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
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
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.
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
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.
