Cacao’s Gentle Guardians

Cacao has been cultivated for centuries, passing through the hands of farmers, families, and entire communities. The images captured are more than a simple moment; they encapsulate the bond between the land and the people who nurture it. The girl’s expression reflects not just happiness but also the deep-rooted connection between generations—the past, present, and future of cacao farming.

In Venezuela, the region of Cata, cacao farming is more than labor—it is a legacy. Entire families have dedicated their lives to the land, cultivating cacao with care, instinct, and generations of inherited knowledge. These are master craftsmen of the earth. Yet while their beans are celebrated in global markets and crafted into luxury chocolate, the farmers themselves are trapped in an unjust system, cut off from the wealth their work creates, often living with little access to basic services, fair pricing, or opportunity.

What Elizabeth witnessed and documented goes far beyond agriculture. She saw the quiet dignity of farmers who continue to work despite being excluded from the prosperity their labor helps create. She listened to stories of scarcity—of broken roads, unreliable electricity, and a lack of access to fair markets. She met people who are artists of the land, but who are too often treated as expendable by the systems profiting from their expertise.

These photographs speak to the enduring resilience and hope. In the little girl's hands, the cacao pod is not just a crop but a piece of history, a bridge between tradition and the possibilities that lie ahead. It reminds us that behind every chocolate bar enjoyed across the world, there is a story—one of dedication, culture, and the hands that carefully harvest each pod.

This series is a tribute to them: the hands that nurture the cacao trees, the faces that weather both tropical storms and economic ones, the souls who persevere in the face of neglect. With every photograph, she hopes to bridge the gap between the product and its origin, to stir empathy, and to demand a conversation about justice, sustainability, and change.

More than a photo project, this is a document of truth and resistance. These images are a celebration of life, work, and the simple yet profound joy found in embracing one’s roots. It’s a call to remember who we are when we choose what we consume—and to honor those who make it possible.

Elizabeth Velasquez

Elizabeth Velasquez is a Venezuelan documentary photographer drawn to stories that often remain untold—those that live in the margins, under the surface, or behind the products we consume without question. Her most recent work has taken her to the Cata region of Venezuela, a lush coastal landscape where some of the world’s most prized cacao is grown. But beneath the beauty and agricultural richness lies a stark and painful contrast: a reality marked by inequality, invisibility, and resilience.

Through her photography, she aims to document not just the process of cacao cultivation but the human spirit behind it. Elizabeth strives to capture the hands, faces, and daily moments of those who continue, against all odds, to nurture a product the world loves—yet rarely traces back to its roots. Each image is a window into their world: a visual testimony of strength, dignity, and the quiet courage of endurance.

With this work, she hopes to do more than inform—she wants to invite reflection. Her goal is to spark a deeper awareness about where chocolate comes from, and more importantly, who it comes from. Elizabeth believes that photography has the power to create connection, to awaken empathy, and to shift the way we consume by making visible the human cost behind our indulgence.

If we want a fairer, more ethical world, it begins with knowledge. It begins with honoring the people behind the product. And it begins with telling the whole story, not just the one that tastes sweet.