Part of the agroforestry design plan for the property we have access to in Baiima Sierra Leone is to plant Cacao in between the Oil Palms. The trees will grow in harmony together as in natural forests. We are moving towards this and Musa, the smallholder is sourcing the Cacao seedlings. Michael informed him the government is interested in seeing an additional 10000 metric tons of cacao exported annually.

Cacao, of course, is the plant that produces cocoa beans, and those, of course, are where chocolate comes from!  With this new emphasis on cacao, Musa inquired of his family regarding what he believed was a property that had once held a cacao plantation. They told him it was indeed the case and that the once productive cacao plantation was abandoned during the horrible Sierra Leone civil war that lasted from 1991-2002 and left 50,000 civilians dead.

Abandoned Cacao (Cocoa) Farm

Musa visited the property with family and took photos and video of the overgrown plantation. Though it will need much work the plantation definitely can be brought back into production. And…the family has given Musa their blessing to make it happen! Michael has not been able to determine the size of the property as of yet and hopes to be able to survey it when he returns to Sierra Leone in October. The Cacao will be another source of income to improve the livelihoods of the people in the area.

Drying of Cocoa Beans after fermentation

Musa with Unripe Cacao

Michael has made connections with organizations working in West Africa to assist with the fair processing, handling, marketing, and sale of the cacao from brother Musa’s abandoned family cacao farm. It “just so happens” that one of the contacts Michael was able to associate with is an internationally renowned expert and author on the subject of Cocoa. She has introduced Michael to a farmers’ association that “just so happens” to be working in the same area where Musa’s family cacao farm is located! So now, we will be forming the Mandu Cocoa farmers association in the Chiefdom where Musa lives. The family farm will become a demonstration site to train the 30 or so other farmers with abandoned farms.

Highly productive Cocoa trees on the abandoned farm.

This is such blessed news! Musa has been a little concerned with the idea of cacao farming. In the past, the cacao industry has been known to exploit local cacao farmers, but this association will ensure that the farmers are treated and paid fairly. The association deals with companies like (link)> Dandelion Chocolate who are attempting to offer an agricultural alternative to slash and burn the beautiful Gola rainforest.

Senesie is a blind landholder with an abandoned cocoa farm who will benefit from our new Mandu Farmers association