At a Glance
Location: Mocajuba, Pará, Brazil
Impact Area: Income generation, Forest regeneration, Environmental conservation, Economic empowerment
People Supported: Women, Black community, Indigenous Peoples, Riverine communities, Quilombola communities
NESsT Program: Amazonia Initiative
Joined NESsT Portfolio:
2025
Overview
Across the Brazilian Amazon, traditional cocoa-growing communities face persistent barriers to dignified income, market access, and formal employment – challenges that disproportionately affect women, riverine, Indigenous, and Quilombola populations. At the same time, deforestation and climate pressures threaten native cocoa landscapes, eroding both biodiversity and ancestral knowledge tied to the forest.
Founded in 2021 by the Maia sisters and their mother, Cacauaré was created to address these intertwined social and environmental challenges through native Amazonian cacao. Based in Mocajuba in the state of Pará, Cacauaré is a family-owned, women-led enterprise that produces artisanal cacao and value-added products using cacau de várzea, a rare floodplain cacao cultivated in sustainable agroforestry systems.
Cacauaré works closely with over 30 riverine, Indigenous, and Quilombola families to source native cacao and other Amazonian ingredients, transforming them into ceremonial cacao, single-origin chocolates, and a range of derivative products. Every step of production – from fermentation and drying to roasting and processing – is carried out with care to preserve cacao’s nutritional, cultural, and spiritual significance.
Beyond food production, Cacauaré embraces cacao as a living expression of Amazonian ancestry. The enterprise offers immersive cacao-based experiences, learning journeys, and cultural tourism initiatives that connect consumers with forest knowledge, local traditions, and women-led stewardship of the land. Through this integrated model, Cacauaré generates income, strengthens community resilience, and preserves more than 500 hectares of native forest while positioning Pará as a reference point for a regenerative, inclusive Amazonian bioeconomy.
Results & Impact
30+
Indigenous, riverine, and Quilombola families engaged
500+
hectares of forest preserved & sustainably managed
60%
of suppliers are women
“Through NESsT’s accelerator, we aim to position Cacauaré as a leading Amazonian bio-business by strengthening our governance, scaling strategy, and capacity to measure territorial impact. We hope to further structure our model to expand access to markets, attract purpose-aligned investment, and create regenerative prosperity for women and communities across the native floodplain cocoa value chain.”
NESsT Investment
NESsT’s investment in Cacauaré will support the creation of the company’s Mini Factory, significantly expanding production capacity from 1 ton to up to 5 tons of cacao per harvest, while maintaining artisanal quality and traceability.
Additionally, NESsT’s support will strengthen the local supply chain through community-based socio-environmental initiatives, reinforcing sustainable cacao production, women’s income generation, and long-term forest conservation. NESsT will also provide strategic technical guidance that will help Cacauaré scale its impact while remaining deeply rooted in Amazonian culture, ancestry, and living forests.