PROJECT
DEVELOPMENT OF COCOA PRODUCTION CHAIN TO
IMPROVE LIVELIHOODS AND PRESERVE BIOLOGICAL
CORRIDORS IN THE LACHUA ECOREGION
Lachua Ecoregion, Cobán, Alta Verapaz.
Guatemala, Central America.
Nov 25th.
LACHUA ECOREGION
Baseline
Findings:
• low and inadequate management
in the pruning of the cocoa trees.
• excessive shading in the
plantations (around 75% shade)
• genetic material with too much
production variability
• 73 % of producers are active (125)
• 79 % of the area with some
management
• Monilia is present in 2 % of the
plantations.
• Cocoa beans are sold without
being fermented
• Cocoa productions generates low
income (technology, finance
system and added-value)
• Minimal full and part-time jobs
created
What actions we did?
Organization
• Strengthening the producer’s
organizations’ administrative
and accounting system
• Support in developing the
annual operative plans
What Actions we did?
• A training program
implemented
–
–
–
–
–
–
Pruning
Shade
Superior trees
Grafting
Control of plague and disease
Fertilization
• 6 field school established in 6
communities
• 127 producers trained
What Actions we did?
• 25 farmer, trainers and
administrators, trained in TOT
methodology and cocoa
technology
• All students participated in the
dialogue with experts in cocoa
production (BK and George
Loquvam)
What actions we did?
• Technical assistance for
plantations management
• 50 % of the farmers initiated
with the prioritized
management activities
• Monilia are monitored and
under control
• 90 producers interested in
establishing new plantations
have been identified
What actions we did?
Genetic material for cloned plants
• Identification of superior trees
– 226 trees identified, tagged, and
registered in database.
• Cloning material
– Budwood garden established (100
plants)
What actions we did?
• Implementation of value-added
processing centers
– 3 centers are built
– equipped with fermentation and
drying infrastructure, equipment
– 1053.9 kg of wet cocoa bean have
been processed
– 2943.9 kg of dry cocoa
commercialized
What actions we did?
Relationships for future
partnerships and
commercialization:
• Lake Champlain Chocolate (Eric
Lampman)
• Sacha Gold Project (George
Loquvam)
• Steve Bergin (Potential buyer)
• Local Buyers
Activities for 2013
• Production of 20,000 new clonal
plants
• Planting of 20 new Hectares
• 20-30 new producers
• 50 producers trained in field
schools
• 3 new budwood garden
established with superior
genetics material
• Standardize post harvest
processing
• Implement the financial
mechanism with the cocoa
organizations
• Improve the management of the
existing plantations