HCP Goes to Maya Mountain

The HCP Board of Administrators and team members recently gathered at the Belize Foundation for Research and Environmental Education (BFREE) to strategize ways to better service our designees. Having the opportunity to meet in person, analyze our mission, and explore the ways we can effectively implement it into every piece of what we do was paramount to be able to practice what we preach. Our mission remains that to: “discover, identify and preserve fine flavor Heirloom cacao varieties for the conservation of biological diversity and the empowerment of farming communities.” and we are elated to share the many ways we will be moving forward as an organization.

The scenarios we ran through during our discussions were realized at Maya Mountain Cacao where we were welcomed by the team.

​Maya mountain cacao is a collective of over 480 certified organic cacao farmers. They have implemented a support program for farmers who with to obtain organic status to guide them through their transition. During harvest season, Maya Mountain goes to villages as far as 60 km * to buy cacao from small-scale farmers. The beans are brought back to their facilities and processing begins immediately. The HCP was provided with a thorough explanation of their growing, fermenting, drying and export process. Maya Mountain primary buyer is Uncommon Cacao, which distributes the beans across the USA and Europe. Last year, they exported 100 metric tons of cacao, 6 of which were exported locally.

Maya Mountain’s mission is very closely aligned with that of the HCP.

“Since Maya Mountain’s inception, we have always maintained and kept true to our mission
to support the livelihood of small farmers. We also seek to support women farmers.
We currently have 44 female cacao farmers. The number is increasing.”

- Serapio Chun, Cacao Operations Officer,
Maya Mountain Cacao

One of the illuminating parts of the visit was getting to hear first-hand the many challenges that farmers are facing in the area. “Some of the biggest challenges are caused by climate challenge,” says MMC Field Expert Daniel, “...we’ve seen low production because of abnormal, excess rain during unexpected parts of the year.” Road conditions where they source most of their cacao are terrible, making it challenging to transport cacao efficiently to get processed. As many of us know, cacao juices are highly acidic, which causes corrosion of the beds of transportation vehicles and calls for continuous maintenance. Cacao farmers are no strangers to disease that can be transmitted between farms, infesting more than 50% of the yield. For many farmers in the area, cacao trees are part of the back yard, and proper management of disease was something that was not perhaps passed down through the generations. Maya Mountain Cacao decided to get in the drivers seat to reduce risk and support farmers by hosting training programs for how to manage disease outbreaks in the fields, or in backyards.

In 2014, Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC) was designated Heirloom by the HCP. In 2018, HCP supported a nursery program at MMC funded by a grant through Penn State University. A clonal plot of 240 trees was planted, and this year they will be harvested for the first time. The plot sits proudly on a hill not far from the Guatemalan border overlooking the grand landscape of the Mayan Mountain Range. The trees are flourishing with colorful fruits of all different phenotypes. Through the site visit, it became clear that there are many maintenance challenges involved with the nursery. Visiting the farm and hearing the challenges first hand only enhances our drive to carry out our mission. We understand that we still have a lot of work to do. We’re taking active steps to integrate new systems and adapt old ones that will facilitate relationships across the value chain, create educational resources for farmers and retailers, and enhance the relationship between the farmers and our organization.