Empowering Cocoa Farmers: Photo of the Month
From tiny cocoa beans nestled in colorful pods to a delicious velvety confection, your favorite chocolate bar undergoes a remarkable transformation before reaching your hands. At the heart of this journey are cocoa farmers who have built their livelihoods on the cocoa industry. Meet some of the women and men in three cocoa cooperatives in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
By: Bethany Peevy Downie
Our monthly photo series highlights the beauty and emotion in the lives of our clients around the world. This month, we’re featuring cocoa farmers in Latin America.
From tiny cocoa beans nestled in colorful pods to a delicious velvety confection, your favorite chocolate bar undergoes a remarkable transformation before reaching your hands. At the heart of this journey are cocoa farmers who have built their livelihoods on the cocoa industry.
However, challenges such as aging trees, climate change, crop diseases, limited access to finance, and lack of quality planting materials threaten their production and limit their incomes. That is why TechnoServe is working to equip cocoa farmers with tools and techniques to improve the quantity and quality of their crops.
Through the Maximizing Opportunities in Coffee and Cacao in the Americas (MOCCA) program, TechnoServe is providing climate-resilient practices, access to finance, and improved market connections to 120,000 coffee and cocoa farmers across Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and Peru. The project, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and led by TechnoServe in partnership with Lutheran World Relief for all cocoa work, leverages cocoa cooperatives to enhance productivity and market access.
MOCCA facilitates vital market linkages through these cooperatives, enabling farmers to connect with buyers and access higher-value markets. The program equips cooperatives to access specialized tools, financial services, and research on resilient cocoa varieties. By fostering collective action and economies of scale, the MOCCA program strengthens the capacity of cooperatives to serve their members, ultimately increasing incomes for smallholder cocoa farmers.
In the photos below, meet some of the women and men in three cocoa cooperatives in Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.
Supporting Women Cocoa Farmers in Guatemala
The MOCCA program works with women cocoa farmers in Guatemala to improve their crop yields and incomes and elevate their voices in their cocoa cooperatives. The program promotes women’s leadership by requiring female representation in farmer business groups and providing inclusive training.
Below, Alicia Josefina Pop Pan, a cocoa producer in Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, trains other women farmers in pruning cocoa trees. The farmers are a part of the Association of Maya Chivite Development (ADEMAYACH) cocoa cooperative.
Innovative Cocoa Farming Techniques in Honduras
Cocoa farmers are transforming the cocoa industry in Latin America by learning innovative techniques to increase their yields. For example, TechnoServe in partnership with Lutheran World Relief works with cocoa farmers to teach them to prune and fertilize trees three times annually, and to use injector backpacks for efficient fertilizer application.
This has helped farmers increase their yields by as much as 24% and significantly reduced the time it takes to apply fertilizer. These techniques, combined with training in disease control and post-harvest handling, are helping cocoa farmers enhance their productivity, improve bean quality, and access better market opportunities.
Cocoa farmer Alejandro Edgardo Madrid was a part of the “Viverista Estrella” training in San Antonio Cortés, Honduras. Below, he stands among the seedling trees in his cocoa association’s cocoa nursery. Alejandro is part of the San Antonio de Cortés Agroindustrial Producers Association (APAGRISAC).
Empowering Women in Cocoa Processing: Nicaragua
The MOCCA program trains cocoa farmers to improve their production and post-harvest handling techniques, ensuring higher-quality beans for processors. The program also strengthens market linkages between farmers and buyers, supports local processing initiatives, and facilitates access to finance. This enables processors to expand their operations.
Additionally, the program opens new market opportunities by promoting specialty cocoa through initiatives like the Cocoa Flavors Map. This initiative highlights the unique flavor profiles of regional cocoas and connects producers with buyers seeking differentiated products. By addressing challenges across the cocoa value chain, the MOCCA program fosters a more efficient and productive sector that benefits all stakeholders involved.
Below, Heilin Junieth Guitierrez, from Waslala, Autonomous Region of the Northern Caribbean Coast in the Republic of Nicaragua, works to dry cocoa beans. Heilin works in the cocoa processing area of her cooperative, called the Cooperative of Agroforestry Services and Cacao Marketing R.L. (CACAONICA).
Vote for your favorite photo
Whether it’s women taking on leadership roles in cooperatives, farmers adopting new pruning and fertilization methods, or processors improving their techniques, each photo tells a story of progress and potential. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite one at the end of the article.
As consumers, it’s easy to forget the journey our chocolate takes from bean to bar. These photos remind us of the hard work and dedication of the farmers behind our favorite treats. It also underscores the importance of programs like MOCCA in ensuring a sustainable and equitable cocoa industry.
By supporting these farmers and their communities, we’re not just improving the quality of cocoa. We are investing in a brighter future for women and men in Latin America. As you enjoy your next piece of chocolate, take a moment to appreciate the faces and stories behind it, and the positive change that’s happening one farm at a time.
FAQs about Cocoa Processing in Latin America
What are the main cocoa-producing countries in Latin America?
Ecuador is currently the leading of fine cocoa producers in Latin America, with a production volume of around 4007 thousand metric tons in 2022. Brazil ranks second in the region, producing more than 200 thousand metric tons of cocoa beans in 2024.
What challenges do cocoa farmers in Latin America face?
Cocoa farmers in the region face several challenges, including:
- Old and unproductive plantations
- Diseases and pests
- Climate change impacts
- Price fluctuations
- Insufficient technical capacity
- Lack of access to capital
- Limited access to quality genetic material for plantation renovation and rehabilitation.
How has cocoa production in Latin America been affected by recent weather patterns?
Interestingly, cocoa production in Latin America has largely avoided the negative impacts of recent weather events like El Niño. While many other agricultural sectors in the region have suffered from flooding, extreme heat, and drought, the coastal provinces in Ecuador and northeastern Brazil (where cocoa is primarily grown) have been relatively unaffected.
What are the benefits of empowering women in cocoa farming?
Empowering women in cocoa farming yields significant benefits across economic, social, and environmental domains. When women have equal access to resources and training, farm productivity can increase by 20-30%. This leads to higher household incomes and better financial management. Empowering women in the cocoa industry helps secure a sustainable cocoa supply and can add value to brands by connecting products to gender equality values. Additionally, enhancing women’s productivity has been linked to improvements in biodiversity.
