The department of Meta comprises a wide range of different territories distributed in a variety of very different landscapes that make each one unique in ecosystems and biodiversity.
La Macarena is an isolated mountain range located in the department of Meta, Colombia. The national park encompasses an ecologically unique meeting point for the flora and fauna of the Amazon, Orinoco and Andes regions. Vistahermosa is a small rural town at the foot of the Sierra de la Macarena National Park.
The Ariari River is what gives life to this biodiverse territory in the Meta region. It flows southeast through the Andean mountains, to meet the Guayabero River and generate the Guaviare River, one of the great tributaries of the Orinoco River, a basin of evolution and dispersion of the cacao species.
Thanks to many investments and collaborative models with the association and El Colaboratorio, some of the farmers have learned about organic farming, cacao genetics, and transformation processes. With this experience, farmers like Don Epímaco were able to develop a unique fermentation protocol. Thanks to the longer anaerobic phase of this protocol, these micro lots produce a unique and distinctive cacao, with an unprecedented flavor profile. Don Epímaco also became increasingly dedicated to rescuing and preserving ancient cacao varieties that would otherwise disappear.
This region really portrays an emblematic case of farmers who moved with an interest or need to grow coca leaves and have now migrated their activities to the cocoa value chain, now assuming the role of entrepreneurial farmers in an agriculture that seeks a high valorization of their product.
The associated farmers in the region are true rural stewards. Today, after all the hardships, they can finally work to create stable living conditions for their families, while producing high-quality cocoa that requires knowledge and dedication, and is economically sustainable. While the coca cultivation model created deep divisions within the community, the producer associations generate a strong collective unity of farmers committed to the sustainable production of fine cocoa destined to excel in local and international markets.
