The sweet rewards of cacao farming in the Philippines

BusinessWorld B-Side

To cap off 2023, the BBC released its 100 Women list, naming women who have inspired and influenced people worldwide.

Among those on the list are former US First Lady Michelle Obama and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney, and a 25-year-old Filipina farmer and entrepreneur named Louise Mabulo.

Ms. Mabulo, the daughter of San Fernando Camarines Sur mayor Fermin Mabulo, joins 27 other Climate Pioneers in the list. She was lauded for her efforts in setting up The Cacao Project, which according to the BBC "aims to revolutionize local food systems through sustainable agroforestry."

In this B-side interview, the 100 Women-lister extols the virtues of cacao as a crop, changing the face of farming in the Philippines, and how growing up Filipino can make one sensitive to climate change.