Honoring the Earth, Honoring Ceremonial Cacao: Why Prices Are Rising and How We Can Respond with Heart

Every year, Earth Day invites us to pause, reflect, and renew our commitment to the planet and all her gifts. At Magic Earth Cacao, the gift we hold most sacred is the cacao plant—a heart medicine that connects us deeply to the Earth, to ourselves, and to each other.

But this year, our beloved Ceremonial Cacao is under pressure.

Recently, you’ve probably noticed Cacao prices have soared—nearly tripling in some markets. And behind this increase lies a powerful story of climate, care, and connection.

So, why Are Ceremonial Cacao Prices Rising?

1. Climate Disruptions

West Africa, where most of the world’s cacao is grown for the commercial chocolate market, is experiencing extreme weather—heatwaves, droughts, and floods. These changes, driven by the climate crisis, are devastating Cacao harvests.

2. Diseased and Aging Trees

Many Cacao farms in are struggling with crop diseases while others are seeing declining yields as trees age, with little support for replanting or restoration.

3. Global Trade and Tariffs

New import taxes and supply chain delays are adding pressure. These costs stack up—affecting the very farmers and communities that steward this sacred plant.

4. Rising Costs in Guatemala—and the Impact on the Ruku’X’ Ulew Women’s Collective

In Guatemala, where much of our Ceremonial Cacao is grown with deep ancestral wisdom, prices for raw Cacao have also surged. But the story here is layered.

Large-scale chocolate companies have entered the market, offering high prices that many smallholder farmers (like those partnered with Ruku’ X’Ulew) can’t refuse—especially in a struggling economy. While this may seem like a win on the surface, it’s creating ripple effects. We trust that things will balance out but for now know it;s not only us in the Western World feeling the crunch, our Indigenous partners are feeling it too.

Local producers and artisanal collectives—those with ancestral connection to the Cacao plant—are now being priced out of their own communities. They simply can’t afford to compete with industrial buyers.

This shift not only threatens the cultural integrity of Ceremonial Cacao, but also the sustainability of community-based Cacao economies rooted in reciprocity, relationship, and ritual.

What Can We Do About it?

• Maintain our integrity in using Ceremonial Cacao.

• Support companies (like us, Magic Earth Cacao) that build direct, regenerative relationships with Cacao producers.

• Educate your community on what’s happening in the Ceremonial Cacao world.

• Infuse your Cacao ritual with Earth-honoring prayers, offerings, and gratitude.

• Remember that every sip of Ceremonial Cacao is a blessing from the Earth herself.

With love and light,

The Magic Earth Cacao team