Choco Estates

Choco Estates As a growing collective we champion biodiversity and protect the land we care for. Together we're cultivating exceptional cacao

We go beyond organic and fair trade by paying living wages and fostering equitable partnerships.

07/06/2026

We start most of our agroforestry systems on deforested cattle pastures and gradually introduce plants and trees in a way that mimics the forest recovering. What makes it agroforestry from the word agriculture is that many of the plants double as edible or commercial crops.

In our subtropical climate, it usually takes around 3 to 4 years for anything resembling a young forest to start reclaiming the land. But even a young agroforestry system like this one can give us cool shade to work under, fruit to sustain our energy, and birdsong for encouragement

05/06/2026

Agroforestry integrates trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock on the same land to enhance biodiversity, improve soil and water management, and diversify farm income. By combining species with complementary functions (e.g., nitrogen-fixing trees, shade trees, deep-rooted perennials), agroforestry increases resource use efficiency and resilience while sequestering carbon.
At Choco Estates we combine cacao with banana, yucca, inga, pachako, balsa, cardamom, citrus, palm trees, mango, avocado, guanabana, snake fruit and much more

02/06/2026

The fruit with a dozen names, the pod of the inga edulis tree can be called guaba, guama, pacay, paterna, shimbillo and more depending on where you are. Also known as “the ice cream bean” because the pulp is sweet and creamy, the seeds are also a tasty high protein snack boiled or roasted with salt.
The inga tree is also a powerful addition to our agroforestry system. The roots sequester nitrogen in the soil and the abundant foliage makes a great nutrient rich mulch for other plants.

31/05/2026

Why does our ancestral Nacional cacao have such a rich, nuanced flavor profile? Fruity, floral, herbal...and a pure dark chocolate finish? Genetics, yes. Fermentation, yes. But also, just look at the gorgeous abundance growing alongside the cacao trees and right next to beans as they dry in the sun. Fresh mint, sweet frangipani flowers, tart lemons, tangy arazá, crunchy snake fruit, and creamy ice cream bean pods, just to pick a few

23/05/2026

The Chocó Andino cloud forest where we farm supports an incredible diversity of unique nutrient dense food plants. Juicy fruits like the arazá and naranjilla, nutty macambo, and high protein breadnut add variety, vitamins and minerals to to our diets. Here’s a quick tour of just a few of our favorites

22/05/2026

Abundance

21/05/2026

Come harvesting with us. We find such joy in seeing our efforts bear literal fruit that we can share with you

20/05/2026

The beauty of the cloud forest is hard to describe. You must see it for yourself. From the gorgeous flowers to the spontaneous pouring rain, it can by sunny in the morning and raining in the afternoon

19/05/2026

San Dimas, Ecuador, where we process our locally grown cacao, is a tiny village in the rural heart of our province, justly famous for its running rivers and clean cascades. Sometimes, when we’re working very hard in the workshop grinding nibs, pouring paste, tempering bars, we take a little break to walk the dusty dirt roads trafficked only by motorcycles and mules, suddenly to take a detour into the surrounding forest and encounter a fabulously refreshing “secret” waterfall, known only to locals

Dirección

Pedro Vicente Maldonado

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