Alpaca in front of Nevado Sajama, Bolivia
Photo by Alain Bonnardeaux on Unsplash
Landlocked Bolivia
is HIGHLY RESPECTED FOR IT’S “WILD” GROWN CACAO
Alto Beni walikeewa
The Beni River Valley, located north of Bolivia's capital, La Paz, is named after its lifeline, the Beni River. In its upper reaches, known as the "Alto Beni," cacao grows wild, far removed from urban centers. Here, locals navigate the river by boat, periodically harvesting fresh cacao pods from the banks. This traditional method has led to the region's harvest being affectionately termed “wild cacao,” marking Alto Beni as one of the southernmost cacao-growing regions in the Americas.
In addition, are family cacao farms where cacao is harvested in the typical fashion.
500 smallholder families distributed among eight communities. The beans are Criollo/Trinatario, harvested from wild trees and certified organic.
Fermentation is done in wooden boxes for 5-6 days.
Beans are dried in the sun on platforms with covers available during rain.
We Care
Before the inception of the Alto Beni Cacao Company, cacao fermentation and drying in Bolivia were decentralized, with individual smallholder producers employing varied techniques and levels of infrastructure. This led to inconsistent quality and inefficiencies in production.
In 2014, the Walikeewa Fermentary was established, drawing inspiration from successful models in Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic—countries with notably higher cacao production levels. Alongside this, a comprehensive training program for farmers was launched. These initiatives have greatly enhanced the quality of dried cacao, substantially improving farm productivity and increasing farmer incomes.
Alto Beni's mission is to transform the Bolivian cacao industry through the sustainable increase of high-quality Bolivian cacao varietals, the introduction of advanced quality control and management practices, and forging direct connections between cacao producers in the Alto Beni region and global specialty cacao buyers, including Flight Chocolate.
