Altamira – While large chocolate corporations face supply seizures and sustainability pressures, a silent revolution happens in Xingu’s family properties in Pará.
Producers such as José Renato and Veronica, from Kakao Blumenn, and Robson Bruni, from Ascurra Chocolate, are demonstrating that it is possible to reconcile tradition, innovation and environmental responsibility in a model that can inspire the entire global industry.
The Xingu region, which concentrates 75.86% of the production of Cocoa do Pará and accounts for more than half of national production, has become a living laboratory of sustainable practices. With over 60% of producers using agroforestry systems, the region reached an average productivity of 946 kg per hectare by 2024, almost four times higher than Bahia.
O modelo “tree to bar”
The “Tree to Bar” system (from tree to bar), adopted by many producers in the region, ensures full control over the production process, from cultivation to the final product. Brands such as Chocolate Cocoa Xingu, which is proud to be the first artisanal chocolate produced with organic cocoa from Transamazônica and Xingu, represent a new generation of products that combine superior quality with sustainable practices.
“Having control over the whole process allows us to quickly adapt to change and maintain the quality that sets us apart in the market,” explains José Renato of Kakao Blumenn. “We understood from the beginning that if almond is the raw material of one of the most edible products on the planet, it has to be treated with respect. It could not be fermented anyway, nor dry in the terreiro with animal passing in the middle. We decided to do differently.”
The family responsible for Kakao Blumenn produces the country’s third best almond, disputed by international chocolate manufacturers. The harvest is selective: only mature and healthy fruits are removed, which contributes to quality and environmental preservation.
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Agroforestry systems
The agroforestry system adopted by over 60% of Xingu producers not only helps maintain soil moisture and protect plants from excessive heat, but also offers alternative sources of income through other forest crops and products. It is a strategy that combines traditional wisdom with modern scientific knowledge, seeking to create more resilient production systems.
“I started in livestock, like almost everyone here,” recalls José Renato. “But I realized that it was risky to be just in a culture. Cocoa caught my attention as a sustainable alternative, and since the first crop I have already worried about fermentation, drying, the way to spoon. The difference is in detail.”
This convergence between traditional knowledge and modern science is creating innovative solutions that may have an impact far beyond Xingu. Management techniques developed in the region are being studied and adapted to other producing areas, both in Brazil and in other countries.
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Certifications and Quality
The integrated approach of Xingu producers is being nationally recognized. In 2024, producers from the region received the National Seal of Family Farming, a certification that ensures that the products meet the quality and sustainability standards required by the Ministry of Agrarian Development.
Quality recognition also comes through awards. Ascurra Chocolate won multiple awards in 2025, including first place in the Innovation and Milk categories, demonstrating that family farming can compete in quality with any world producer.
More than 220 exhibitors participate annually in Chocolat Xingu, a festival that celebrates the diversity and quality of local production. Brands such as Ascurra, from Medicilândia, and Kakao Blumenn, from Brazil Novo, represent a new generation of producers who combine family tradition with technological innovation.
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Market transformation
The transformation on course in Xingu is also redefining the relationship between producers and consumers. Brands of the region are investing in storytelling that connects product quality to sustainable practices and climate resistance. Increasingly conscious consumers are willing to pay more for products that represent not only superior quality, but also environmental and social responsibility.
This change in the market is creating economic incentives for sustainable practices. Producers who invest in resilient systems are finding markets willing to value these differentials. Xingu’s artisanal chocolate, with its history of adaptation and resistance, is becoming a symbol of how it is possible to reconcile quality production with environmental responsibility.
Technological innovation
Innovation in Xingu is not limited to sophisticated technologies, but focuses on practical and sustainable solutions.
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Producers are experimenting with more heat -resistant cocoa varieties, implementing efficient irrigation systems and exploring agroforestry techniques that help maintain soil moisture. These innovations are developed based on local knowledge and specific needs, resulting in more effective and sustainable solutions.
For Cocoa do Xingu producers, the preservation of the forest is not just an environmental matter, but a direct economic necessity. The region still maintains much of its forest cover, which helps regulate the microclimate and maintain the moisture necessary for the production of quality cocoa.
This understanding of the interdependence between conservation and production offers an important lesson for large corporations that often treat sustainability as an additional cost, when, in fact, it can be a key competitive advantage.
Traditional knowledge
Knowledge accumulated by generations of Amazonian producers is proving to be fundamental to face climatic challenges that are global. Traditional soil conservation techniques, water management and selection of resistant varieties are being rediscovered and adapted to current conditions.
Xingu’s experience demonstrates that family farming is not just a form of production, but a development model that can inspire transformations throughout the global chocolate chain. The ability to reconcile tradition and innovation, quality and sustainability offers a path to a more resilient and responsible industry.
The Chocolat Xingu Festival, which in 2024 brought together over 15,000 people, has become a showcase of this transformation. In addition to celebrating the diversity and quality of local production, the event has served as a knowledge exchange space that can inspire transformations throughout the industry.
*The report traveled at the invitation of the Chocolat Xingu Festival
