More than a hundred riverside families on the banks of the Acará River are part of the small cocoa producers’ network, whose processing base is on the Acará-Açu community leader’s land: Zeno Gemaque. A skilled carpenter and entrepreneur, he has achieved maximum quality in the cocoa beans he processes. Over the years, he has improved harvesting, transport, fermentation, drying and storage protocols, making the processing structure of the Acará-Açu community today considered a reference in the region.
The fermentation tanks are made from the wood of trees fallen in the forest, the almonds’ pre-processing use an intuitive and unique technique that preserves the microorganisms essential to life, while careful fermentation and drying processes enhance the sensorial aspects originating from the forest. As a result, a more aromatic cocoa bean with lower acidity.
The gentle and refined management of cocoa by the riverside dwellers of this Amazonian community not only preserves the region's natural resources, but also fosters a sense of cooperation, justice and solidarity, essential in building an integrated production chain in balance with the environment.
Image Credits: Coi Belluzzo and Valter Ziantoni
SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT More than 100 families are impacted by the cocoa production chain, in a forest area with a wide variety of plant and animal species.
