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Cacao Industry
Employment & GDP contributions
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GDP contribution
Agriculture
In spite of its declining contribution to GDP, agriculture is still one of the main pillars of the Belizean economy and continues to form the base of the productive sector. This underscores the importance of creating linkages between agriculture, tourism and agro-processing. However, Belize is suffering from significant production constraints due to a range of factors. The government’s sector strategies aimed at promoting agriculture have tended to focus on sugar, citrus and bananas. Until recently, little emphasis was placed on supporting marginal cash crops like cacao.
Agriculture
With a consistent demand for chocolate in the United States, Europe and other regions, the demand for cacao has grown over the years, which has sparked a renewed interest by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture (MNRA) in supporting the cacao sector. In addition, there is some interest in introducing cultivation in areas outside Toledo, to encourage the commercialization of the crop by private sector investors. Also, because Belize has become known for its high quality beans, BELTRAIDE is interested in exploring possibilities surrounding value addition by developing high quality end-products for use in the domestic tourism market. One area that will need further examination is the “aging farmer syndrome” that is plaguing subsistence farming all over the world. In southern Belize the average farmer is between 50 and 60 years old, and this age cohort makes up the majority of farmers in the area.
Tourism
In terms of GDP, tourism is by far the most important sector in Belize. The tourism industry started in the late 1980s and continues to experience growth. A major challenge facing the tourism sector is the need to diversify the product offering. Cultural services have been identified as a priority sector of focus to ensure that Belize diversifies its tourism product into niche areas. Belize has a rich cultural heritage on which to draw. In spite of some constraints in this sector, cacao is currently playing a role in the diversification process. Chocolate making has been done by the Maya people for centuries, and Toledo is becoming recognized as the “home of cacao.” Furthermore, popularity of locally-produced chocolate is increasing, with farm tours being arranged by a few innovative families. As such, cacao is a “made in Belize” product that can be further developed as part of Belize’s experiential tourism and destination strategies. Cacao presents a particular opportunity to infuse the cultural experience in specific value chain segments, namely food and beverage, souvenirs, transportation and excursions. This fits within the NES strategy for tourism, where Maya sites and other cultural locations provide an opportunity to develop more robust cultural packages, building on services that are already being offered. Further diversification of the tourism market has to take into consideration the challenges identified by the NES for the growth of tourism.
Employment in industry
Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC)
Maya Mountain is arguably one of the most established cacao origins in the world, having been one of the first to very clearly establish its own brand. Started in 2010, MMC put Belizian cacao on the map, as a pioneer in the centralized fermentery social enterprise model. What that boils down to is 350+ farming families in southern Belize selling their wet cacao beans to the MMC team at a transparent premium. Most of these families are Q’eqchi’ and Mopan Maya and have been producing cacao for generations. In 2014, the origin was even awarded an Heirloom Cacao Preservation (HCP) designation, and its versatile and rich flavors attest to the deservedness of that honor. All Maya Mountain Cacao beans are certified organic.
Toledo Cacao Growers Association
The Toledo Cacao Growers Association (TCGA) is a non-governmental organization that works with cacao farmers in improving production, provide training, sales, and exportation of organically grown cacao to the local and international market. Today more than 200 active subsistence farmers (primarily in the Toledo and South Stann Creek Districts) are engaged in cacao production. Its members are divided into 55 communities that produce more than 50 tons of cacao beans annually.