Some changes happen quietly.
Not in big headlines – but in small, steady steps.
In conversations under trees. In hands that touch the earth.
In knowledge that is passed on.

When we look at the last few months of our Impact Fund in Peru, we see exactly that:

A steady, vibrant growth, from person to person, from heart to heart.

Strengthening the roots 🌿 together with the local people

In the Urubamba Valley in the Cusco region, we are working together with our partners and local communities to preserve the original Chuncho cacao. This includes one of the oldest and most valuable cacao varieties on this earth.

But at its core, it is about something much bigger:

It is about the people who have been guarding this cacao for generations.

In the past few months, numerous producers have been able to further develop their cultivation methods through targeted training and personal guidance. Topics such as:

• natural fertilization with compost and guano,
• identifying and treating plant diseases,
• sustainable care of cacao trees,

were not just taught, but experienced and implemented together.

20,000 seedlings – a future growing up 🫶

A particularly moving part of the work is the care and preservation of old Chuncho cacao trees. These trees carry a story within them, as they are genetically unique and therefore a living heritage. Through individual support on-site, producers learn how to carefully prune, strengthen, and preserve these trees in the long term. ☺️

At the same time, the future is growing:

In community-built nurseries, thousands of new seedlings have been raised and cared for in recent months. In total, about 20,000 young plants that secure the Chuncho cacao for future generations as well.

Soil that nourishes and community that sustains 🙌

Healthy soil is the foundation for everything. That is why a key focus of the last two months was on natural soil improvement through organic fertilization – particularly with island guano and compost, entirely without synthetic agents.

35 producers from the Kiteni, Yomentoni, Koshireni, Mayungari, Yomentoato, Koribeni, California, Palmeiras, Cochayoc, and Confianza sectors received personalized technical guidance on fertilization and soil care during this period. At the same time, 12 family gardens were newly established – an often underestimated but important building block for food security and independence for local families.

Quality you can feel 🤲

After the harvest, an often invisible but crucial process begins: fermentation and drying. Over the last two months, 25 producers were specifically trained to refine and standardize these steps – with the goal of optimizing the post-harvest quality of the Chuncho cacao under organic farming and ensuring compliance with production standards. The traceability of the harvest was also a focus.

The result is not just higher quality cacao, but also more pride and awareness of one's own product. Because quality is not just a result – it is an attitude throughout the entire process.

Learning as a vibrant exchange

It is especially beautiful to see how knowledge is not only imparted but also allowed to evolve. Through exchange programs with other regions and communities, new perspectives were able to emerge, making mutual learning possible that goes far beyond individual projects.

Our field technician Noel Ochoa, whom we support through the Impact Fund, also plays a central role here: He connects people, guides processes, and takes knowledge to where it is needed. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your passion and your commitment 🫶

A look ahead

All these steps, as small as they may seem individually, add up to something powerful:

A system that

🌱 respects nature
🤝 strengthens community
🌍 and is sustainable in the long term

It shows us that real change takes time und that it arises where people take responsibility together.

A look at the last few months – what was created together

When we look at the past few months, we see more than just numbers or measures. We see processes that have grown. Trust that has deepened. And a collaboration that is increasingly becoming a true togetherness.

The current Impact Fund report (June 2025 – February 2026) provides an insight into this development in the Urubamba Valley in Peru, where the project “Recuperación Cacao Chuncho” comes to life together with local partners such as the Alto Urubamba Cooperative.

Over 20 producers have been intensively supported and trained in recent months in organic cultivation methods, the production of compost, and the mindful handling of plants and soil. In 26 individual sessions, the focus was also on the maintenance pruning of old Chuncho trees. Work that requires a great deal of sensitivity and a deep understanding of nature.

Natural soil strengthening also played a central role:
Through the use of lime and island guano, many families were able to improve their yields, entirely without synthetic fertilizers. In this way, step by step, more independence and trust in the power of their own resources is created.

A particularly powerful sign of this development are the newly created places of growth:

• A community nursery with up to 30,000 Chuncho seedlings
• Another nursery with 20,000 young plants, accompanied by technical support and grafting
• Additional forestry nurseries with trees such as mahogany and cedar, which enable stable agroforestry systems in the long term

Here, it is not just cacao that is growing 🤎
Here, the future is growing 🥰

Through the direct connection to the specialty cacao chain, many families have been able to improve their income, an important step towards economic stability.

At the same time, the establishment of 12 family gardens strengthened another, often underestimated area:
food security, fresh vegetables from one's own garden mean independence, health, and care in everyday life.

These developments show us what is possible when we begin to rethink the economy:
not as exploitation – but as a relationship.
Not as a chain – but as a living network.

And that is exactly what our shared path stands for. ✨

The Kakao Mischa Impact Fund

With our Impact Fund, we want to enable exactly these kinds of processes. A portion of every order goes directly into projects on the ground, into education, organic agriculture, and the strengthening of communities along our value chain.

👉 Find out more about our Impact Fund here:

https://kakaomischa.de/blogs/kakao-mischa-impact-fund

Thank you for walking this path with us.

With every cup of cacao, you are supporting not just a product, but a living network of people, nature, and consciousness. 💛