<
https://modernfarmer.com/2025/03/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better/>
"On the rainy side of Hawai‘i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in
his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips a
bright orange pod and slices it neatly at the stem before bending a knee to cut
the fruit open.
The pod’s dense and waxy exterior gives way to seeds coated in white pulp –
sweet, bitter and nutty to the taste. They are destined for greatness in the
form of chocolate bars, dried beans and tea at Lavaloha Chocolate Farm in Hilo.
“Bringing the Hawaiian cacao to light for the rest of the world – I really want
to be at the forefront of that,” Lavaloha’s president Bencomo says.
Although most of the world’s chocolate is grown in West Africa, those sweet
treats aren’t guilt-free: Industry problems include slavery, child labor,
poverty among farmers and more. But in recent years, small-scale producers have
raised the ethical bar, and a nascent sector has formed on Hawaiian soil under
American labor standards. Here, growers are making fresh kokoleka, or chocolate
in ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), through mindful agricultural practices:
creating their own soil and compost, contracting with locals, and using organic
fertilizer.
“For all of us in Hawai‘i, it’s integrity,” says Puna Chocolate Company owner
Adam Potter. “It’s gonna be Hawaiian grown, and it’s gonna be quality beans.”"
Via Esther Schindler.
Share and enjoy,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
