For a long time, deforestation was the only legitimate source of income for the inhabitants of the Esmeraldas region of Ecuador. Esmeraldas is located in northern Ecuador, climate-wise it belongs to the cloud forest. Due to this climate and the proximity to the equator, the biodiversity of flora and fauna is unique. All flora and fauna are still suffering from deforestation, especially the black-headed spider monkey “Washu”. This area is the last habitat of the “Washu” and has shrunk to a dramatically small area. To protect the forest and this species, the Tesoro Escondido Nature Reserve was launched. “Washu” is also a foundation that seeks to protect the nature reserve and is scientifically supported by Sussex University.
Asoprotesoco, a community of farmers who have been living there for about 20 years, have joined forces in this nature reserve in the Esmeraldas and are proving that species conservation can go hand in hand with cacao quality. The cultivation and selling of the cacao, in addition to the cultivation of rice and corn as well as animal keeping, offer farmers a real alternative to deforestation. The cacao from the Tesoro Escondido is very strong in its flavors. The chocolate obtained from it is characterized by the intense flavor of cacao.
When we visited the Tesoro Escondido farming community, we were able to get an idea of the great motivation of the different families. Our host was the president of the community, Javier Cedeno Alava. The community is constantly adapting the processes, we are excited to see where this road will lead. We, too, are a small and young company and are very proud to make a small contribution to the “Washu”.
