OUR CACAO
We at Big Tree Farms work directly with over 2,000 farmers on the islands of Bali and 500 farmers on the island of Lombok to procure our fine cacao. Since 2005, we have worked with local farmers to bring their cacao quality from international sub-standard ratings to a highly regarded flavor cacao.
The history of the Bali and Lombok Cacao is linked to the history of the legendary Java Criollo, which is linked to the Philippines, which is directly linked to the cacao the Spanish brought there from the legendary Aztec cacao orchards of Soconusco, Mexico.
These genetics that made their way into Indonesia were dominantly planted on old Dutch plantations found on East Java. These same genetics that were so highly regarded were also planted on the next islands over, Bali and Lombok. As the chocolate industry become more industrialized in the mid 1900’s and production output replaced quality of flavor, the plantations started to replace the Java Criollo with hybrids that increased the volume of cacao per hectare.
Fortunately, the islands of Bali and Lombok were mostly ignored during the hybridization period. This is probably due to the fact that villages and small family farms populated these smaller islands, not plantations. In the mid 1900’s, Bali was nothing like it is today; it was still quite forgotten and remote. Today, many of Bali’s and Lombok’s farms still remain as they were. The cacao is grown interspersed with other food crops such as, vanilla, exotic peppercorns, passion fruit, banana, jackfruit, palm trees and mangosteen. We refer to these as “food forests”.
SUPPLY CHAIN
Big Tree Farms, with direct support from USAID and AMARTA, has created the world’s first fully integrated fermented cacao value chain. Big Tree Farms operates a Central Processing Unit (CPU) for the efficient fermentation, drying, warehousing and sale of Bali cacao. Here, we are able to carefully monitor the fermentation process and maintain a more consistent, flavorful product. Because we work directly with the farmers and pick up the wet beans daily during harvest season, we can offer fully traceable lots of cacao.
Contrary to historic examples of central processing, Big Tree Farms CPU is not a direct profit generating enterprise. Rather, the CPU is a necessary step in the development of a long-term sustainable supply. It is run more as a community facility, managed by BTF.
Cacao farmers provide wet beans to Big Tree Farms CPU, which manages the processing through fermentation, drying and sorting. Big Tree Farms then purchases the properly fermented and dried cacao and a small transparent toll is imposed for processing services rendered. The central processing unit aims to both ensure consistent high quality product and serve as a processing training center to regional farmers/farmer groups/cooperatives.
This unique model has increased our farmer partners’ income by 30% ! (USAID provided this % during an audit). This traceable and transparent supply chain model ensures the highest quality cacao for our customers and the highest return for our farmer partners.
THE PRODUCTS
Because we own the fermentary and drying facility, we can ferment the beans to your preference. We can provide you organic, conventional and kosher. And for the growing raw food movement, we can provide premium verifiable & traceable raw cacao products.
All our cacao and processed goods are tested for standard impurities, including heavy metals. We can pack in traditional jute or nylon based bags.
For industrial cacao bean inquires, please contact us
For raw cacao information, please visit THRIVE foodworks
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