Imagine a different kind of farm. See yourself walking through a lush forest. Colorful birds sing on mossy branches shaded by tall palm trees. The air is fragrant with citrus and ginger. Instead of flat rows of crops, there is a diversity of trees, plants and vines bearing fruit, flowers, and spices.

We farm with nature, not against it. “Organic” farming simply means not using harmful chemicals. At Sueño de Vida, we go above and beyond “organic.” We never apply pesticides to any of our trees, but the way we farm is a solution to the even bigger problem of global deforestation. We’ve learned a better way to grow food and plant forests at the same time: agroforestry.

Forests are self-fertilizing. Many indigenous farmers used agroforestry throughout history, and we are following their proven wisdom. Instead of cutting down forests to plant big fields of one crop, forest farms produce a wide variety of food, spices, medicine, and other useful resources on many layers. Just like a natural rainforest, our farm is an abundant oasis that shelters wildlife and replenishes both soil and rainfall, so we don’t need chemical fertilizers. Just like nature, it regenerates itself.

We put the “art” in artisanal. It takes many steps to cultivate a forest farm and bring the products to market. At Sueño de Vida, we do every single step — from planting the seeds to harvest, processing and packaging — by hand. We slow roast and hand shell every single cacao bean to bring you a truly superior product that retains freshness and potency.

From our farm to your door, direct trade means exactly that – direct from farm to buyer. For retail buyers, our trade chain has exactly three links:

Our farm → Our partner outlets and distributors in the US → You.

Bulk orders are sent directly from the farm. Our customers get an exceptional product at a very fair price, and the profit from our sales goes right back into regenerating more forest.

We share the surplus. Regeneration doesn't stop at the land, it's a social project too. All of this artisanal goodness takes many hands to make, which gives us the opportunity to employ the hard-working people in our local community. Our farm provides a safe, chemical-free workplace and we pay a wage over the “fair trade” standard. When you purchase our products, you are contributing not only to rainforest regeneration, but better livelihoods for rural people here in Ecuador.