Partner Program
Cacao Gardener
Colombia
A sacred Cacao Forest in "The Heart of the World"
In Cacao Gardener's first project, Sierra Divina, we nurtured the vision of a sacred forest in "The Heart of the World" in Colombia. With the help of our cacao community & partners, we planted trees to restore a biodiverse, spirited cacao forest in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
In 2021 we were introduced to the Sierra Divina project, located between the Caribbean coast, the high mountains and the tropical rainforest of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia, close to Rio Guachaca and Rio Buritaca. The Sierra is the ancient land of the four tribes of the Tayrona people: Kogi, Arhuaco, Kankuamo and Wiwa, who call the Sierra "The Heart of the World".
Sierra Divina was founded by Ricardo Leyva and Juan Pablo Galvis. With the permission of the Wisdom Keepers of the Sierra, they embarked on a journey to cultivate a cacao forest in a sacred, respectful and responsible way. When buying the 34-hectare land in 2013, it was in a poor state caused by deforestation for unsustainable cattle ranching.
After almost ten years of recovery, the land was ready to host a sustainable agricultural project centred on biodiversity to create a positive economic, social and environmental impact. This is where the Cacao Gardener team came in as a partner.
Over three years, we worked closely with the Sierra Divina team and visited the plantation to learn directly from the cacao farmers and be involved in every step, from the cacao nursery to the transition to the land to help grow a biodiverse, healthy cacao forest. We invited cacao lovers to become guardians of a cacao tree and opened channels to inform with the Vision Series and educate in ceremonial gatherings.
The Pagamento
​The Tayrona people are keepers of ancient indigenous wisdom. They retreated to the sacred mountains, so their wisdom could survive colonisation. In recent years they came down to share their messages with humanity on how to live in harmony with nature. The Cacao Gardener Colombia project was blessed by Mamo Miguel, a Kogi elder, who fulfilled three "Pagamentos", a payment to Mother Earth performed to maintain the balance between giving and receiving: one before the first tree is planted, one for the cacao forest and one to bless the Cacao Gardener Initiative.
Sacred Reciprocity
The Cacao Gardener gift of EUR 55 was used to plant, tend, grow, and maintain cacao trees and their neighbouring trees - from the seedlings at the tree nursery to a strong forest ecosystem.
​
In sacred reciprocity we sent a gratitude package including:
​
-
A beautifully illustrated Cacao Gardener ebook in English or German with spirited cacao stories, rituals & recipes, and insights & illustrations from our dedicated Cacao Gardener team.
-
A 10 minute audio-music Meditation of a cacao tree in English or German guiding with voice and the handpan into the heart of the cacao forest.
-
The Cacao Gardener certificate with the exact location of the cacao tree in the Sierra Nevada.
-
The coloured "I am a Cacao Gardener logo" to be used on website and social media.​
​
Additionally we sent out the Vision Series via newsletter and invitations to take part in the ceremonial gatherings, meet the gardeners and learn directly from the people at the source on how to grow a cacao tree.
​
The Impact
During the funding phase, we initiated 145 tree sponsorships and inspired a collaborative partner to co-finance Cacao Gardener Colombia with 6.000€.
The Cacao Gardeners Initiative has helped to​
​
-
Plant 1,600 cacao trees, 1,600 shade plants, 200 oaks on 2 hectares of land and 4,000 endemic trees in a 24-hectare nature reserve.
-
Establish a water management system to conserve water and ensure the cacao plants receive the right amount of moisture.
-
Finance technical equipment.
-
Secure regular wages for the plantation workers.
-
Contribute to reforestation and sustainable land use.
-
Create educational material to give insight to all stages of planting a cacao tree.
In addition, plastic bags commonly used for the seedlings in the nursery were replaced with biodegradable and compostable containers ("Jiffy Pellets") made from organic materials to reduce the environmental impact. Unlike plastic bags, Jiffy Pellets can be planted directly into the soil, which means no plastic waste and less stress for the young trees.
The Loss of Trees
​
In 2023 & 2024, cacao farmers in Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Indonesia among many other countries had to face major climate fluctuations. Due to insufficient rainfall, many farmers lost up to 40% of their trees. Cacao prices increased by almost 300% worldwide.
​
The climate fluctuations and irrigation issues caused severe stress on the newly planted trees at Sierra Divina. As a result, the young forest lost almost 1,000 young cacao trees.
For now, the Sierra Divina project decided to concentrate on 1 hectare of land to make the best use of resources and avoid further losses. This will allow the cacao forest to grow organically and sustainably.
Our partner Ricardo Leyva wrote a personal statement about the events.
The Realignment
The cacao trees firstly planted grow vigorously and beautifully on Sierra Divina's land, of which some are already bearing fruits. The Sierra Divina team installed a new nursery using 300 seedlings harvested from these trees. These seedlings went into the field by mid-June 2024. All Cacao Gardener trees were replanted and marked for each guardianship. Today, 670 cacao trees grow on the Sierra Divina land.
What we've learned
-
How to grow a cacao tree - insight into all phases from preparing the land, growing a seedling in a nursery, grafting trees, planting shadow trees and the young trees on the land.
-
The every-day challenges of maintaining a cacao plantation in a tropical region including weather, human resources, and financial resources, and dealing with them in a collaborative way.
-
Staying open for new, more sustainable methods in cacao cultivation.
-
The importance of elder/ancient wisdom, how to ask for permission from Spirit, and being in communication with the land.
-
Immersing in the wisdom and the art of the Cacao Gardener as a metaphor to look inside and nurture both the inner and outer realm.