Global Cocoa Quality Supply

Natural cacao butter, with its Pure Prime Pressed quality, is directly pressed from the cacao bean and has an intense, rich chocolate aroma. This makes it a favorite among many chocolatiers as it endows their chocolate with a natural, delightful fragrance.

On the other hand, deodorized cacao butter is essentially the same as natural cacao butter, but most of its aroma has been removed. This type of cacao butter is favored in situations where the chocolate smell is not desired. For instance, some chocolatiers opt for deodorized cacao butter when they aim to have more precise control over their recipes. With a more neutral base, they can better manage the overall flavor profile without the overpowering chocolate aroma getting in the way.

The cosmetic industry typically chooses deodorized cacao butter because it primarily values its moisturizing properties. By using the deodorized version, they can have better control over the fragrance of their products. Similarly, vegan manufacturers who select cacao butter as a dairy alternative mainly for its texture also tend to prefer the deodorized option.

Natural cacao powder represents the purest state of cacao powder. It boasts a more intense aroma, a higher level of acidity, and contains slightly more antioxidants compared to its alkalized counterpart.

Alkalized cacao powder, also referred to as Dutched - processed cacao powder, has distinct characteristics. Thanks to the addition of potassium carbonate, an alkali, it is more soluble than natural cacao powder. This alkali helps break down the powder further and reduces its acidity. Moreover, alkalized cacao powder typically has a slightly darker color.

Our alkalized cacao powders are only mildly alkalized, with less than 2% potassium carbonate used. We exercise restraint in the alkalization process to preserve both the high nutritional value and the wonderful aroma inherent in Fine Aroma cacao beans. As a result, our cacao powders never turn overly dark, a common consequence of excessive Dutch processing.

Yes, all our products are non-GMO.

Cocoa harvesting, like that of many other tropical crops, is a drawn - out process that spans several months. Typically, there are a major and a minor peak in pod ripeness and harvesting. A growing crop often inhibits further flowering, and different cocoa varieties have varying degrees of harvest peak sharpness. New hybrids, however, generally have a more evenly distributed harvest pattern. These aspects, combined with seasonal weather variations, make it challenging to accurately forecast the timing and size of the cocoa crop.

Ripe cocoa pods can be harvested within a two - week period, whether before, during, or after they start changing color, usually without any yield reduction. Additionally, they can remain on the tree for another 2 - 3 weeks without a decline in flavor quality.

The sweet mucilage inside ripe pods attracts rodents. Any damage caused by rodents breaks the pod wall, exposing the ripe beans to oxygen. This can lead to a significant number of germinated beans, which are considered a defect and should be avoided. The germ is often broken off, creating an opening through which molds can enter.

After harvesting, the pods are opened to extract the beans within a week to 10 days. Usually, the harvested pods are gathered and split either in the plantation or at its edge. Sometimes, they are transported to a fermenter before being split. When the pods are opened in the planting areas, the discarded husks can be spread across the fields to enrich the soil with nutrients. The optimal method for opening the pods is by using a wooden club. Striking the central part of the pod with the club causes it to split into two halves, making it easy to manually remove the beans. A cutting tool like a machete is also commonly used, but it may damage the beans. Although some machinery has been developed for pod opening, small - scale farmers mostly perform this task by hand.

Once the beans are extracted from the pods, they go through fermentation and drying processes before being bagged for delivery.

Cocoa is mainly produced by smallholders or through family subsistence farming. In West Africa, which accounts for around 70% of the world's cocoa production, many farms allocate less than a hectare to cocoa cultivation. The situation is similar in Southeast Asia, especially in Indonesia. Although there are exceptions, like some large cocoa farms in Brazil and Ecuador. These cocoa growers encounter numerous and diverse challenges. Some are specific to certain locations, but many are common across most cocoa - growing regions.

Low Yields:

The average yields of cocoa production are low. This is attributed to multiple factors. The extensive cultivation systems, an ageing tree population, a high prevalence of pests and diseases with ineffective control measures, an ageing farmer population, a shortage of affordable labor, a lack of easily accessible inputs, poor extension services, and most importantly, the utilization of poor - to - average quality planting material all contribute to this problem.

Planting Material:

Planting material is the most crucial input in any cropping system. For cocoa, the trees need to yield a good amount of dry beans under various growing conditions and possess a range of desirable agricultural, commercial, and local characteristics. Unfortunately, a large proportion of the currently used cocoa planting material fails to meet many of these desirable criteria.

Age of Cocoa Trees:

A significant percentage of the world's cocoa tree stock is old. This can lead to reduced productivity and increased susceptibility to pests and diseases.

Availability of Suitable Land:

Cocoa is often planted in areas that were previously primary forests and have been logged. Finding suitable land for new cocoa plantations can be a challenge, especially considering environmental concerns and the need for sustainable land use.

Lack of Credit Availability for Smallholders:

In major cocoa - growing areas, banking systems are unable to offer appropriate seasonal or replanting credits to smallholder cocoa growers. In many cases, this is because growers lack collateral. They often do not have formal land titles to prove ownership of the land they have been using for decades. This lack of credit availability severely restricts efficient cocoa cultivation.

- West Africa: It is the largest cocoa-producing region globally. Côte d'Ivoire is the world's top cocoa producer, accounting for over 40% of global output. In the 2022/2023 crop year, it produced about 2.24 million metric tons of cocoa beans. Ghana ranks second, contributing around 20% of the world's cocoa production, with 800,000 farmers engaged in cocoa cultivation. Nigeria and Cameroon are also significant producers in the region.

- Southeast Asia: Indonesia is the main producer in this region and the world's third-largest cocoa producer. It started producing cocoa in the 1980s and has 95% of its cocoa output from small-scale farmers.

- South America: Brazil is an important cocoa producer in South America, and although its output has declined, it remains one of the top cocoa-producing countries in the Americas. Ecuador is known for its high-quality cocoa with a unique aroma, and its cocoa is popular among small artisanal chocolatiers.

Cocoa trees usually take 3 to 5 years to start bearing fruits. Hybrid varieties may bear fruits earlier, sometimes within 3 years. The time can be affected by factors like the tree's growing environment, care and maintenance, and the specific variety of the cocoa tree.

In the cocoa market, three main varieties of cocoa beans are distinguished. The Forastero type makes up the vast majority, accounting for 93.5% of global cocoa production. This is often referred to as bulk cocoa.

The second variety is the so - called fine or flavour cocoa, which consists of speciality beans, frequently derived from Criollo planting materials. These are in the minority compared to Forastero beans.

The third variety is the Trinitario. It is a highly - regarded hybrid, known as the world's finest cocoa hybrid. It originated in Trinidad from crosses between mixed Criollo and mixed Forastero types, resulting in a unique collection of hybrid types.

Currently, apart from reputation, there is no globally - accepted standard for differentiating between fine or flavour cocoa and bulk or ordinary cocoa. However, with the progress of sensory evaluation techniques, such a distinction may become achievable in the future. Although planting material is significant, it cannot be the sole factor used to distinguish between fine or flavour cocoas and bulk types.

The cocoa tree, a member of the genus Theobroma consisting of around 20 species of small trees native to the wild in the Amazon basin and other tropical zones of Central and South America, thrives in tropical regions. It grows best within a belt roughly 20° north and 20° south of the Equator. The majority of cocoa is cultivated at an altitude of under 400 metres (1,200 feet) above sea level. Temperatures between 18°C and 32°C (65°F to 90°F) are considered ideal. The annual rainfall should range from at least 1,000 mm to no more than 3,000 mm (400 to 1,100 inches). To achieve optimal production, the tree needs protection from direct sunlight and strong winds.

Following its discovery, the expansion of cocoa production beyond America to now encompassing the globe along the tropical belt, started with the Spanish conquest of the region in the sixteenth century. Chocolate subsequently became accepted in the Spanish court and later spread throughout Europe.

Increasing demand for cocoa in Spain led to the introduction of this plant species into a number of Spanish colonial territories during the early part of the seventeenth century. Cultivation was established in the areas now known as the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Ecuador in South America, and on the island of Fernando Po (now Equatorial Guinea) off the western African coast. Later in the century, merchants from other European nations, in particular France, England, Portugal and the Netherlands, responded to the growing demand by introducing cocoa trees to other islands of the Caribbean, Asia and South America, including Brazil.

The next stage in the expansion of cocoa cultivation to other parts of the world began in earnest in the nineteenth century. The most significant development was the introduction of the crop to many parts of Western Africa.

In the early twentieth century, cocoa was still predominantly produced in the Americas: Ecuador, Brazil, and Trinidad and Tobago being the largest producers.

This soon changed, however, with the rise of what ultimately became the dominant region for cocoa production for the remainder of the twentieth century, West Africa. African production started to overtake the Americas as early as 1920.

Cocoa is made by processing the dried seeds which can be found within the pods hanging from the cocoa tree. The cocoa tree has long been linked to the Mayan and other ancient civilisations in Mesoamerica. However, a recent genetic research led by Omar Cornejo, a Washington State University population geneticist, revealed in October 2018 that the Criollo variety (the world’s most coveted variety of cocoa) actually originated and was first domesticated in Northern Ecuador, but was later on fully domesticated in Central America about 3,600 years ago.

In a nutshell, Criollo was found to have first been domesticated in South America (present-day Ecuador), and not in Central America as previously thought.