OUR CACAO
Not only is Tesoro Escondido home to one of the most biodiverse forest in the world but is also an area well-known for the quality of its cacao Arriba fino de aroma (or Nacional). 75% of the cacao cultivated in Tesoro Escondido is Nacional cacao (including Trinitario also know as Venezolano). The remaining 25% is the hybrid variety known as CCN51. Most of the Nacional cacao produced in Tesoro Escondido contains strong Criollo genetics which is considered the ‘Rolls Royce of cacao’.
The Chocó Project works with 13 farms - six of which have obtained the organic certification - whose owners have agreed to sign a mutual agreement to protect the forests and improve the quality of the cacao found in Tesoro Escondido.
Thanks to Samuel von Rutte – cacao expert, producer, exporter and general manager of Orecao S.A in Ecuador – the producers have been able to receive training on post-harvesting techniques; from drying the cacao beans to their fermentation.
Furthermore, with the help of a French buyer, Bouga CacaO, we have obtained the organic certification for six of the farms we work with. Inspectors from Ecocert (international certifying body) and Agrocalidad (Ecuadorian certifying body) have come to assess the farms and have given the producers a positive response. We are dedicated to the production of an organic cacao and hope to involve the other farmers in the near future so that all can benefit from the organic market.
Under the awning
Cacao pod
Weighing the beans
Under the awning
The project recently initiated a ‘Promoter Programme’ in the community. Two members have been contracted by the project to apply the techniques learned during the workshops and training sessions. The idea is to see whether the farmers have processed the information and that they are applying it to manage their farms. This, in turn, will allow the producers to maximise productivity to support their families and in the long-run, minimise agricultural impact on the rainforest.
“With an excellent final product, appropriate people advising and coordinating throughout the whole cacao chain and the right commercial contacts to introduce and sell the product abroad, it is possible that the community of Tesoro could become a success story in the fine cacao world.”
- Susana Cárdenas Overstall
Our cacao has been tested by experts in Ecuador, Europe and the United States. We know of its high quality and through training sessions and the help of experts, the producers will be able to produce a high-quality single-origin cacao.
If you are interested in our cacao and story, do not hesitate to get in touch. We hope to create long-term partnerships with cacao buyers interested in helping us find solutions to fight poverty and environmental degradation.
Our long-term objective is to train and help the producers develop and create a cooperative that will run its own micro business; harvesting cacao, exporting their high quality beans and also making their own Tesoro Escondido chocolate-related products.