Filipino Cacao Growers Learn to Live With a Hotter Climate

In the Philippines, cacao farming generates a market value exceeding $400 million. In the Davao region on Mindanao Island, growers cultivate trees, harvest fruits, and craft premium chocolates for the local market. However, climate change has introduced droughts, floods, heightened humidity, and extreme heat, posing significant challenges to farmers.

Filmmaker Breech Asher Harani traveled to Davao to document the concerns of cacao farmers in two artisanal operations and interview agricultural researchers about adaptation efforts. Farmers illustrated their use of intercropping, creating fertilizers from agricultural waste to boost yields and quality, and deploying innovative irrigation systems to curtail water loss.

Harani observes that these farmers are well-equipped with climate mitigation strategies and sustainable farming techniques, with no apparent sense of hopelessness.

Harani emphasizes that the cacao farmers are not only prepared to confront the challenges but also eager to share their practices, so others can replicate their methods. He hopes his documentary will underscore the vital role of farmers, whose labor sustains everyday needs, and inspire viewers to take action against climate change, which is already altering the food landscape.

Breech Asher Harani, a filmmaker and artist, has earned recognition in various forms, including being named a JCS International Young Creatives awardee at the International Emmy Awards in 2019 and listed on Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 for the Arts. He is the inaugural recipient of a Climate and Labor Film Grant, co-sponsored by the Pulitzer Center, Financial Times, and One World Media.

The Yale Environment 360 Film Contest, now in its 13th year, recognized Harani's work among the best environmental documentary shorts globally, with entries from over 80 countries on six continents.