(pictured above: heat scorched cacao trees under an agroforestry canopy)
I cried at my desk last week over climate change. Have you, yet?
I have been working in Belize since 2010, when I founded Maya Mountain Cacao, the first social enterprise sourcing high quality organic cacao from smallholder producers for the emerging bean-to-bar chocolate market. Belize has always been considered the green jewel of Central America, with 62% of the country under forest cover and 100+ unique forested areas managed under national protected area designations.
When headlines came out nearly a decade ago about the impacts of climate change on farming in Central America, Belize felt safe. We spoke about the climate resiliency of cacao agroforestry and the power of forest conservation for protecting local resources. And yet. This year, Belize’s second most forested district, the Toledo District, lost thousands of acres of forests, farms and infrastructure to wildfires and witnessed extreme drought conditions, causing enormous harm for families and sparking a pervasive sense of dread and loss amongst farming communities.
(pictured: Diana Tzub on her farm in San Jose; Kelvin Palma from the MMC team helps farmers fight fires)
Nearly every single farmer in the village of San Jose, Belize’s cacao heartland and typically the most productive group of growers in the country, lost cacao trees during the dry season of 2024 due to unprecedented extreme drought. A smaller, but still devastatingly significant number (64), faced even worse outcomes, with the raging wildfires destroying large swathes of their farms. Enormous thank yous to the specialty chocolate community who stepped in and donated a total of over $15,000 to support revenue replacement for the farmers directly affected by the fires. School fees, food, and medicines have all been purchased with the support provided by the network of chocolate makers. Thank you.
(pictured: Bertha Sub and Pablo Rash receive wildfire assistance donation checks from the MMC team, thanks to the generous support of the specialty chocolate community)
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the Ministry of Agriculture in Belize have brought the actors of the cacao industry together for a historic collaborative initiative to replace at least 50,000 trees on those farms impacted by fires over the next 12 months. There is not yet a plan for replacing the trees lost to drought, but the government assures us they are aware of the issue and will continue to seek additional projects.
And yet, during a community meeting earlier this month, farmers expressed legitimate fears about the future of their cacao plots.
“Why would I plant more if the drought might come back and kill off my plants? Why waste my time?”
Younger trees planted even under the best conditions, in substantial shade and in areas that do not typically dry out, did not make it this year, they said. The fear in the room, visible in the previously sparkling eyes of men I have known for over a decade, made my hair stand on edge and punched a hole in my stomach.
Smallholder farmers in Belize are by and large subsistence farmers. They depend on the weather for their literal food and survival. Other crops that farmers rely on for daily food, like corn, and other cash crops, like pepitas (pumpkin seeds), also suffered during the dry season this year. I heard stories of corn that grew to only 10” tall before flowering. Pumpkin plants that typically vine out over large areas reached only 3’ before withering away.
And yet, while farmers expressed desperation and hopelessness about the destiny of their livelihoods, the message remained – San Jose cyan give up. San Jose can’t give up.
The village of San Jose relies almost exclusively on income from agriculture. It is the largest cacao producing village in Belize, and farmers are considered the most professional and skilled growers weaving traditional knowledge with modern practices. But the village is remote, infrastructure in the community is weak, and cacao farms can be located up to two hours walk from the village through steep jungle hillsides. The realistic feasibility of irrigation systems is low.
Cacao farming has always been hard work. In these conditions, not only is the work harder than ever, but the material risks of continuing to invest in a cacao farm makes this work feel impossible. In other community meetings this week, I heard stories of farmers who had given up, who left their farm abandoned to seek work in the tourism zones or at commercial banana farms.
Smallholder farmers currently produce around one third of global food supplies. It is clear that smallholder farming is important for food security in the future. Do we truly care about protecting it?
I can’t help but feel frustrated every time I hear people talk about the “cocoa price crisis.” The reality is that smallholder farmers have been living amidst crisis conditions for years, and the possibility of higher prices to better equip their families and farms for the rollercoaster of climate change and turmoil ahead gives a glimmer of hope for alleviating their lived crises. Let’s be clear – higher prices for cacao farmers are in no way a crisis.
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Uncommon Cacao has been working alongside smallholder growers since day one, when we started Maya Mountain Cacao in Belize. We have been deeply committed to understanding, honoring, paying for, and communicating the often invisible work of farmers over the last 14+ years. There are no other specialty cacao traders or brokers who share our history of developing sustainable business models in cacao growing regions alongside farmers and investing tirelessly to drive growth and opportunity for smallholder cacao farming families. Day in and day out, we are on the ground in Belize, forging new pathways for greater stability and success for all in the value chain. In the context of climate change and its ripple effects, this work has never been more important.
Contact us to learn more about how you can get involved in supporting climate resiliency for cacao growers in Belize and in the Uncommon Cacao network.
