Ucayali in Peru's Amazon basin produces organic, uncertified cacao from 400 smallholder farmers at altitudes between 100 and 1,000 meters. The region grows Trinitario clones and local 'comun' varieties in polyculture with bananas and shade trees. Ucayali River Cacao handles on-farm fermentation and drying, buying wet cacao at premium prices to support farmer livelihoods.

This central fermentary works with cacao farmers along the Ucayali River, which is outside of the city of Pucallpa, in eastern Peru. Since their inception, Ucayali River Cacao has partnered with both USAID and Alianza Peru to offer local farmers access to an alternate market in a region plagued for too long by narcotraffickers. Buying wet cacao at a premium price takes a lot of work off the farmers’ plates without taking away income, and allows the processing team to ensure even fermentation & drying of all beans. Working with a few hundred smallholder farmers, the team at Ucayali River has been able to achieve a deeply flavorful cacao, with hugely varying flavor profiles depending upon the work of the chocolate maker.