NICARAGUA
Matagalpa, Nicaragua – A Rising Star in Fine Cocoa
1. Rebirth through Cooperatives
In the early 2000s, the “Rescate al Cacao” initiative began reviving cacao production in Matiguás and Matagalpa through capacity-building workshops and technical training
By November 2000, the La Campesina cooperative was established to help smallholder farmers commercialize cacao. Over 450 farmers in 37 communities now contribute quality beans
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2. Global Partnerships & Quality Focus
In 2007–2008, German chocolate giant Ritter Sport partnered with La Campesina. They funded decentralized fermenting and drying centers—key to consistency and fine-flavor classification
Today, approximately 95% of Nicaragua’s cacao is grown by smallholders across 56 cooperatives. Around 50–70% of this production is organic, and 100% is Quality A grade
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3. Boutique & Direct-Trade Ventures
Cacao Bisiesto, founded by farmer Gifford Laube in Matagalpa, buys wet cacao at premium prices, then centrally ferments and dries it to meet international fine-chocolate standards
El Castillo del Cacao, founded in 2005 in Matagalpa, was Nicaragua’s first local bean-to-bar factory—turning underutilized cacao into commercial products.
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4. Large-Scale Sustainable Agroforestry
Cacao Oro de Nicaragua, established in 2014 in the Caribbean North (RACCN), now runs a 3,000-hectare agroforestry operation, integrating cacao, coffee, and hardwood trees. It emphasizes sustainability and community empowerment
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5. Economic & Export Growth
Nicaragua exports around 7,000 tonnes of cacao annually (2025), projected to increase to over 25,500 tonnes by 2026. Central highlands (Matagalpa & Jinotega) supply most of this, favoring Quality A organic beans to Europe and Central America
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Structured Cooperatives: 450+ farmers organized across 56 groups—offering scale with traceability.
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End-to-End Production: Local fermenting, drying, and bean-to-bar processing.
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Sustainable & Ethical: Investments in agroforestry and farmer support systems.
Scalable Growth: A booming export market with rising volume and quality benchmarks.​
