February 2026 Photo of the Month: For the Love of Ethical Chocolate
Our monthly photo series highlights the beauty and emotion in the lives of our clients around the world. This month, we're celebrating the hardworking farmers and entrepreneurs behind one of the world’s most beloved treats: chocolate.
Did you know that in the two weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, an estimated 58 million pounds of chocolate is sold in the U.S. alone? This month, our photos celebrate the hardworking farmers and entrepreneurs behind one of the world’s most beloved treats—and the business skills, quality standards, and market connections that make chocolate a source of opportunity, not just indulgence.
From the moment a cocoa pod is opened in the field to the careful tempering of chocolate in a confectionary shop, every step of the chocolate journey reflects skill, precision, and resilience. Behind each bar are farmers and entrepreneurs navigating climate risks, market demands, and economic uncertainty while striving to produce something exceptional. TechnoServe works alongside them to strengthen value chains, unlock new markets, and turn quality into opportunity.
This Valentine’s Day season, as millions enjoy chocolate around the world, these images invite us to celebrate the people and skills who bring this delightful treat.
PHOTO 1: Growing Cocoa in Côte d’Ivoire
Chocolate begins on the cocoa tree. Here, a smallholder farmer in Côte d’Ivoire slices open a ripe cocoa pod, revealing the sweet white pulp that surrounds the beans. After harvest, the beans are fermented for several days. It’s a critical step that develops the rich flavors we recognize as chocolate. The nibs are then dried and shipped to chocolate makers around the world.Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s largest producer of cocoa. Most farmers work on small plots of land, where their crops are vulnerable to plant diseases and increasingly extreme weather. TechnoServe worked with farmers and cooperatives across Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen the cocoa value chain and diversify incomes for cocoa-farming households.
Read more about our work supporting cocoa farmers.
PHOTO 2: Quality Control in Honduras
Juan José Aguilar, a TechnoServe technical advisor, sorts cocoa nibs at the Quality Control Laboratory, the first of its kind in Central America. Established by TechnoServe in partnership with the Honduran Agricultural Research Foundation (FHIA), the lab provided cocoa producers in northern Honduras with the equipment and tools they needed to assess bean quality before engaging with international buyers. In the early 2000s, hurricanes, disease, and low commodity prices nearly wiped out Honduras’s cocoa sector. In response, TechnoServe developed a strategy focused on the fast-growing fine cocoa market. Our advisors identified promising native cocoa varieties and trained farmers in grafting techniques to replicate high-quality genetic material. With additional support from industry experts, producers were able to improve quality, position their cocoa in premium markets, and begin rebuilding a more resilient and competitive industry.
Read more about our work in Honduras.
PHOTO 3: Crafting Chocolate in Peru
Creating exceptional chocolate requires careful tempering. This precise process of melting chocolate while controlling its temperature gives the final product a beautiful, glossy finish. Here, an experienced chocolatier tempers chocolate at Exotic Chocolatier in Peru.TechnoServe supports not only cocoa farmers, but also local chocolate entrepreneurs working to reach domestic and international markets. In Peru’s San Martín region, once dominated by coca cultivation, a thriving cocoa and chocolate industry has taken root. Entrepreneurs like Ivonne Alvarado of Exotic Chocolatier applied what they learned through TechnoServe to invest in their businesses, helping build a sustainable industry and their own futures.
Read more about our work in Peru.
From Africa to Latin America and Asia, TechnoServe’s unique business solutions to poverty give our clients new skills, connections, and confidence to build better lives.
Photo of the Month
