About Fazenda Camboa

Fazenda Camboa is located adjacent to the Almada River, in the southern region of the state of Bahia near the city of Ilheus. This region has traditionally been an epicenter of cacao production in Brazil. The farm is characterized by rolling hills that are covered by the thick Mata-Atlantica rainforest, one of the most bio-diverse locations on earth.  The Fazenda Camboa farm has a long history of being owned and run by the Carvalho family.

About the Carvalho Family

In 1942, during World War II, the Carvalho family purchased their first cacao farm in the Bahia region of Brazil.  During the ensuing years, the family acquired additional surrounding farms in the Bahia region and became one of the largest and most successful cacao producers and exporters in Brazil.  The Carvalho family’s fortunes changed abruptly in 1989 with the arrival of Witches’ Broom disease.  Within a year of the arrival of the disease at the family farms, production fell by 96% resulting in the bankruptcy of the family cacao business as well as the economic collapse of the greater cacao growing regions of Brazil.

Then, in the early 1990’s two of the Carvalho brothers, Arthur and Eduardo developed a plan and began investing in and revitalizing one of the farms the family had previously owned, called Fazenda Camboa.  Working with an agronomist they developed new methods to suppress Witches’ Broom,  and since the the farm has made a gradual but steady recovery.

Fair Labor Practices & Community Involvement

Fazenda Camboa compensates its’ 65+ workers with both a cash salary plus production equity incentives. The farm workers receive above average wages for the region and the production equity incentives provide the workers with additional compensation tied to their partial ownership in the annual production of the farm.  Due to higher wages and other factors the farm maintains a very high worker-retention rate.  Many of the workers live in the neighboring village, which the farm supports by financing the local primary school along with the local bus system.

About the Cacao

All of the cacao from Cacao Bahia is harvested on their 500 hectare Fazenda Camboa farm.  To ensure a high quality and consistency all of the beans are fermented and dried on-site at their own facility.  The cacoa is fermented in wooded fermentation boxes for between three and seven days, and then dried in direct sun for about a week.

Tasting notes:  Dark cherry, hints of citrus, cocoa.

Nutritional Information Below.

Cacao Pods Ripening on the Farm

Drying Area