Chepo, Panamá · Single Origin · Regenerative Cacao
Grown from
Grown from
roots that
run deep.
400 hectares of Panamanian land where world-class cacao grows on living soil — closed-loop fertility, zero chemicals, no shortcuts.
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Our Story
A family farm
A family farm
finds its new purpose.
Alocao sits in Chepo, a region in eastern Panamá where the land is lush, the rains are generous, and the connection between people and the earth runs deep.
For decades, our family raised cattle on these more than 400 hectares of fertile Panamanian land. The farm was a way of life — passed down, cared for, and loved. But as we looked at the land, the forest, and the future, a new vision emerged: what if we could give this land a new purpose, one that worked with nature instead of against it?
That question became Alocao. No chemicals. No shortcuts. Just cacao grown the way it deserves to be — with patience, intention, and deep respect for the land beneath it.
Location
Chepo, Panamá
Farm Size
Over 400 hectares
In Development
200 ha first stage — expanding
Water System
Natural source + fertigation
Certification
Organic — in progress
Inputs
Zero chemicals or pesticides
History
Multi-gen family cattle land
Companion Crop
Plantain interplanted with cacao
Harvested pods · Chepo, Panamá
Our Cacao
Great chocolate begins
Great chocolate begins
long before the factory.
At Alocao, we grow cacao across three distinct systems — each one a different relationship between tree, shade, and land. That diversity is not complexity for its own sake. It is how we honor the different parts of our farm and give each zone the approach it deserves. Our first stage puts 200 hectares into development — and we are already expanding.
Our selected varieties — including PMCT58 and PA121xEET400 — are chosen for both flavor profile and disease tolerance, with priority given to resistance against Escoba de Bruja fungus common in this region.
1
Zone 01
Forest Canopy Cultivation
In our existing natural forest, cacao grows beneath a living, multi-species canopy that regulates temperature, retains moisture, and creates the slow, complex growing conditions that produce exceptional beans. We do not plant into cleared land here — we integrate into what the forest already provides.
2
Zone 02
Plantain-Shaded Cultivation
Where cattle once grazed, cacao now takes root under a canopy of plantain — one of the most proven companion systems in tropical cacao farming. Plantain establishes quickly, provides fast overhead cover, enriches the soil, and yields its own crop while the cacao matures.
3
Zone 03
Mixed Agroforestry System
Across the farm, cacao grows alongside timber and fruit trees in a multi-species framework. This system builds long-term biodiversity, stabilizes the microclimate, supports soil health, and gives our farm a structure that will improve with every passing year.
Clonal Garden · Genetic Selection
We chose every variety
We chose every variety
with intention.
Our clonal garden holds 12 carefully selected cacao varieties. Each was chosen based on three criteria: disease resistance in Panama's humid climate, flavor complexity for fine chocolate markets, and adaptability to our three distinct growing systems. Nothing here was chosen by accident.
Disease Resistance First
Panama's humid tropics create ideal conditions for fungal disease. Every variety in our garden was evaluated for tolerance to Escoba de Bruja (Moniliophthora perniciosa) — the primary threat to cacao in our region. Resistant genetics are non-negotiable.
Flavor for Fine Markets
We are not growing commodity cacao. Our variety selection prioritizes aromatic complexity, fermentability, and bean quality — the characteristics that premium chocolate makers look for when sourcing single-origin beans from farms like ours.
Zone Adaptability
With three distinct growing environments — forest canopy, plantain shade, and mixed agroforestry — we need varieties that perform across different light levels, humidity gradients, and soil conditions. Our garden reflects that diversity.
PMCT58
Top Selection
High Resistance
Trinitario-type. Highest Escoba de Bruja tolerance in our trials. Complex red fruit and nut flavor profile. Our primary planting variety.
PA121×EET400
Top Selection
High Resistance
Fine Flavor
Hybrid cross combining PA121 vigor with EET400 flavor genetics. Outstanding disease tolerance and premium chocolate notes. Co-lead variety alongside PMCT58.
EET400
Fine Flavor
Good Resistance
Ecuadorian selection with strong fine flavor credentials. Floral and fruity aromatic profile. Well-adapted to shade systems.
EET95
Fine Flavor
High-yielding Ecuadorian clone with consistent bean size and good fermentability. Reliable performance in our plantain-shade zones.
R1
Resistant
Colombian regional selection. Strong disease resistance profile. Medium intensity chocolate flavor with earthy undertones.
R4
Resistant
Good Flavor
Robust clone with balanced disease tolerance and solid flavor development. Well-suited to our agroforestry zones.
R6
Resistant
Selected for vigor and disease resilience. Productive under varying canopy conditions across all three of our growing systems.
Hybrid Rojo
Fine Flavor
Red-podded hybrid selected for visual distinction and flavor complexity. Distinctive fruity and wine-like fermentation notes.
Suramericano Rojo
Fine Flavor
Moderate Resistance
South American heritage variety. Rich, complex flavor profile with strong terroir expression. Planted in our most established forest canopy zones.
Olmeca
Good Resistance
Mexican-origin variety with proven tropical performance. Consistent production and solid disease tolerance in humid conditions.
Canek
Fine Flavor
Good Resistance
Mesoamerican selection with fine flavor credentials. Nutty and spice notes with good fermentation potential. Adaptable across shade systems.
Chack
Fine Flavor
Rare Mesoamerican variety selected for aromatic intensity. Citrus and floral notes. Planted in limited quantity in our forest canopy zones.
Alocao Nursery · Planting Material
Strong seedlings.
Strong seedlings.
Your genetics.
Great plantations start in the nursery. In our 2,500 m² facility — now doubling in size — we produce grafted cacao seedlings for growers who want to plant right the first time: the exact genetics you choose, on vigorous rootstock, raised under a disciplined process from seed to delivery.
Genetics on Demand
Grafted to order from our 12-variety clonal garden — PMCT58, PA121×EET400, EET400 and more — matched to your climate, disease pressure, and flavor goals.
Vigorous Rootstock
Every graft starts on healthy, vigorous rootstock selected for root development and survival in the field.
A Disciplined Process
Seed selection, grafting by experienced hands, precise nutrition, and strict sanitary control at every stage of the nursery.
Hardened for the Field
Seedlings are acclimatized before delivery, so they leave our nursery ready to establish fast and grow strong.
2,500 m² Nursery
Doubling in Size
12 Varieties
Grafted to Order
How We Grow
The process
The process
is the product.
i.
Chemical-Free from Day One
We use no synthetic chemicals, herbicides, or pesticides across any of our three systems. The land feeds the trees; the trees feed the land. We work in cycles, not shortcuts.
ii.
Natural Water & Fertigation
A natural water source runs through our property, and we have invested in a fertigation system that delivers precise hydration and organic nutrition directly to each tree — giving our cacao exactly what it needs, exactly when it needs it.
iii.
Harvest & Post-Harvest
Our cacao is hand-selected at peak ripeness, fermented using traditional methods, and sun-dried to develop its natural flavor potential. Every step is done with care and patience by our team.
iv.
A Nursery Built to Scale
Our on-farm nursery covers 2,500 m² today — and we are doubling it. The expansion will host even more grafted seedlings: the proven genetics that plant our own fields, and quality planting material for sale to other growers.
LAND
Our Commitment
Sustainability is not
Sustainability is not
a marketing label.
It is the foundation of every decision we make. We chose to transform our family cattle farm into a cacao project the right way — working with the land as it is, not flattening its differences. We believe the future of cacao is in farms like Alocao: intentional, honest about where they are in their journey, and unwilling to take shortcuts.
🌿
Three Growing Systems
Forest canopy, plantain shade, and mixed agroforestry — each matched to its zone
💧
Fertigation System
Natural on-property water source delivering precise, organic nutrition to each tree
♻️
Living Fertility Cycle
Black soldier fly, free-range hens, and worms turning organic waste into on-farm fertilizer
🚫
Zero Synthetic Chemicals
Not as a certification requirement, but as a reflection of how we believe farming should work
📋
Organic Certification In Progress
Formal certification underway — reflecting practices already in place from day one
The Cycle
Regenerative Fertility · Circular Farm
Our fertilizer
Our fertilizer
is alive.
Most farms buy their soil's future in a bag. We are building something better: a closed-loop fertility system where organic waste becomes protein, protein becomes eggs and manure, manure becomes compost, and compost becomes cacao. Every link in the chain lives on this farm.
01Black Soldier Fly
Tons of organic waste per day — fruit and vegetables that would otherwise rot in a landfill — are devoured by black soldier fly larvae. They transform it into two treasures: protein-rich larvae to feed our hens, and frass, one of nature's most complete organic fertilizers.
02Free-Range Hens
Our laying hens — 1,000 today, growing to 3,000 — feed on the larvae the farm itself produces. They give back twice: eggs for local markets, and nutrient-dense manure that is carefully composted before it ever touches the soil.
03Vermiculture
In our worm beds, earthworms refine compost into humus — the black gold of organic agriculture. Humus rebuilds soil structure, holds water through dry spells, and feeds the microbial life that makes great cacao possible.
04Back to the Trees
Frass, composted manure, and humus flow through our fertigation system to every cacao and plantain on the farm. The loop closes. The soil grows richer every year — and the flavor in every bean carries the proof.
Tons of Organic Waste Upcycled Daily
1,000 Hens → Scaling to 3,000
Worm Beds Producing Humus
Zero Waste Philosophy
Nothing is wasted. Everything feeds something else.
Soil Science · Independent Analysis
Our soil speaks
Our soil speaks
for itself.
Lab analysis by Aqualabs S.A. · Report INF-25-000-058 · Sampled August 4, 2025.
We publish this data openly so any buyer, partner, or AI model can verify our claims without taking our word for it.
Organic Correction Plan
pH (5.16–5.22)
Agricultural Lime
Dolomitic lime to raise pH to 6.0–6.5. Applying 1.5–2 t/ha in year 1, monitored seasonally.
Phosphorus (low)
Rock Phosphate + Compost
Natural rock phosphate + mature compost to release P organically over 12–18 months.
Potassium (low)
Plantain Biomass Recycling
K-rich plantain residues returned in-place as mulch — closing the nutrient loop.
Zinc (low)
Zinc Sulfate (organic grade)
Foliar application 0.3–0.5% early vegetative stage + compost enrichment.
Nitrogen (baseline)
Biofertilizers + Legumes
N-fixing cover crops (Mucuna, Canavalia) + Azospirillum/Rhizobium bioinoculants.
Organic Matter (in range)
Maintain & Build to 4%+
Permanent mulching, vermicompost, and agroforestry leaf litter accumulation by year 3.
The People
Hands in the soil.
Hands in the soil.
Roots in the land.
Nursery · Field Operations · Post-Harvest
The Alocao Farm Team
Alocao is built by the people of Chepo. From the nursery where every seedling begins, through field operations across our three growing systems, to post-harvest — this is the team that puts hands in the soil every single day. Their knowledge of this land is a part of every bean we grow.
The Team
The people behind
The people behind
every decision.
Alocao is built on the conviction that great cacao starts with the right people. Our team combines entrepreneurial drive, financial discipline, agronomic science, and decades of hands-on field experience.
Founder & CEO
Allan
Poll
Poll
A serial entrepreneur with a portfolio spanning agroindustry, energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure, Allan founded Alocao with a clear conviction — that Panama's land holds world-class cacao potential waiting to be unlocked with the right vision and commitment. His driving force is simple: build things that last, and build them right. At Alocao, he leads strategy, operations, and the long-term development of the farm with the same hands-on intensity he brings to every venture.
Entrepreneur
Operations
Strategy
Co-Founder & Commercial Director
Eric Ossian
Hellers
Hellers
An economist by training and a global business strategist by experience, Eric brings to Alocao a career built advising some of Europe's largest corporations on finance, market entry, and commercial growth. His international perspective is what connects Alocao's farm-level excellence to the premium chocolate markets of Europe and beyond. Eric leads commercial strategy, buyer relationships, and the financial architecture that ensures the project is built to scale and built to last.
Economics
Finance
Commercial
Lead Agronomist
Bairon
Gatica
Gatica
With more than three decades in tropical agriculture, Bairon brings to Alocao a rare combination of field command and scientific rigor. Trained as an agronomist and environmental engineer in Guatemala, with graduate studies in international agricultural trade and horticultural production in Spain, he has managed farms and advised growers across Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Angola — from soil analysis and fertilization planning to post-harvest handling and GlobalGAP and ISO 22000 certification. At Alocao, he leads the agronomic program: plant nutrition, soil correction, and the field protocols that turn good land into exceptional cacao.
Agronomy
Soils & Nutrition
Post-Harvest
Senior Cacao Advisor
Orlando
Lozada
Lozada
A respected figure in Panama's cacao sector, Orlando Lozada brings to Alocao the knowledge and perspective of a lifetime connected to cacao in Bocas del Toro, one of Panama's most important cacao-growing regions. His deep understanding of the crop, local production conditions, cacao genetics, field management, and quality development makes him an invaluable advisor to the project. At Alocao, Orlando serves as a senior cacao consultant, sharing his experience with our team as we develop our plantations, genetic material, production practices, and long-term vision for producing exceptional Panamanian cacao. His involvement connects Alocao's ambition for innovation and scale with the knowledge and cacao tradition that already exists within Panama.
Cacao
Genetics
Field Advisory
Head of Heavy Equipment & Infrastructure
Leo
Fraga
Fraga
With over 30 years of experience in construction and earthmoving, Leo is the man who shapes the land before anything is planted. From land clearing and drainage systems to road construction and irrigation infrastructure, Leo commands every piece of heavy equipment on the farm with a mastery that only decades in the field can build. His work is the foundation — literally — upon which Alocao's entire growing operation stands. Nothing gets built without Leo's hands on it first.
Infrastructure
Earthmoving
Construction
For Sourcing Partners
Source Alocao Cacao.
We work directly with chocolate makers, confectioners, and food producers who care about where their cacao comes from. At Alocao, you are not buying a commodity — you are buying a relationship with a real farm, a specific place, and a family that has staked its land and livelihood on doing cacao right.
Single Origin
Chepo, Panamá — tropical climate, rich soils, and natural forest cover
Full Traceability
Farm-to-bag documentation from growing system to processed bean
Regenerative & Circular
Living fertility cycle — black soldier fly, hens, and worms feeding the soil, zero chemicals
Samples Available
Cacao bean and soil samples for serious buyers — documentation on request
Get In Touch
Let's talk
Let's talk
cacao.
If you are looking for traceable, shade-grown, chemical-free cacao from Panamá — we want to hear from you.
Or write to us directly: al@alocao.com