Where the chocolate industry traditionally focuses on an increased quantity of dried cocoa beans, Cacao-Trace takes a different approach. The sustainable cocoa-sourcing program aims for chocolate with superior taste. They collect the finest fresh beans and take control of the natural fermentation process in post-harvest centers to let the beans’ original taste potential develop in the best possible way. They closely monitor the whole process and adapt the fermentation sequence, time, moisture and temperature. This level of control allows them to produce only the specific flavour combinations desired – even different chocolate flavours made from the same beans.
The Cacao-Trace program has all the classical elements of sustainable certification schemes like farmer field training, ethical and fair pricing and diversification of the farmer’s production and revenues. However, it is unique on two points:
• Applying decades of fermentation expertise in post-harvest centers, located in cocoa-producing countries around the world, is the key ingredient in delivering superior tasting chocolate and
higher income for our cocoa farmers.
• By selling this higher quality chocolate to customers and consumers, they share this tasty benefit entirely back with our Cacao-Trace farmer communities via the Chocolate Bonus.
Today, the program is based in five cocoa-producing countries across the world: Ivory Coast, Vietnam, The Philippines, Papua New Guinea and Mexico.
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