Nestled deep in the lush landscape of Comalcalco, Tabasco, at Finca Las Delias Alma is embracing her heritage as a fifth generation cocoa farmer.

Visiting her farm, we got a glimpse of just how much knowledge it takes to cultivate cocoa. From grafting and diversifying cocoa varieties to hand harvesting pods and fermenting beans to perfection.

And if Alma stands for one thing? It’s strong customer relationships based on consistent quality cocoa.

From City Life to Cocoa Fields

If you’d met Alma five years ago, you’d have found her working as an architect. Today, she’s guiding a team through a forest of cocoa trees, planting heritage, and shaping the future of sustainable farming. She’s one of few young farmers choosing to return to the land when so many have left for the city.

What changed? A moment of clarity during the pandemic, she says.

Working at a construction site, searching her phone to show a client an image, she stumbled across another photo. She saw a lush scene of vibrant nature and faces full of joy. It was her family at their cocoa farm.

“Why am I surrounded by concrete, stress, and contamination when I could be surrounded by fresh air and rainforest?“ she recalls asking herself.

So, she came home — to embrace her roots. 

At first, she admits, some of the processes were tough to master. She could hardly tell what a properly fermented cocoa bean looked like (could any of us?). But with grit and a lot of trial and error, Alma embraced the craft.

“It makes sense to come back, take advantage of the heritage that I already have and make the most of it,” she told us while cracking cocoa pods post-harvest. “So I’m trying, I’m trying. We’re still not where we wanna be, but yeah, we’re working on it.”

The Magic of Criollo Almendra Blanca

At Finca Las Delias, Alma tends to a jewel in the cocoa crown: the Criollo Almendra Blanca. This delicate, rare variety is cherished by chocolate makers for its rich flavour and high cocoa butter content, needing less processing. “It’s like a white almond,” Alma tells us, while exposing the pale flesh within a freshly cracked pod.

But quality doesn’t happen by accident. It’s born from precision, patience, and passion — especially during fermentation. Alma now knows the process like a master. “It’s not just cutting the beans,” she says, “you have to watch the colour, the smell.” That’s where the character shines.

Growing with Nature, Not Against It

Walk with Alma, and you quickly notice: Finca Las Delias isn’t a monoculture. It’s a thriving, breathing ecosystem. Plantains shade the cacao trees. Banana leaves protect fermenting beans. Ground creepers hold moisture, lock nitrogen and build soil health.

And then there’s grafting — the farmer’s secret sauce. By grafting new trees onto old rootstock, Alma can transform a cacao tree from a slow-growing giant (8 years until first harvest) into a productive powerhouse in just three years. It’s an age-old technique that makes a cocoa farm more resilient.

Honouring Heritage, Building Trust

But this farm isn’t just about growing cacao. It’s about growing trust.

“Actually, there’s a misconception that chocolate is bad for you because it gives you pimples or it gets you fat, but that’s the commercial chocolate. Actually the cacao is a superfood, super healthy,” Alma tells us.

“I think we’re really used to the commercial smells and sugar, so we have to relearn how to taste things… Most of the time people are not used to the smells of cacao beans just fermented and dried.”

That’s why Alma works closely with chocolate makers. To deepen their understanding of authentic cocoa, while making sure every batch of beans delivers the quality she promises. Even when cocoa prices rise, she doesn’t raise hers arbitrarily. The relationships she builds matter more.

What We Took Home From Finca Las Delias

At The Cocoa Circle, we left Alma’s farm feeling inspired, hopeful, and deeply connected to the heart of cocoa. Here’s what we learned:

• Variety is resilience: Alma plants a diverse mix of cacao trees to protect against disease and pests.
• Nature is a teacher: From banana leaves to shade trees, biodiversity makes farms healthier and stronger.
• Trust is everything: Long-term relationships with chocolate makers matter more than short-term gains.
• Quality takes time: True craftsmanship is in the details — in every seed, every bean, every bite.

We also realised just how important the health of the soil is for a thriving plantation and the work that goes into keeping the soil alive. This was one of Alma’s main struggles at Finca Las Delias. So, we helped out with a composting microproject that would allow Alma to enrich the soil.

Rooted in Stories. Growing with Purpose. 

Today, Finca Las Delias is a beacon for sustainable cocoa farming — a symbol of heritage embraced, knowledge earned, and passion poured into every pod.

Watch Alma’s story and join us in supporting farms like @lasdeliascacao that nurture the land, educate communities, and preserve the vital balance of nature.

This wasn’t just any farm. Run by third-generation cocoa grower and chocolate maker Ana Parizot-Wolter, Hacienda La Luz is a lush, storied estate that feels more like a sanctuary. It’s a place where the line between plantation and jungle blurs, and where cocoa is grown with the kind of care that comes from deep respect for the land. “Preserving a cacao plantation is a way to preserve a jungle,” Ana told us. And she meant it.

It was here, standing under the shade of ageing cocoa trees and surrounded by biodiversity humming with life, that we launched our very first sustainability micro‑project, a small but powerful way to support the farmers whose values reflect our own.

But what is a micro-project, really?

To us, it’s a hands-on collaboration with the people who know cocoa best. It’s a way to support smallholder farmers facing enormous challenges: ageing trees, erratic weather, limited resources, and often little access to technical support. These are farmer-led partnerships, designed to co-create practical, regenerative solutions—restoring resilience, improving productivity, and protecting ecosystems.

Ana’s vision for Hacienda La Luz made the mission of our first micro-project clear: to help revive a beloved but struggling section of her plantation and strengthen the ecosystem she’s spent her life protecting. Because sustainability doesn’t start in boardrooms. It starts in the soil, in the stories, and in relationships like this.

What’s their struggle?

Despite its rich biodiversity, Hacienda La Luz is under pressure. Tabasco has already lost 98% of its original jungle due to deforestation, cattle farming, and urban expansion. Ana is determined not to let her farm be next. But preserving a jungle-like cacao farm comes with its own set of challenges.

1. Aging Trees, Weakened Ecosystem

Much of the plantation is aging. The trees that remained were old and less productive, yielding almost no viable cocoa beans during the harvesting period.

2. Biodiversity at Risk

The “domesticated jungle” is home to local wildlife like iguanas and toucans. But, many of the farm’s original shade trees were reaching the end of their lifespan. Sparse replanting left the canopy thinner than before, offering less shelter for wildlife and less moisture retention for the soil.

Lower tree density also meant less shade—which was bad news for both cacao trees and the Forcipomyia midges that pollinate them. Fewer midges means less pollination and less cacao.

3. Climate Pressures

In the summer of 2023, southeastern Mexico faced one of its worst droughts on record. Irregular rains and heat stress made farming uncertain. “The rains used to come in May. Now, we never know,” Ana says. This unpredictability affects planting schedules, tree health, and crop yield.

How are we supporting Ana?

At The Cocoa Circle, we believe supporting circular, regenerative cacao farming means taking action on the ground. So, we partnered with Ana to launch a plantation renovation project focused on restoring two key hectares of Hacienda La Luz.

We began with pruning (removing dead parts of the tree) and analysis of the farm. Right away, it was clear the tree density was far below a healthy threshold. Where there should be 1,100 cacao trees per hectare, some areas had fewer than 600. We also saw an uptick in pests like squirrels and diseases like black pod rot. With this data, we created a plan focused on two goals: improving the health and productivity of existing trees, and planting 500 new trees to replenish and revitalise the land.

How is it going?

So far, the impact has been clear. Ana describes a wave of change taking place since the micro‑project began. Reviving the trees through pruning, bioinputs, and biofertilizers not only improved their health—it also seemed to shift the energy of the land itself. Pests retreated, and animals began returning: monkeys, iguanas, even snakes that hadn’t been seen in years. Birds settled into the canopy. The land began to recover, and so did the cocoa. For the first time in a long while, they were able to harvest from these two hectares—something that wasn’t possible elsewhere on the plantation.

At its core, this micro‑project isn’t just about cultivating cacao, but about investing in long‑term environmental resilience. Watching the land respond feels good, and reminds us why conscious farming is at the heart of what we do.

→ Watch Ana at @haciendalaluz share how this micro‑project took root—and the transformation it sparked.

At The Cocoa Circle, we believe cocoa is more than a treat — it’s a story. A story of resilience, climate, community, and care. In May 2024, we went deep into the cocoa heartland of Mexico to visit the farms that inspire everything we do. What we found? A community of cocoa farmers in Mexico with a passion for sustainable farming and a wealth of knowledge on how to grow cocoa passed down through generations.

Here’s what we saw — and why it matters.

🌴 Finca Cacayo – A Family Legacy & THRIVING FOREST

Tucked away in the heart of Tabasco, Finca Cacayo is more than a farm — it’s a family legacy, with the Bruno family leading the charge. Liliana Bruno, her father Dr Santiago Bruno Villalobos and little sister Frida, gave us a glimpse into their 13-hectare cocoa haven built on intergenerational knowledge and a deep commitment to sustainable agroforestry.

The name „Cacayo“ was coined by Frida when she was little — mispronouncing “cacao.” The name stuck, and so did the purpose: grow cocoa the right way.

Their agroforestry system includes jackfruit, sapote, banana, and orange trees, all providing vital shade and soil nourishment for the 4,128 productive cocoa trees. But the challenges are real — from failed irrigation systems to post-harvest struggles caused by extreme weather.

Still, Cacayo thrives. With circular farming dreams, vermicomposting, and nursery development on the horizon, this family is moving slowly, intentionally — one tree, one solution at a time.

🍃 Finca Las Delias – Precision Grown, Passion Led

Run by Alma Hema — a young woman who swapped city life for the cocoa field — Finca Las Delias is a masterclass in attention to detail. Located in Comalcalco, this farm is a haven for Criollo Almendra Blanca — a rare, prized cocoa variety known for its fruity, nutty aromas.

From pod counting to meticulous fermentation logs, Alma’s farm functions like a Swiss watch with a Mexican heartbeat.

We joined their harvest, witnessed the breaking of pods at dawn, and followed the “stewing” (fermentation) process under banana and cinnamon leaves. Every single step is documented, protected, and optimised for flavour.

🐒 Hacienda RC – A HAVEN FOR NATIVE SPECIES

In the same region, we visited Hacienda RC, a 13-hectare plantation honouring the legacy of Rosain de la Cruz. Now run by his daughter Viridiana, this farm is a lush rainforest ecosystem — home not only to cacao, but to endangered howler monkeys and biodiversity that breathes life into the land.

Sadly climate change hit the farm hard in 2024. Droughts and wildfires destroyed 19% of the plantation. But Viridiana perseveres — transitioning from cacao lavado to fermented cocoa, despite the extra work and equipment needed.

Her commitment isn’t just to cocoa — it’s to a way of life.

🌼 Hacienda La Luz – FROM BEAN TO BAR

Hacienda La Luz is what the dream for cocoa farmers in Mexico is all about. Founded in the 1920s by Dr. Otto Wolter, the farm now thrives under the care of his granddaughter Ana and chocolate maker Alejandro who continue his legacy of transforming cocoa beans into chocolate onsite.

A tour through the farm is a real educational cocoa journey — from flowering pods and banana-leaf fermentation in action, to tasting the final chocolate bar.

With its chocolate factory, tasting room, and biodiversity workshops, La Luz is doing it all.

👩🏽‍🌾 La Campesina del Cacao – Where Women Lead the Way

In Tecolutilla, we were welcomed by the fierce and kind-hearted Doña Estelita, leader of La Campesina del Cacao — a female-led cooperative that bridges cocoa with agro-tourism and education.

Here, cocoa isn’t just grown. It’s cooked, taught, sung, and honoured. The visit started with a homemade breakfast, followed by a plantation tour, nursery walkthrough, and a traditional recipe demo with cocoa-based drinks like Charote and sweet Melcochas.

Estelita is the third generation in her family to farm cocoa. With sustainability certifications and a storytelling spirit, she’s turning her plantation into a cultural sanctuary.

🍫 Finca La Luz – Cocoa as Ecosystem, Classroom, and Culture

Our final stop circled us back to Finca La Luz, the sister farm to Hacienda La Luz. This 26-hectare plantation doubles as a live classroom. Here, chocolate isn’t just made — it’s understood. Students walk through fermentation processes, biodiversity lessons, and cocoa tastings that spark lifelong learning.

It’s more than bean-to-bar. It’s bean-to-better-future.

🍫 Cocoa Farmers in Mexico: THE SUSTAINABILITY GOLD STANDARD

At The Cocoa Circle, we’re on a journey to meet cocoa farmers from around the world, who we can learn from and support. We started with cocoa farmers in Mexico and, what we found? These farms really are the gold standard for farming sustainably. Each of the Mexican cocoa farmers we met are working for a better future that preserves rainforest and biodiversity.

Every step on this journey reminded us: cocoa is not just a commodity. It’s a culture. A legacy. A livelihood. And it deserves to be honoured — fairly, visibly, and deliciously.

So, we’ve set out to not only share what we’ve learnt from them with other cocoa farmers and consumers around the world, but also to support their efforts directly through a series of sustainability microprojects. Because at The Cocoa Circle, it’s our mission to inspire better cocoa choices and create a new way of working that gives back to the people at the start of the supply chain.

👉 Want to add to the story? Shop our cocoa now — and be part of the movement.