Journey to Peru — Cacao, Coffee & Encounters in the Amazon
This September I travelled alone to Peru as part of a PROMPERÚ-funded trip, attending Expoalimentaria in Lima before visiting cacao- and coffee-growing regions in San Martín and Pucallpa. The journey offered a deep look into the smallholder farms and agroforestry systems that shape both crops — and the livelihoods that depend on them. Across these areas I met farmers cultivating a mix of local cacao varieties and hybrids among CCN51, reflecting the diversity and adaptability of Peruvian cacao. Many of the farms I visited practiced agroforestry, growing cacao and coffee beneath shade trees and using organic techniques such as strimming around the trees to manage weeds without herbicides.
Across the region, I saw how farmers are experimenting with regenerative agroforestry systems, combining cacao, coffee, banana, timber, and native trees. These systems help stabilise soils, enhance biodiversity, and buffer crops against climate extremes — a hopeful contrast to the monocultures that threaten many parts of the tropics.
For the first time, I saw macambo (Theobroma bicolor) being planted intentionally at scale as a shade tree for cacao. Macambo is a close relative of cacao, producing large, pale pods filled with edible seeds that can be roasted and eaten like nuts. It’s an exciting companion species — offering shade, improving soil health, and providing an additional crop for farmers. Seeing it integrated into cacao systems was truly promising, a sign of innovation grounded in biodiversity.
Peru’s cacao and coffee landscapes are living classrooms, and every visit deepens our understanding of how to support farmers building resilience in both the land and their livelihoods.
Visiting coffee farms alongside cacao plantations highlighted how closely these crops are intertwined in both ecology and culture. Many farmers grow them side by side, creating a diverse, shaded agroforestry environment that supports pollinators, maintains soil moisture, and provides a balanced income throughout the year.
Like cacao, coffee quality depends on careful post-harvest handling — from fermentation to drying — and I came away with a deeper appreciation for how these producers balance tradition, innovation, and sheer hard work to create exceptional flavour.
The journey wasn’t without its wild moments. While walking through one cacao farm, I startled two large snakes sunning themselves among the fallen leaves — a sharp reminder that these forests are alive in every sense. Later, while filming some poorly dried cacao laid out beside a street, I was suddenly chased off by a pair of vicious guard dogs. Both encounters were brief but unforgettable — a glimpse of the raw, unpredictable reality that surrounds cacao farming in the jungle.
