changes every five minutes or so. The incredibly nourished primary forest, normally hidden underwater during the rainy season, really makes you wonder what’s underneath the water ways.  Years ago, Don Luis had stopped maintaining most of his cacao because it was very demanding, and not profitable. He held onto a few trees for more sentimental reasons. He recalls memories from his childhood of his grandmother bringing chocolate from Brazil. What makes delicious chocolate? Cacao, of course. A few interested parties started to take notice of his interesting cacao, allowing Don Luis to rekindle his interest in maintaining more trees on the farm, and the word spread to Mey. She explained the HCP and the purpose of the expeditions to Don Luis, and he seemed intrigued. We’re here to take measurements of pods, seeds, leaves, tree distances, sugar content, and collect as much information as possible that will allow Mey to help prepare a sample to submit to the HCP for potential recognition of Heirloom status.
Don Carlos moved to the native community when he met his wife. Not only is he President of Tourism for the community, but he is also the President of the Cacao Farmers Association in the village. It’s safe to say he was welcomed with open arms, and as are his new ideas and initiatives to the community. We leave Don Luis to his work, and hop back on the boat with Don Carlos to his farm to see what Mey has identified on her previous visit. We’re walking through the primary forest, tuning into the symphony of silence around us as we squish through the muddy trail, dodge branches, and rustle the giant, sumptuous, green vegetation surrounding us.
I see why Mey is so confident about this cacao. It seems promising, and the socio-economic benefits for the community are pinnacle. We begin retracing steps back to Don Carlos’s village where Mey consults Don Carlos on best practices to prepare the sample for the HCP. She’s been working closely with Erick Ac, our trusted advisor on the ground in Guatemala on best practices, especially for farmers who do not have access to fermentation boxes or other technical equipment. We wave goodbye to the people of the village as we make our way to board our sweltering boat for a 17 hour, overnight, windy, rainy, and rocky journey back to Iquitos, where the expedition to seek out exquisite cacao continues. We’re in high hopes that the HCP can help change Caballococha’s reign from coca to cacao.  Mey, Don Carlos and Don Luis at Don Luis's farm Watch Episode 10:
WASHINGTON, DC. Written by HCP Board President, Richard Tango-Lowy based off of the thorough report of the HCP's Executive Director, Anne Zaczek
HCP is heavily involved with the TSIRO Alliance, a USAID public-private partnership designed to "strengthen Madagascar’s chocolate and spices industry, improve farmer livelihoods, and conserve biodiversity." Our work with TSIRO has given us a better understanding of how the interplay between genetics and terroir results in and impacts the unique flavor of Madagascar cacao. Anne had the opportunity to meet with representatives from USAID and attend a "lunch and learn" about the TSIRO program led by Catholic Relief Services.
Before wrapping the meetings, Anne and fellow TSIRO Alliance partners met with members of the USDA-FAS (Foreign Agriculture Service) to brief them about HCP and the TSIRO program. The discussion focused on common needs identified by HCP and TSIRO, specifically traceability, income diversification and technical assistance to cacao farmers.
Did you know? Prior to the creation of the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund (HCP), to test the theory and system of what became HCP, Beyond Good sent samples of their trees in Madagascar for genetic testing. Consequently, USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) found the genetics to be an ancient variety thought to be extinct and…..HCP was ‘born’!
Through this original study and our 15th designation of Akesson’s Bejofo Estate, there is significant proof that there is outstanding cacao to be identified and preserved in Madagascar. And, it is only fitting that we have returned in partnership with Beyond Good and Akesson’s to identify it. In partnership with the TSIRO Alliance, the HCP has supported the collection of 11 samples for submission to the HCP throughout the Ambanja region of Madagasacar. The samples are at Guittard Chocolate, being processed in to liquor and chocolate for flavor analysis by the HCP tasting panel in hopes that we will identify another Heirloom Designee. As with all samples submitted to HCP, the Madagascar samples are being anonymously and uniformly processed.  Photo Credit: Philippe Bastide Furthermore, through our longstanding partnership with USDA-ARS, genetic analysis is being conducted on all samples and the data will be utilized in the second part of our activity – conducting a designation modeling exercise for Heirloom Designation. Cacao Consultant and Cie (CCC) was contracted by HCP to implement a designation modeling study using Madagascar as a model to research and establish a more effective and efficient designation process for the HCP. The team is led by Cacao Expert Philippe Bastide and includes Djibrila Raimi, an expert in the diagnosis of socio-technical systems in developing countries; Adamainty Jean Florent, local Malagasy expert and Simon Bassanaga, expert in producer organization and cacao quality. “Madagascar is the perfect – most challenging place” said Philippe “if you can establish a designation model here – you can establish it anywhere.” The CCC team conducted 6 exploratory missions over the past year and a half to Madagascar to collect data and information on farmers in the Sambirano Valley within the District of Ambanja and the Southeast region which are the project areas for the TSIRO Alliance. Priority areas for the project include the Tsaratana Forest Corridor (COMATSA) and the Fandriana-Vondrozo Forest Corridor (COFAV) – as they are important ecological zones under threat.  In terms of their study, the CCC team are taking into consideration two main areas impacting the production of cacao:
The TSIRO Alliance is part of USAID’s “HEARTH” Global Development Alliance program, a growing suite of cross-sectoral public-private partnerships for people and the planet. TSIRO is a collaboration between USAID and private-sector partners including Catholic Relief Services, the Fine Chocolate Industry Association, Beyond Good Chocolate, Guittard Chocolate, Sahanala, Akesson Organics, and the Heirloom Cacao Preservation Fund. Each partner contributes their technical expertise, local and international networks, and strong connection to the cocoa value chain in Madagascar to the project. All partners share the same goal of producing fine cacao and chocolate that will benefit local Malagasy communities and the unique forests that surround them. While the TSIRO partners take different roles in the Alliance, they share the common goals of strengthening local farming systems and biodiversity while educating the public.
To learn more about the TSIRO Alliance visit https://www.makeminefine.com/tsiro-alliance-in-madagascar/ LESLEY FAMILY FOUNDATION GRANT December 2023 Funded by the Lesley Family Foundation, the Heirloom Cacao Preservation fund (HCP) supported the development of the first comprehensive clonal garden of heirloom cacao varieties in Hawaii; distributing over 1,000 grafted heirloom trees in 2022-2023.  A view of Kamananui Estate looking up at the mountains (mauna). Lead by Dan O’Doherty of Cacao Services, Inc., Kamananui Estate in Oahu, HI, is producing hand-pollinated full sibling progeny of heirloom types such as Nacional and locally selected hybrids from Heirloom designated populations. The data collection on an expanded number of Heirloom cacao varieties was compiled into a catalog Hawaii Guide to Heirloom Varieties of Cacao (to be released in 2024, stay tuned!).
Hawaii is a very small producer of cacao on a world-wide scale, but has received recognition for high quality and unique flavor profile via an Heirloom designation and several Cocoa of Excellence (COE) awards. Because Hawaii does not suffer from devastating fungal diseases such as frosty pod or witches’ broom, there is a unique opportunity to grow a wide range of varietals without high loss from disease. Genotyping performed by the United States Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) has revealed high diversity in Hawaiian populations, with many trees being Upper Amazon Hybrids, Upper Amazon x Trinitario hybrids, or classic Trinitario, but also a number of ancient Criollo cultivars.  One hundred grafted heirloom trees in clonal trials at Kauai Agriculture Experiment Station resulting from varieties sourced from Kamananui Estate. Historically, there have been no clonal gardens or germplasm collections in Hawaii that maintain cacao for distribution that have received Heirloom designations, but now Kamanaui Estate with support from HCP through the Lesley Family Foundation grant, has become a fully operational and has been providing material for the rest of the state. In addition to a continuing commercial cacao production and supplying propagative material for other growers, Kamananui Estate will continue to test existing heirloom clones and develop new varieties through breeding and selection. Now that the farm is reaching maturity, it will be used as a demonstration farm for new growers and international groups through Ecole Chocolat to provide training on cacao farm development and post-harvest practices.
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