Maya Mountain Cacao

Maya Mountain Cacao (MMC) operates as a pioneering social enterprise in the specialty cacao sector, fundamentally reshaping the value chain for smallholder farmers in southern Belize. Founded in 2010, the company was born from the collaboration of Emily Stone, a social and environmental activist; Gabriel Pop, a Maya cacao farmer; and U.S. chocolate makers Alex Whitmore and Jeff Pzena. The founders identified a critical gap: numerous Maya farmers were cultivating high-potential cacao but lacked direct market access, selling primarily to a single large buyer. Stone, who now leads the parent company Uncommon Cacao, was driven by a frustration with low-impact corporate certifications and a desire to create tangible change on the ground, living in Central America for years to develop the operations.

The company's business model is centered on direct sourcing and centralized post-harvest processing. MMC purchases fresh, or "wet," cacao directly from a network of over 420 smallholder farming families, most of whom are of Q'eqchi' and Mopan Maya descent, continuing a generational legacy of cacao cultivation. By buying the unprocessed cacao fruit, MMC allows farmers to focus their resources on cultivation and increasing yield, rather than on the labor-intensive fermentation and drying processes. This direct purchasing provides farmers with a stable, premium price and consistent income, with the company's trucks collecting harvests every two weeks. Revenue is generated by selling these high-quality, fermented, and dried beans to premium and craft chocolate makers globally, primarily in the U.S. and Europe.

The core service involves meticulously managing the post-harvest process at a central facility run by a 100% Belizean Maya team. This includes analyzing sugar content, carefully monitoring fermentation, and executing a unique three-stage sun-drying process to develop optimal and consistent flavor profiles. The resulting beans are known for complex flavor notes of honey, pineapple, raisin, and fudge. This focus on quality has not gone unnoticed; the cacao has received numerous accolades, including a Cocoa of Excellence Award, which placed it in the top 20 cocoas globally, and an Heirloom Cacao Preservation (HCP) designation. Through its transparent trade practices and focus on quality, Maya Mountain Cacao has successfully put Belize on the global craft chocolate map while creating significant positive social and environmental impact. Keywords: specialty cacao, direct trade cacao, Belize cacao, Maya Mountain Cacao, Uncommon Cacao, Emily Stone, bean-to-bar chocolate, craft chocolate, sustainable agriculture, transparent sourcing, social enterprise, cacao fermentation, post-harvest processing, smallholder farmers, Q'eqchi' Maya, Mopan Maya, organic cacao, heirloom cacao, agroforestry, fine flavor cacao