Osella | Valrhona Chocolate

Ecuador

Guayaquil
2°10’37.9”S
79°49’48.7”W

Cocoa growing in Ecuador

In the fertile valleys bordering the majestic Guayas River, one of the world's most prized cocoa varieties flourishes: Cacao Nacional.

With its floral and roasted nut notes, it's way more than just a culinary ingredient. It's a symbol of heritage, a tangible link with the past, and an essential part of the economic future. We are proud to shine a spotlight on this Nacional cocoa, a treasure of nature, to ensure its quality and to share it with the whole world.

However, our responsibility toward Ecuadorian cocoa goes beyond its production. We are firmly committed to promoting sustainable, ethical cocoa farming that respects the environment and local communities. We work hand in hand with producers to ensure responsible farming practices, while preserving the region's biodiversity.

A long-term partnership

Valrhona first met with Osella’s director, Mr Jacinto Andrade, in 2017. After several exchanges about our respective approaches, covering cocoa quality and our views on building long-term relationships, as well as sample analyses, field visits and meeting producers, we decided to start a commercial relationship in 2018.

All of these exchanges focused on "Nacional" cocoa, Ecuador's emblematic variety.

We are committed to a long-term partnership until 2027 with Jacinto, its teams and producers affiliated with our scheme to support and promote Nacional, the Guardianes project.

5years Partnership

Partnership signature : 2019, for 5 years

Private company Type of organization

370 producers

and 44 employees

Our social and environmental actions together

Since 2019, we have funded a producer support program led by Osella with the help of a team of technicians.

This project covers 9 provinces across the country and aims to improve producers’ agricultural practices, from pruning, fertilizing and renovating plots, to improving fermentation and drying.

This project is focused on the preserving the national treasure that is the "Nacional" cocoa variety.