Louise Mabulo

Louise Mabulo is an environmentalist, chef, and social entrepreneur dedicated to sustainable agriculture and community empowerment. As the founder of The Cacao Project, she promotes sustainable livelihoods through agroforestry, educating farmers, and restoring landscapes.

Mabulo’s passion for food began early. Her culinary journey included competing in Junior MasterChef (Pinoy Edition) and winning awards like the Disciples des Escoffier Young Talent Trophy and Best Dessert in Asia Award. Her love for chocolate and community support led her to realise her dream of becoming a chocolatier, embodied in The Cacao Project.

Through her project, Mabulo has helped farmers in the Philippines’ Bicol region adopt sustainable practices to counteract deforestation and habitat loss. To date, she has trained over 200 farmers, planted more than 150,000 trees, and restored over 100 hectares of land.

Mabulo’s impactful work has earned her the Young Champions of the Earth Prize by the United Nations Environment Programme, the Outstanding Young Farmer of the Philippines award, and a place on the BBC’s 100 Women List in November 2023. She also hosted the mini-documentary Nat Geo Presents Food Costs: Diet vs Planet, advancing her mission of environmental stewardship.