In order to fund the additional start-up costs to we will launch a crowdfunding appeal to augment what has already been invested. Once the funds are in place we will acquire a suitable site for the development of a large organic cocoa estate in the Maya mountains of Belize. As soon as the site has been acquired we will move on to the next stage of the programme and build an estate lodge and cabanas. When these have been built our crowdfunding supporters will be offered the opportunity of a free stay on the estate, these would have been pre-booked perks as a return for the funds raised. Our guests will be able to participate in an educational course that will teach about cocoa farming and ecologically friendly farming techniques in the tropics. Tourist activities will also be offered. Once the programme reaches the right stage of development, our supporters will also be welcome to contribute their skills and time to help grow the business. They will be invited to work on the estate in return for free food and accommodation. The programme’s long-term objective is to grow the business from growing and selling cocoa to our own brand of refined value added chocolate products for export and demonstrating that viable cocoa business can be pursued and replicated internationally. To develop a large scale organic cocoa growing estate within a wider plantation, harvesting, fermenting, roasting and producing for export high quality cocoa beans. We will create the platform to develop confectionary products for domestic and export sales. By cultivating one hundred hectares over ten years we will have a major impact on production in Belize. We will produce a range of branded cocoa products from cocoa beans grown on our own estate. With a highly developed organic chocolate marketplace creating a growing demand for cocoa, particularly the high quality Criollo and Trinitaro bean, we can achieve a higher price by adding value. Vertical integration (by producing chocolate and confectionery and cocoa powder drinks) will enable a higher return than the basic commodity price obtained from exporting beans. The profits that will be generated in the long term will be ploughed back into developing our social enterprise model and also to benefit out society [supporters]. We will achieve this by;-
I. Developing our business model, creating our website, begin marketing and promoting our plan and preparing for our crowdfunding campaign in Jan 14. Assess the outcome of our crowdfunding campaign and begin to plan accordingly. Procuring the identified site and begin to carrying out the required planning, design and any necessary authorisations required followed by the infrastructure works. IV. Building of the guest accommodation for members of our society to stay as part of our rewards/perks strategy whilst they choose to help with the planning and development stage of the initial projects in the programme (infrastructure, design and build project). This will be built to accommodate 12 people in a lodge construction and three double roomed cabanas a maximum of 18 people. V. Setting up of all of the kitchen gardens for provisions, the agricultural planning projects and the creation of the work projects that guests will contribute to. VI. The building of the seeding sheds for planting cocoa seedlings and the building of the cocoa fermenting and drying sheds
VII. The second build project will be a, “Green Eco-Tourism Lodge”. This will be the basis from which we will generate the primary income stream from the visitor route to cover fixed costs and the anticipated high labour costs for the cocoa planting and fermentation phase. The lodge will be built as a high quality lodge with a maximum of ten room or cabanas. It will be located away from the cocoa estate on the plantation and operated as a commercial eco destination with facilities for yoga and health tourism. VIII. Responsible clearing of land to build the storage and fermentation facilities necessary to process beans as well as build a seeding facility to grow and develop young plants. IX. Introducing the Trinitaro bean and planting cocoa seedlings under the existing forest canopy. X. Carrying out all of the fermentation, drying, quality testing, bagging into sacks and storage facilities. XI. The plantation will grow other commodity that grows alongside cocoa under the forest canopy. This will provide a proof of concept of sustainable large scale cocoa farming that can protect the tropical rainforest from encroaching soya agriculture or logging. Ultimately it will sustain existing farmers and encourage younger spouses to remain on their estates as cocoa becomes more profitable to grow. XII. The use of boichar fertilizer the natural fertilizer of choice as it has positive C02 emission qualities alongside the discarded cocoa pods. This will enhance productivity and provide a natural organic recycling of pruned cuttings.
