The Amazon region in Bolivia, in the northeast of the country, is a wet savannah area with an average annual temperature of 28°C. The state of Beni, located in the flat lowlands on the border with Peru, is home to 420,000 people. The area is as large as Great Britain. The landscape is rich in water, with many lakes and rivers. The vegetation is dominated by tropical rainforest in the north and grass steppes in the south. One third of the population counts itself as indigenous. The main source of income is agriculture and cattle breeding. Most of the land lies below 200m and is quickly flooded during heavy rainfall.

In Baures County, 800 farming families live off wild cacao. Presumably, the history of this cacao goes way back to pre-Columbian times, before the discovery of the Americas. It grows in the rainforest, where it is harvested and cared for by small farmers. David and Marcela came to the region in 2000 to promote and preserve the wild cacao. It also aims to preserve and respect the culture and environment of the indigenous people, of which cacao has been a part for thousands of years.

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