While cacao and hardwoods remain the backbone of our agroforestry model at Finca Chocolat, we continue to expand our work with high-value understory crops—including vanilla, turmeric, cardamom, and lemongrass.
We’re especially excited to share that our new lemongrass processing center is now up and running! The distillation system is operational, and we’re fine-tuning the process as we go. As with many new ventures, there have been a few challenges—especially when it comes to sourcing the right parts in a remote area—but the progress has been worth it.
One of our first improvements was relocating the boiler to a separate room. This adjustment helps keep the working environment cooler and more comfortable for our staff during distillation. It added a bit of time to the setup—thanks to the usual adventure of finding the right fittings and pipe in Belize—but the long-term benefits make it a worthwhile investment.
We’re proud to be adding lemongrass essential oil to our lineup of non-perishable, export-ready products. Interest is already coming in from both local buyers in Belize and international clients, and we’re looking forward to scaling production in the months ahead.
As always, our focus remains on quality, sustainability, and value-added production—and lemongrass is just the latest example of that commitment in action. Stay tuned for more updates as this new chapter unfolds!