Deep in Tabasco’s rainforest, humid air hums with life and ancient trees cast cool shade. The perfect conditions for thriving cocoa.
Welcome to Finca Cacayo where, alongside the ancient trees, Liliana Bruno Gonzalez and her father, Dr Santiago Bruno Villalobos, consider themselves the guardians of cocoa.
For Lily, protecting cocoa and the rainforest it belongs to is her life’s passion. But, conditions are under threat. With a changing climate, cocoa farming is only becoming more challenging.
While not easy work, Lily’s commitment to sustainable, organic farming is needed more than ever. And she’s ready for it. Because a new generation of consumers gives her hope.
Cocoa, Not Cattle
Ten years ago, this lush stretch of land was set to be cleared for cattle. But instead of bulldozers, a doctor with a deep love for nature stepped into the scene— Lily’s father, Dr. Santiago Bruno Villalobos. He bought the land, planted 4,000 cacao trees, and set to work helping the rainforest thrive.
“It’s been a really long journey, because my father didn’t know anything about cacao,” Lily tells us, while walking us through lush canopies. “He’s a doctor, a traumatologist. But he just loves nature,” she says, explaining he was inspired by his own father, a cacao farmer.
“The previous owner of the land, he wanted to have cows everywhere. And you know what that implies, to cut everything.”
Cattle farming is the number one cause of deforestation in almost every Amazon country. It accounts for around 80 per cent of modern deforestation. As defenders of the forest, it’s something Lily and her father work passionately to prevent.
Originally watching from the sidelines as her father worked the land, Lily wasn’t always part of the plan. She started in fashion management. But eventually, the pull of the farm — of the forest — got to her. “I worked for a very important brand in London, but I didn’t feel happy,” Lily tells us. “Here I feel happy.”
The Trees: The True Guardians
At Finca Cacayo, cocoa doesn’t grow in tidy, uniform rows. It grows in harmony with ancient shade trees — jackfruit, sapote, mango, orange — that Lily calls “the guardians of this place.” These trees shelter the cocoa, cool the soil, nourish the land, and protect the creatures who call the forest home.
This is agroforestry at its best — a farm that looks like a forest, works like a forest, and gives back like a forest.
Climate Change: The New Challenge
But even the guardians are struggling. The rains no longer come when they should. The harvest that used to follow the rhythm of the seasons now arrives late, or not at all. The flowers dry out before they can bear fruit.
“There are supposed to be two main harvests,” Lily tells us. “The [main one] is supposed to be November to February. But it’s different each year now, everything has changed.
“Here in Tabasco, it’s [now] like this, you have a lot of water, or you don’t have any water.”
And the animals? They suffer too, says Lily.
“The problem with the monkeys right now… it’s too hot for them and they’re dying. It’s a big problem here in Tabasco.”
Yet Lily refuses to give up. Instead, she’s doubling down on her commitment to biodiversity and organic farming. No chemicals. No shortcuts. Just care, patience, and a belief that nature, if given a chance, will find its balance
A New Generation
Lily’s story isn’t just about cocoa. It’s about choosing resilience in the face of uncertainty. About believing that small farms, working with nature and not against it, can protect what’s left of the world’s rainforests.
And it’s about faith in her generation. “I really think that now our generation is creating something different, we are more conscious about the weather and the climate,” Lily tells us, explaining she’s hopeful for the future.
“I’m taking care of this place,” she says, “and I know that we are going to make a change in the future with our example.
“We can show people there are many ways to do it [farm] differently, but correctly.”
At The Cocoa Circle, we left Finca Cacayo inspired — by the land, by the trees, and by the guardians who care for them. This is what the future of cocoa can look like: diverse, sustainable, and full of heart.
Rooted in Stories. Growing with Purpose.
Watch Lily’s story — live now in Episode 7.
