Most Nicaraguan producers never think of their cacao as a central crop; rather it usually occupies a lesser importance and is treated like a “caja chica” for the farmer: a small sack of red cocoa is basically pocket money with the producer goes to town. The first hurdle for Cacao Bisiesto was demonstrating to the producers that they could expect more from their cacao and aspire for better things (money) if they started to treat cacao like a real crop. Paying good prices for quality cacao (clean, fresh cacao suitable for fermentation) and remaining committed to farmers throughout the year seem like obvious and common-sense practices for any responsible business in this sector, but given the scant options available to producers back in those days when Cacao Bisiesto started operating, it is fair to call these basic practices “innovative” given the state of the marketplace at that time.

Over the past 15 years, a lot has changed in both Nicaragua in general and within the cacao scene in-country. But it’s still fair to say that cacao remains, in most cases, a lower priority than crops such as coffee and cattle ranching. There have been a few significant investments in Nicaragua in industrial scale cacao agriculture, but these farms generally operate outside of the traditional cacao value chain. Cacao Bisiesto has remained loyal to the producers in the regions near their base of operations (El Tuma, Matagalpa) and continuously buys wet cacao from the same clusters of farmers throughout the year. The biggest change in Cacao Bisiesto’s value chain has been the development of Gifford Laube’s personal farming operation on the same site as the fermentation/collection center. Purchased in 2012, this farm now has 30+ hectares of cacao, most of which are in production. Developing a cacao farm to its productive stage takes time, and is certainly not easy, but now that this property is in production, Cacao Bisiesto is guaranteed a significant percentage of its tonnage can be produced on-site, with fine-flavor grafted varietals used to fine tune the flavor profile of this cacao. This farm also serves as a demonstration and training center for producers interested in making more significant investments in their cacao, striving for better and more consistent production.

While challenges remain, Cacao Bisiesto has successfully carved out a market niche over the past 15 years selling top-quality Nicaraguan cacao to chocolate makers in Europe and North America. Chocolate makers often comment on the consistency and user-friendly attributes of Cacao Bisiesto’s cacao. Low acidity, rich chocolate flavor, with mellow and earthy notes are common descriptions of the cacao. An easy cacao to use in stand-alone bars, or for inclusions (most commonly paired with coffee).