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About Wampu
Historical and archaeological evidence indicates that cacao has been cultivated in this region of Honduras for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. Today, producers must overcome obstacles in order to yield cocoa suitable for making outstanding chocolate. The region is so hot, humid, and remote that fermentation and drying, and even transportation, are extremely challenging.
To reach the village of Wampusirpi (affectionately called Wampu) from an international airport, a traveler must take two flights — first to Puerto Lempira on the northeast coast, and from there to Wampusirpi — or drive to Palestina, in Olancho, and cross the Patuca River in a pipante (a kind of hollowed-out log canoe), then traverse jungle for two days. In this remote locale, the team at Cacao Miskito, led by Florentino Portales, have been working with approximately 200 Miskito families since 2014, providing them with technical assistance, training, information, and at-cost tools for planting and maintaining their cacao trees.
Cacao Miskito buys organically grown cacao from individual farmers and families, then, to ensure bean quality, carefully ferments and dries it at a centralized facility built in 2015. Producing cocoa in Wampusirpi is no small feat, but Cacao Miskito has the support of both Uncommon Cacao and the American Bird Conservancy.