– We work with producers of fine aromatic cocoa from the Soconusco region who have more than 30 years of experience in cocoa production; originally we started working with producers from the municipality of Tapachula in the ejidos of Raymundo Enríquez, Llano de la Lima, Río Florido, Francisco I. Madero and Hidalgo, later expanding in partnership with producers in the municipalities of Tuxtla Chico, Suchiate, all of them in the Soconusco area. To date, we have reached an annual volume of more than 12 tons of cocoa, produced on an area of 57 hectares with trees of three varieties: foreign (35%), trinitarian (35%) and creole (30%), adopting practices of climate-smart agriculture, such as crop diversification, protection of flora, fauna, streams and aquifer mantles, promoting care for biodiversity and improving the income of each of the producing families.

– Our cocoa has a fine aroma, is characterized by the richness of its flavors, fruity, floral, herbal and woody notes, as well as intense and balanced chocolate bases. This is achieved thanks to the fact that cocoa coexists under a scheme of diversification of fruit species (mamey, mango, citrus, banana and vanilla) and flowers that improve the characteristics of the cultivation. To date, we have managed to maintain 100 hectares as AB (Friend with Biodiversity).

– We are governed by the “Decalogue for producers of Fine Aroma Cocoa” which is based on the production under a scheme of conservation of ecosystems, the integration of other species of fruit and wood, good cultural cleaning work, conserving the quality of the soil avoiding agrochemicals for sowing, the management of the selection of its seeds and an excellent post-harvest management.

– From 2016 to 2018, we participated in the “Paisajes que Alimentan el Alma: Cacao” Initiative implemented by Conservación México, in collaboration with the Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas (UNACH) and other partners, seeking to rescue the production of native cocoa and the consumption of chocolate in Mexico.

– Since 2019, we are part of the initiative “Alianza por los Paisajes Sostenibles” and the initiative “Mercados por un Futuro Sostenible” both led by the Rainforest Alliance, promoting the development of diagnostics of vulnerability to climate change to strengthen the resilience of producers and to expand their capacities in good agricultural practices, conservation and restoration of natural ecosystems. In addition, their entrepreneurial and market access skills are being developed.

– We have maintained a resistance to the growth of the urban stain in the Soconusco area, as can be seen in the following images:

– A AFS, is an area where a main crop is combined with other secondary crops, forest trees and sometimes animals. These systems have proved to be a land management strategy, which, compared with low forested systems, improve the adaptive capacity of agricultural ecosystems to the threats of climate change.

– The cocoa AFS´s in RAYEN are multi-diverse, some systems combine the mamey zapote (Pouteria sapota) that provides shade to the cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.), in addition to ornamental cut flowers (family Heliconiaceae), bananas (family Musaceae), and other woody trees such as oak (Tabebuia rosea) and spring (Tabebuia chrysantha).

– The new models of cocoa AFS are: cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) under the shade of mango (Mangifera indica), chestnut (Anacardium occidentale), coconut (Cocos nucifera), among others.

– RAYEN’s AFS is home to a wide variety of plants, birds, insects, fungi, reptiles and microorganisms. And the plots serve as habitat for threatened and endangered species according to NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, such as the yellow neck parrot (Amazona auropalliata).

– Our society remains organized, our partners, producers and collaborators receive constant training to achieve better results as a society and with our product.

– We have carried out knowledge exchange tours at national level and different countries such as: Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia, trying to be up to date with the trend of cocoa and its transformation into chocolate bar and its derivatives.

– We seek to integrate young people (children of producers), strengthening their enterprise under which, they generated from the fine aroma cocoa produced by RAYEN, their own chocolate bar with the name of “Pentacao”, which has all the elements to enter competitions at national and international level.

– We offer tours to anyone interested in making visits and guided tours to the plots of Rayen producers, seeking to make known the good practices developed in the cultivation.

– Thanks to the partnership with our clients, we have obtained benefits for young people such as the donation of equipment for the elaboration of their first chocolate bar; as well as the delivery of more than 10,000 cocoa plants for the producers, which reward the good practices carried out on their plots, respecting the Decalogue for producers.

– Given the quality of the cocoa marketed, we have managed to obtain competitive prices for our product, with which we have achieved the following benefits:

1. Increase in the profits of the society, which, at the end of the harvest, are distributed among the partners, in equal parts, helping the economy of the families.

2. Offer a fair purchase price to producers who deliver their cocoa in sludge to Rayen.

– With the diversification of fruit trees, ornamental cut flowers and vanilla within the plantations, it also supports the economy of the producers, since additional income is obtained from the marketing of the obtained by-products.