Meet the Ashaninka - Guardians of the Amazon Rainforest

Deep in the heart of the Amazon basin lives one of the oldest Indigenous tribes still connected to the jungle - the Ashaninka. Here, over 300 families cultivate wild cacao not on plantations, but as part of a deeper mission - to preserve their land, protect their culture, and safeguard their way of life.

For the past six years, I’ve been travelling back and forth between Peru and Australia - visiting the jungle, working alongside the Ashaninka, learning from them, and simply spending time in their communities. Getting there is no small journey - it’s a 16-hour bus ride from Lima, followed by a 7-hour canoe ride deep into the forest. But what I’ve found each time is something hard to put into words - some of the most humble, caring, and shy - yet incredibly welcoming - people I’ve ever met.

Their land, and their way of life, is under constant threat.

Illegal mining. Deforestation. Narco terrorism.

These are the daily realities in this part of Peru. The Ashaninka live on the edge of the VRAEM - one of the most dangerous regions in the country, known as the “cocaine corridor.” Despite this, they remain rooted in tradition and community. They continue to live as Ashaninkori - to uphold their ancestral values - and to fight for what they call Kemetsá Asaíke, or the Good Life.

With their rivers polluted and forests being cleared, the Ashaninka have turned to one of the most powerful tools they have - wild cacao.

Not grown on cleared land but amongst the rainforest canopy using traditional knowledge and agroforestry systems that work with the forest, not against it. Cacao grows naturally here. It is abundant. It feeds the community, both physically and economically. But more than that - it has become a peaceful resistance.

One of the Ashaninka elders shared with me, “The forest gives us everything. Cacao is our hope.” That sentence stayed with me. Because it’s true. Cacao here is not just a crop - it is a symbol of survival.

The cacao grown in this region is heirloom Criollo - one of the rarest and most prized cacao strains on Earth. Its genetics have remained untouched for generations, and its flavour carries the richness and depth of the forest itself. This is not mass-market chocolate. This is sacred food, protected by those who know it best.

By commercialising their wild-grown cacao, the Ashaninka are creating economic alternatives to narcotics. They are building resilience - and using cacao as a way to protect their territory from those who want to exploit it. The community patrols its own land, ensuring that outside forces do not enter or destroy what has been theirs for generations. This is why they are known as the Guardians of the Rainforest.

Unlike most businesses, there is no single owner here. This is a co-operative made up of 22 communities, 350 families, and more than 35,000 people - all working together with a shared mission. Every family benefits. Every child has a stake in the future.

The income generated from cacao goes directly back into the community. It’s used to build schools. Improve water sanitation. Invest in solar panels. Create infrastructure that empowers the Ashaninka to keep living in alignment with their values - and to stay on their land, rather than be displaced by violence or poverty.

This is not just a story of cacao. This is a story of survival. Of resilience. Of cultural preservation.

Sacred Taste isn’t here for a quick story or a short-term campaign. This is a long-term relationship built on trust, mutual respect, and a shared vision for the future. We walk alongside the Ashaninka - not as saviours, but as allies, students, and committed partners. This is not about extraction. It’s about reciprocity.

The Ashaninka don’t need saving - they need solidarity. They need trade, not aid. Respect, not pity. And through this co-operative cacao project, they are reclaiming their power on their terms.

When you choose Sacred cacao, you’re not just buying a product - you’re standing with a people, a forest, and a way of life worth protecting.

Every cup of cacao has a story. Thank you for helping us honour it.