Home / Business and Economy / Dole Exits Hawaii Chocolate; Local Farm Buys Orchard
Dole Exits Hawaii Chocolate; Local Farm Buys Orchard
5 Jul
Summary
- Lonohana Estate Chocolate purchased Dole's Hawaiian cacao orchard for $8 million.
- The acquisition includes over 60 acres of mature cacao trees.
- Lonohana now stands as Hawaii's largest cacao grower.
Dole Food Co. has concluded its operations in Hawaii's chocolate business, having pioneered large-scale cacao farming on former sugarcane land in Waialua. Lonohana Estate Chocolate, a local cacao farm and maker, has acquired Dole's orchard for about $8 million. The purchase encompasses a 151-acre Dole property featuring over 60 acres of producing cacao trees.
Lonohana's CEO, Seneca Klassen, stated that the company is now Hawaii's largest cacao grower. This expansion aligns with Lonohana's vision to create a local product with international acclaim, utilizing agroforestry practices. This move is considered a critical transition for Hawaii-grown chocolate and the Waialua community.
Dole, an Ireland-based company with over a century of history in Hawaii, began cultivating cacao in 1996. This diversification followed the closure of Waialua Sugar Co. The acquisition by Lonohana was partially funded by philanthropists George and Gloriana Gund, who expressed enthusiasm for supporting regenerative food production in Hawaii.
