{"id":167054,"date":"2025-03-06T08:00:41","date_gmt":"2025-03-06T13:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/?p=167054"},"modified":"2025-02-27T10:37:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T15:37:40","slug":"in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/","title":{"rendered":"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips a bright orange pod and slices it neatly at the stem before bending a knee to cut the fruit open.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Daeus Bencomo. Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The pod\u2019s dense and waxy exterior gives way to seeds coated in white pulp \u2013 sweet, bitter and nutty to the taste. They are destined for greatness in the form of chocolate bars, dried beans and tea at <\/span>Lavaloha Chocolate Farm<\/span><\/a> in Hilo.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cBringing the Hawaiian cacao to light for the rest of the world \u2013 I really want to be at the forefront of that,\u201d Lavaloha\u2019s president Bencomo says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Although most of the world\u2019s chocolate is grown in West Africa, those sweet treats aren\u2019t guilt-free: <\/span>Industry problems<\/span><\/a> include slavery, child labor, poverty among farmers and more. But in recent years, small-scale producers have <\/span>raised the ethical bar<\/span><\/a>, and a nascent sector has formed on Hawaiian soil under American labor standards. Here, growers are making fresh kokoleka, or chocolate in \u02bb\u014clelo Hawai\u02bbi (Hawaiian language), through mindful agricultural practices: creating their own soil and compost, contracting with locals, and using organic fertilizer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\n

full_link<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

READ MORE<\/p>\n

\n

Spotlight on the students growing kalo in Hawai’i<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cFor all of us in Hawai\u2018i, it\u2019s integrity,\u201d says <\/span>Puna Chocolate Company<\/span><\/a> owner Adam Potter. \u201cIt\u2019s gonna be Hawaiian grown, and it\u2019s gonna be quality beans.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Also operating on the island, Puna Chocolate Company works with independent farmers to grow cacao, which accounts for 40 percent of its cocoa bean production. One, who is based in Hakalau, identifies as Kanaka \u02bb\u014ciwi (Native Hawaiian). The other 60 percent is produced across seven farms \u2013 four owned and three managed by Puna Chocolate Co.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

To Potter, his top-selling caramel macadamia turtles are worlds away from mass-produced chocolate by major global players, such as Hershey. Imported commodities take time to reach American consumers, Potter said, which can mean slightly-rancid cocoa butter and absent flavor profiles.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWhy Hawaiian (chocolate) tastes so different is that you\u2019re in the U.S.,\u201d says Potter. \u201cYou\u2019re getting fresh, from-origin chocolate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He and his co-owner Benjamin Vanegtern opt against aging their beans, in order to transform them into chocolate more quickly.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re probably the freshest chocolate bars you can get in the country,\u201d Potter adds.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Still, he wants to keep prices low for the local market. In Kona, where most of the island\u2019s resorts are located, tourists make up 80 percent of Puna Chocolate Co.\u2019s market. But in Hilo, that percentage is flip-flopped, with residents accounting for 80 percent of business.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t need to charge that much because we do grow our own beans,\u201d Potter says. \u201cAnd we grow a lot.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Since joining Lavaloha in 2019, Bencomo has spent most of his days farming on the property made up of almost 1,000 acres \u2013 25 of which are dedicated to cacao. With around 10,000 trees, it\u2019s Lavaloha\u2019s main commodity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From seed to orchard, the cacao growing process can take up to two years. Once the pods turn vibrant colors \u2013 orange, red, maroon and yellow \u2013 they\u2019re ready to be harvested with clippers and sickles. Harvesting is done by hand because appropriate equipment isn\u2019t available on the market. Each bean is hand sorted and graded, with the lowest turned to compost. Bencomo chooses to sort the old-fashioned way because optical sorting machines are expensive and primarily used for coffee beans.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Tourists are the largest market for Lavaloha\u2019s products, but Bencomo would eventually like to serve as a bulk bean seller. He wants to start a collective system where he buys cacao from farmers for a fair price, then resells the beans to chocolate makers and confectioners.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

He manages almost a dozen employees \u2013 around 25 percent of whom are K\u0101naka \u02bb\u014ciwi (Native Hawaiian). The Indigenous people of Hawai\u2018i are increasingly being priced out of the islands due to the tourism industry, the affordable housing crisis and the skyrocketing cost of living, but a viable job market can help them continue to live in the lands of their ancestors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Bencomo took the reins of the business in 2022, and it\u2019s grown steadily since then.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In Hawai\u2018i, \u201cI definitely think it\u2019s gonna be bigger,\u201d he said. \u201cLook out for Hawaiian cacao in the grocery stores in the next couple years, I hope.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Across the island chain, on the east side of Kaua\u2018i, Will Lydgate is determined to elevate Hawai\u2018i\u2019s reputation as a global leader in the chocolate industry. He estimates the state produces about 1\/10,000th of the world\u2019s cocoa supply.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll never compete on quantity, but we don\u2019t want to,\u201d says Lydgate, owner of <\/span>Lydgate Farms<\/span><\/a>. \u201cWe want to be the place where the best chocolate in the world is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

And he believes that operating in the U.S. offers advantages beyond its agricultural resources.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Compared to other cacao-growing nations, \u201cwe also have better roads. We have FedEx,\u201d says Lydgate. \u201cWe have scientists, universities, an electricity grid that doesn\u2019t go on and off, stable currency \u2013 things that a lot of other tropical nations don\u2019t have.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"
Daeus Bencomo. Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But Hawaiian cacao farms do deal with their own local challenges, like high expenses and a dearth of affordable worker housing.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Hawaiian islands, we\u2019re completely separated from the global commodity cacao,\u201d he says. \u201cWe do not touch it. It does not really influence us or change anything, other than the price of cocoa butter.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Lydgate, his sister and his father started their foray into cacao after planting a small grove in 2002, although the family ties to Hawai\u2018i extend back to 1865 when Lydate\u2019s great-great grandfather first immigrated to the then-monarchy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now, Lydgate Farms is made up of 46 acres, and its team of 30 includes about five people of K\u0101naka \u02bb\u014ciwi (Native Hawaiian) ancestry. The land gets between 50 to 70 inches of rain annually, which keeps its 3,200 thirsty cacao trees watered, and organic fertilizer is used to boost soil health. The farm relies on regenerative farming practices.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cIf you\u2019re buying from us, we\u2019re the people that grew it,\u201d Lydgate says. \u201cThere\u2019s no step in between you and the farm.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Author Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton identifies as Kanaka \u02bb\u014ciwi (Native Hawaiian).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips a bright orange pod and slices it neatly at the stem before bending a knee to cut the fruit open.\u00a0 The pod\u2019s dense and waxy exterior […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2015,"featured_media":167061,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":[33278],"meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[33293],"tags":[33218,33084,33079],"article-theme":[33291],"class_list":["post-167054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-consumption","tag-culture-heritage","tag-food","tag-plants-crops","format-article","article-theme-people"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nIn Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better - Modern Farmer<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better - Modern Farmer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Modern Farmer\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ModernFarmerMedia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-03-06T13:00:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"960\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ModFarm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ModFarm\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b0b3deb7838663660d51d6ae5bb667fc\"},\"headline\":\"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-06T13:00:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/\"},\"wordCount\":1154,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"Culture & Heritage\",\"Food & Drink\",\"Plants & Crops\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Consumption\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/\",\"name\":\"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better - Modern Farmer\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-03-06T13:00:41+00:00\",\"description\":\"On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":960,\"caption\":\"Daeus Bencomo. Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Consumption\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/category\/consumption\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/\",\"name\":\"Modern Farmer\",\"description\":\"Farm. Food. Life.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Modern Farmer\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/logo-color-black.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/logo-color-black.svg\",\"width\":1,\"height\":1,\"caption\":\"Modern Farmer\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ModernFarmerMedia\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/ModFarm\",\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/modfarm\/\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/modfarm\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b0b3deb7838663660d51d6ae5bb667fc\",\"name\":\"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55fd8bb27a95c90c7d6103f43a46c7fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55fd8bb27a95c90c7d6103f43a46c7fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/author\/meganululani\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better - Modern Farmer","description":"On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better - Modern Farmer","og_description":"On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips","og_url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/","og_site_name":"Modern Farmer","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ModernFarmerMedia","article_published_time":"2025-03-06T13:00:41+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":960,"url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ModFarm","twitter_site":"@ModFarm","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/"},"author":{"name":"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b0b3deb7838663660d51d6ae5bb667fc"},"headline":"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better","datePublished":"2025-03-06T13:00:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/"},"wordCount":1154,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp","keywords":["Culture & Heritage","Food & Drink","Plants & Crops"],"articleSection":["Consumption"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/","url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/","name":"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better - Modern Farmer","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp","datePublished":"2025-03-06T13:00:41+00:00","description":"On the rainy side of Hawai\u2018i Island, Daeus Bencomo steps through fresh mud in his cowboy boots, rows of leafy cacao trees on either side of him. He grips","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/IMG_2173-1.webp","width":1280,"height":960,"caption":"Daeus Bencomo. Photography by Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/2025\/03\/in-hawaii-american-farmers-believe-they-do-cacao-better\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Consumption","item":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/category\/consumption\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"In Hawai\u2018i, American Farmers Believe They Do Cacao Better"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/","name":"Modern Farmer","description":"Farm. Food. Life.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#organization","name":"Modern Farmer","url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/logo-color-black.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/logo-color-black.svg","width":1,"height":1,"caption":"Modern Farmer"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ModernFarmerMedia","https:\/\/x.com\/ModFarm","https:\/\/instagram.com\/modfarm\/","https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/modfarm\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/person\/b0b3deb7838663660d51d6ae5bb667fc","name":"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55fd8bb27a95c90c7d6103f43a46c7fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/55fd8bb27a95c90c7d6103f43a46c7fc?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Megan Ulu-Lani Boyanton"},"url":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/author\/meganululani\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2015"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=167054"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/167054\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/167061"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=167054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=167054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=167054"},{"taxonomy":"format","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/format?post=167054"},{"taxonomy":"article-theme","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernfarmer.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article-theme?post=167054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}