Impact Tracker
Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Thank you for
growing a tree!
Together we regenerate what we consume
in Ecuador’s Esmeraldas coast.
Soccer fields of cloud forest ARE preserved
seedlings are were grown in local nurseries
farmer families received organic certification
tree nurseries are up and running
Your tree
grows here.
key statistics
| Area: | Mache Chindul & Cotacachi Cayapas Eco Reserve |
| The forest: | Mache Chindul Cotacachi Cayapas Eco Reserve the size of 593.036 soccer fields |
| Rare wildlife: | Mache glass frog, boa constrictor, choco toucan, nine-banded armadillo, white-fronted capuchin, jaguar |
| Original bean: | Rare old-growth Arriba Nacional cacao |
| Your growers: | 143 families in 2 villages |
Piura Timeline
Updated: July 2023
Summer 2023
The community of Loma Linda received 2000 native cinnamon (Isphingo) trees and approximately 1000 native tree seedlings from a local nursery. These 3.000 seedlings hold the capacity to further enhance and strengthen the diversity of their agroforestry systems. Ishpingo is known to be an unhurried growing tree which pairs favorably with the cacao tree. After 10-15 years the Ishpingo can be harvested and its flowers which are known for their high market value can be dried. A perfect complimentary product for remote communities as the price to volume ratio is on the higher end.
Spring 2023
Skill enhancement training courses were provided to the cacao growers in Loma Linda specifically in the art of grafting cacao trees. A process known to assure the purity of the newly planted cacao trees. During this training about 1.500 trees were grafted with materials of the 100 selected mother stock trees in winter 2022.
Winter 2022
A local NGO in Esmeraldas, Ecuador organized a 5 days Food Forest knowledge course for the local cacao farmers concerning the benefits of regenerative agroforestry and cacao forests in terms of providing food and medicine to the local families. The objective was to improve the local knowledge about organic, regenerative agriculture and consequently to spread this knowledge within their communities and beyond.
Winter 2022
A training course concerning the importance of forest conservation was held by local expert Wiliam Carlosama with the aim to motivate the local community to continue their efforts conserving their forests and to actively take part in the mission of reforestation.
Autumn 2022
In collaboration with the Cachi community we started a cacao collection project led by our bean team member Rosaura Laura (Peru) around the Cayapas river to rescue and select the purest and most flavorful Cacao trees in the region. Within 2 months, we identified 100 mother stock trees (trees with outstanding flavor, productivity and pest resistance).
Summer 2022
The community of Mono Bravo starts to grow 5.000 seedlings of locally selected Nacional cacao to enhance their cacao forests.
Summer 2022
Thanks to a collaboration with our partner Bean & Goose a canoe with motor has been purchased for the Chachi Communities to be able to transport the cacao from the remote indigenous communities at the Cayapas river to Loma Linda (2-4 hours) for fermentation and drying and the dry cacao from Loma Linda to the port of Borbon (4h), from where it is transported to the warehouse of our partner in Guayaquil. The canoe can transport up to 2.5 tons dry cacao beans.
Spring 2022
Our local partner built a solar dryer to enable the community to process cacao on their own.
your impact
One Bar. One
Tree. Go See!
The cacao farmers of Mono Bravo live inside the Reserve and act as stewards of the forest and its wildlife. Your enjoyment of Original Beans Esmeraldas chocolates empowers them culturally and economically in their old cacao tradition. Cacao here is more than income, it is an identity. That’s why the farmers are preserving their forest as a “Climate Forest”.
“The support of Original Beans to rescue our native cacao types and wood species is crucial to preserve the diversity of our forests.”
Wiliam Carlosma
Chachi Leader
Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Our partners
taste the rare
Esmeraldas 50%
Vegan M!lk
Notes of gianduja and barley malt open as delicately as the blossoms of rare cacao and almond trees growing for this Arriba chocolate.
Esmeraldas 50% Vegan M!lk
Notes of gianduja and barley malt open as delicately as the blossoms of rare cacao and almond trees growing for this Arriba chocolate.
Blossoms of Arriba cacao and Guara almond await an insect’s touch. It takes a hundred tender cacao blossoms to make this bar of chocolate. Your purchase of delicate Esmeraldas 50% maintains such botany in Ecuador’s last cloud forests.
