Our Piura farmers tell of a single albino bean that survived the trek from the Amazon to Peru’s desert coast: the white Piura. Nearly extinct when our dogged Bean Team discovered it, the ultra rare “Blanco” has become one of the world’s most celebrated cacaos. Proud local growers will make its future as bright as the butterflies hovering over the Piura valley.

The region had suffered from deforestation which in turn worsened the drought. Over the 10+ years our involvement in the area has changed a lot of things in Piura: Shaded forests have sprung up on deserted lands, meager rice fields have given way to rich cacao gardens, farmer incomes have more than doubled, and a strong regional cooperative makes the voices of growers heard.