YE-LA CHOCOLATE DE LA SELVA

Municipio San Juan Bautista Valle Nacional, México

An Overview Of Our Solution

The project consists of the production of from tree to bar chocolate, for consumption and also in the form of cacao paste, using two species of Cacao and spices like vanilla, annatto, chile and mamey seed all native of the Chinantla region of Oaxaca, México in a village called San Felipe de León. In this project the chocolate makers are too cacao growers, they are making chocolate starting from the plant. Cacao (Theobroma cacao) and white cacao (Theobroma bicolor) were chosen as emblematic species for the conservation of forest gardens that include mamey, annatto, café, orange, banana, palms, vanilla and another non timber forest species and cultivated fruit trees. Eight years ago agroforestry plantations in the village began to expand, and the number of local producers grew from 34 to 95. Subsequently a group of men and women formed and began processing

Who is this solution impacting?

Community Type

Rural

Organization type

Cooperativa

Ecosystem (select all that apply)

Forests

Population impacted

1200

Size of agricultural area

800 ha

Production quantity

2 tons

People employed

Describe your solution

Seven years ago the local community approved an agreement for certification of forest areas with highland jungle and cloud forest, and over 10 years ago it approved an ecological management plan for land use.These agreements were the first steps to support forest and soil regeneration in this area. The plan defined areas dedicated to forestry and agroforestry, which function as buffer zones for the forest reserve. Cacao species planted in association with other species in areas adjacent to the forest reserve, contributes to the conservation of forest cover in secondary succession areas and in forest gardens. The culture of cacao associated with other timber and non-timber species in traditional agroforestry plots with agroecological management practices including such as fertilization, pruning, harvesting at maturity, nursery plant production from seed and use of biological and natural preparations for the control of insects and diseases. Implementation of self-monitoring of organic production its necessary for the practices will be adopted by all farmers. The goal is to increase yields and production quality in order to improve the price of cacao and contribute to the improvement of family livelihoods. In order to improve quality, it is also necessary to recover and propagate a landrace variety of native cacao. This has already begun in the present crop cycle in nurseries using seed from the few plants remaining in the community of this type of cacao which is white form

Describe your implementation

- Visits to plots for establishment of internal control of the agroecological production and of forest gardens. Through this activity we ensure that the necessary adaptations are implemented for the cultivation in forest gardens - Building of nurseries and transplanting into fields, coffee plantations or areas for reforestation like pastures and backyard gardens. With these activities we are guaranteeing the increase of the density of forest cover, and local production of the necessary amount of plants is guaranteed. - Collection and processing of cacao into chocolate. We are ensuring that the majority of the cacao value remains in the community, and at the same time cacao continues to be sold to chocolatiers, though not all of it. - Promotion of the brand YE LA CHOCOLATE DE LA SELVA through a design suitable for sustainable consumer markets and healthy products. This will position the chocolate in specific market niches for chocolate bars and candies with fair prices that help to sustain the initiative economically A key factor for success has been the innovation of making chocolate with Theobroma bicolor which provides a unique flavor to the chocolate bars, and in market surveys and initial sales has been successful in the taste of customers. One obstacle has been the lack of working capital, which is being addressed by attracting investors and volunteers to the project.

External connections

The Project was initially funded with the support of the CONANP Commission for Protected Natural Areas and CONAFOR, the National Forestry Commission. It has also been supported by RAISES Network for the Exchange of Experiences for Sustainability, and has received support from Methodus Consultora SC. These last two NGOs existed up until 6 years ago. Currently, we are seeking support from the System Cacao Product Committee, and other bodies such as SAGARPA (Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Rural Development, Fisheries and Food) and the CDI (National Commission for the Development of Indigenous Peoples). Since 2008, CHOCOSOL, an artisanal chocolate maker from Toronto that uses white cacao to make its chocolate bars, has supported the project buying cacao blanco and promoting the establishment of plantations. These efforts connect with the public policy of forest conservation and sustainable use in forest areas that entities such as SEMARNAT (Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources) has implemented in Mexico. In the future we will seek the support of CONABIO (National Commission for the knowledge and use of biodiversity), to implement the pilot experience at a regional level including other communities.

What is the environmental or ecological challenge you are targeting with your solution?

The Chinantla is one of the most high biodiversity regions in the country, with the third largest forest mass of highland evergreen jungle and an outstanding presence of conserved cloud forest. At the project village there is an important land with Cloud forest (3445 ha) that with the Usila and Comaltepec was the most important mass forest of this type in México. Nevertheless all this wealth is on risk because to the grow of agricultural border in the region. In the ejido territory, the vegetation type of evergreen jungle is restricted to a big spots (299 ha), there is a mixture of land use integrated of plots on secondary vegetation from jungle and coffee plots. The sustainable management potential of this areas is found in the use with conservation of forest coverage that contributes to establishment of biological corridors between the secondary vegetation, coffee plots and forest protected areas.

Describe the context in which you are operating

San Felipe de León is located in the southeast part of the municipality of Valle Nacional, between 96° 20’ 40” and 96° 26’ 53” longitude West, and between 17° 40’ 26” and 17° 48’ 01” latitude North. The San Felipe de León ejido is made of of two villages: San Felipe de León and San Antonio Otate. The former is the municipal agency, and the latter is the police agency of Valle Nacional.
The official total population of both main villages and their surrounding areas in the year 2010 was 1,869. The largest proportion of the population (79.4%) is made up of children and elderly people: 48.7% are children and adolescents (0 to 14 years) and 30.7% are people over 50 years old.
The main cropping systems in the ejido are coffee, cornfields and non-timber forest species (land bromeliads and other products such as cacao, achiote, tepejilote palm and mamey). In recent years there have been farmer initiatives to grow timber or multi-use forest species such as cedar and mahogany. Also secondary crop systems like cassava, beans and different tubers like yam and sweet potato are very important for the subsistence livelihoods of the families.

How did you impact natural resource use and greenhouse gas emissions?

The management and improvement of the culture of two species of cacao at plant density varying between 400 and 700 plants per hectare in forested areas will improve biodiversity because the canopy of the shade trees, as well as support the regeneration of soils by the contribution of organic matter from the leaves of the associated shade trees and cacaos. The presence of polyculture forest will help to preserve the animal species that live in those agro-ecosystem because the habitat maintenance of multiple species of insects (morpho butterflies and stingless bees, for example), birds such as toucan and mammals like jaguar and anteater, among others.

Language(s)

Spanish, Zapotec dialects, various Oto-Manguean languages

Water

The conservation of forest cover in agroforestry plots helps to capture rainwater in the leaves of trees and in soils. When the soil contains more organic matter, it absorbs more moisture and is protected from erosion. The hydrological environmental services provided by the forest will be improved as biological corridors begin to form.

Food Security/Nutrition

The cultivation of cacao in forest gardens provides not only for the harvest of cacao but also of other products from associated fruit trees and non-timber species such as tepejilote palm, chestnut, mamey, black zapote and others that complement the family diet. White cocoa is also widely consumed as a toasted seed and in corn gruel, and its fresh pulp is highly appreciated by children. Local consumption of healthy and nutritious chocolate with a high protein content owing to the white cacao is

Economic/Sustainable Development

The production of organic cacao, native species and landrace varieties is resulting in and will continue to yield a high quality cacao that can be sold at good prices that help improve the income of producer families. Additionally, the local group of producers/chocolatiers will have a fine cacao on hand that can be turned into a high-value chocolate and the families involved in the chocolate making will also improve their incomes.

Climate

The preservation and expansion of agroforestry areas, instead of establishing non-shade cultivation, areas will help mitigate the effects of climate change by contributing to carbon sequestration in the soil and assisting in the regulation of environmental temperature. According to a study of cacao crops in Africa, depending on the age of agroforestry systems within the range of 15 to 40 years, between 111 and 154 tons of carbon per hectare are sequestered.

Sustainability

The economic sustainability relies on market-based revenue but also somewhat on government subsidies and grassroots or private grant funding. The cacao bean will be sold to conscious chocolate makers who want to pay fair prices, and the chocolate paste will be sold to innovative chocolatiers who want to experiment with exotic flavors. Bars will also be sold to conscious consumers who seek healthy and nutritious chocolate. Subsidies are also required to resume the process of training local promoters through workshops and scholarships. Other means are collective financing for particular needs such as package design or equipment, and the organization of agritourism around cacao and chocolate with general tourists or specialists

Return on investment

At least 16500Us dls are required for production of cacao which relies on equipment for maintenance & implementation of agroforestry plots such as tools for pruning and application of foliar fertilizers, and training of local promoters for the establishment of internal regulation of agroecological production in agroforestry plots. In 3yr we can to improve on 4 or 6 ton of cacao the annual harvest. Equipment is required for a finely ground chocolat. Capital is needed for the first months in order to work at a more intensive level (currently only 2 or 3 small batches of chocolate are made every 2 months) & to be able to pay workers both for making chocolate and for post-harvest processing of cacao beans. There is a cost benefit ratio of 3.6

How could we successfully replicate this solution elsewhere?

In Venezuela is a similar project Cacao de Origen but with more enfasis in the chocolat confections and another in Costa Rica where is a tree to bar cooperative of little cacao growers. This model that began years ago in one village can be replicated in other villages in the region that have abandoned plots of cacao and need to improve their local economies. The recovery of cacao in the region, starting with the municipalities of Valle Nacional and Usila, may not only be an engine of economic development but also an emblem of biodiversity conservation at the regional level. It would require alliances with other entities working in the region such as NGOs and governmental agencies that support the productive and environmental sector, as well as alliances with chocolatiers who work with the cacao bean and experienced chocolatiers who can share their knowledge through exchanges or workshops. Alliances with tourism initiatives around chocolate, cacao and biodiversity are also important.

Overview