Ecuador, between growing production and the conservation of its ancestral cacao varieties.
A Decision That Begins with the Land
When we talk about conserving ancestral cacao, we often think of genetic research, seed banks, biodiversity projects or conservation programmes.
But there is another form of conservation, less visible and deeply connected to the land: the one that takes place every day on farms, when a family decides which trees to keep, which to restore and which cacao to plant for future generations.
During one of our journeys through Ecuador, we met a cacao producer whose story made us reflect on this reality.
Her father had chosen to cultivate CCN-51, a cacao clone developed for high yields. She, however, decided to follow a different path. Rather than continuing with that approach, she began replanting native cacao varieties.
Two generations, the same land, and two different ways of understanding its future.
Her story reminds us that cacao conservation is not only a scientific matter. It is also an agricultural, economic, cultural and personal choice.
Ecuador: Producing More and More
Ecuador has established itself among the world's largest cacao producers, and its cacao sector aims to continue climbing the global rankings.
This growth represents an important economic opportunity for the country and for thousands of families who depend on cacao cultivation.
But it also raises a question: what place does genetic diversity conservation have within a model that seeks to continuously increase production?
A significant part of Ecuador's cacao expansion is associated with CCN-51, a clone developed in Ecuador and recognised for its high productivity.
Compared with many traditional cacao varieties, CCN-51 can offer considerably higher yields and more consistent production under certain growing conditions.
This has direct economic consequences.
A family that harvests more cacao per hectare may increase its income, cover expenses and have more resources for everyday life.
For this reason, choosing a more productive cacao should not simply be interpreted as a lack of environmental or cultural awareness.
Often, it responds to economic necessity.
However, when growth policies, commercial incentives and industrial demand primarily favour volume, producers who choose to conserve native cacao varieties may find themselves in a more difficult position.
They do not always receive a price that compensates for differences in yield, the work involved in selection or the care required to preserve the identity of their harvests.
What We Discovered While Travelling Through Ecuador
During our journeys through Ecuador, we observed extensive cacao plantations, many of them with a significant presence of CCN-51.
We also encountered a reality that made us reflect: it is not always easy to find products made from cacao with a clearly differentiated genetic and sensory identity.
In a country with such an extraordinary cacao history and such important genetic diversity, this situation presents a contradiction.
Ecuador possesses cacao varieties capable of offering exceptional aromatic profiles, yet a substantial part of its production is directed towards markets that prioritise volume, uniformity and price.
The expansion of CCN-51 does not only transform the agricultural landscape. It can also influence the diversity of flavours available to consumers.
Selected primarily for its productive characteristics, this cacao generally presents a more neutral and less complex aromatic profile than many traditional Nacional cacao varieties.
This does not mean that producing good chocolate from CCN-51 is impossible. Fermentation, drying and roasting can considerably improve its sensory expression.
However, processing does not eliminate the genetic differences between cacao varieties, nor does it guarantee that they will all develop the same aromatic richness.
When higher-yielding varieties replace native cacao populations, cultivated genetic diversity may decline. We also risk losing unique sensory expressions associated with particular trees and territories.
Because cacao does not have just one flavour, and conserving its diversity also means preserving the extraordinary range of aromas it can offer us.
This does not mean that all Ecuadorian cacao is of poor quality.
Quite the opposite.
There are producers, cooperatives and chocolate makers doing extraordinary work, conserving local varieties and carefully managing every stage of production.
Thanks to them, we can discover Ecuadorian cacao of remarkable aromatic complexity, with distinctive identities that express their varieties, territories and processing methods.
This is precisely why it is so important that this heritage is not pushed aside by the expansion of higher-yielding cacao varieties.
The Value of a Tree That Remains
Traditional cacao trees represent more than a potential harvest.
They are also part of the agricultural history of their territories and may preserve genetic characteristics that have not yet been sufficiently studied.
Ecuador possesses cacao diversity of enormous scientific interest, particularly among its Amazonian populations and the genetic materials associated with Nacional cacao.
Conserving this diversity means keeping possibilities open for the future: aromatic characteristics, environmental adaptations and genetic resources that may become important in the face of emerging diseases or climate change.
But conserving a tree also means preserving a relationship with the land.
When a family decides to maintain old trees, recover local seeds or continue cultivating traditional varieties, they are actively participating in the conservation of this heritage.
The producer we met in Ecuador represents one of those decisions.
Her choice reminded us that not everyone understands agricultural progress in the same way.
For some, growth means producing more.
For others, it also means preserving what they have inherited and passing it on to future generations.
Both aspirations can coexist, but they need economic and agricultural conditions that make this possible.
Productivity Should Not Be the Only Criterion
The expansion of genetically uniform crops can reduce diversity within agricultural systems, particularly when they replace local populations and are accompanied by monoculture practices.
Intensive farming systems can also place pressure on soil, water and biodiversity when appropriate management practices are not implemented.
However, the genetics of a cacao variety alone do not determine the environmental impact of a plantation.
Tree diversity, soil management, shade, fertilisers and agricultural practices are all fundamental factors.
Likewise, traditional cacao does not automatically guarantee superior quality. Genetics matter, but so do harvesting, fermentation, drying and processing.
What we defend is the need to ensure that productivity does not become the only criterion for deciding which cacao deserves to continue existing.
Because when local cacao varieties disappear, we lose more than a commercial alternative.
We may lose part of cacao's biological and cultural diversity.
Who Protects Those Who Choose to Conserve?
Conservation cannot depend exclusively on the individual willingness of farming families.
Ecuador has research institutions and programmes dedicated to improving and conserving Nacional cacao. Nevertheless, we must continue asking whether the available resources and opportunities are sufficient for producers conserving native varieties to remain economically competitive.
Because conservation also has a cost.
A producer harvesting fewer kilograms per hectare needs the market to recognise the distinctive value of their crop.
They need buyers who understand the importance of traceability, genetic diversity and careful processing.
And they need opportunities for their children and future generations to continue working the land without being forced to abandon what their families have preserved.
Conservation should not be an economic sacrifice reserved for those who can afford it.
It should be a real and sustainable possibility.
Choosing Cacao Is Also Making a Decision
As consumers, we often ask ourselves what a cacao tastes like, what nutritional benefits it offers or how we can prepare it.
But there is another equally important question:
What are we supporting when we choose a cacao?
Every purchase participates in an economic chain.
We can help sustain production models focused primarily on volume, or support projects that also value biodiversity, traceability, care for the food itself and relationships with farming communities.
This does not mean that a more expensive cacao is necessarily better, more sustainable or more respectful.
It means that we need to understand what lies behind what we consume.
Where it comes from.
Who grows it.
Which trees are being conserved.
How the land is cultivated.
And what opportunities that family has to continue producing in this way in the future.
Because conscious consumption is not only about seeking individual benefits.
It also means recognising that our choices have consequences beyond our cup.
The Future of Cacao Is Also Being Decided Today
The conservation of ancestral cacao requires scientific research, territorial protection, economic opportunities and consumers who are interested in understanding the origins of their food.
But it also requires something profoundly human: people who find meaning in continuing to care for what they have inherited.
The story of that Ecuadorian producer reminds us that, even within a market oriented towards productivity, there are people who choose to follow a different path.
Not necessarily the easiest one.
Not always the most profitable in the short term.
But one that keeps part of cacao's diversity alive.
At Sumay Cacao, we believe that understanding the origin of a food also means understanding the decisions made by those who grow it.
Because behind every tree there is a story, a territory and a possibility for the future.
And when we choose which cacao to consume, we also participate, even in a small way, in deciding which cacao will continue growing tomorrow.
