Preserving the soil and flavors

AGROPECUARIA SANTA ANA, VENEZUELA

By Julien Desmedt, Sourcer

We have been working with our partner Casa Franceschi for 25 years to develop four rare varieties of cocoa on a plot of more than 20 hectares in the Carupano region. This project chiefly involves setting up plantations, grafting and shade management.
Time and patience will allow us to get to know these new varieties so that we can ultimately fully promote their aromatic qualities and implement the best fermentation and drying protocols that will allow us to fully reveal the organoleptic properties of these cocoa varieties. This project has led to the hiring of 12 people who work on a daily basis to set up and develop this plantation.

GRAN BLANCO NURSERY CONSERVATORY, PERU

By Stéphane Sabourin, Sourcer

Since 2014, we have been involved in the conservation of an endemic variety in the Piura region in northern Peru, the Gran Blanco cocoa tree. Together with our partner, the Norandino Cooperative, we have set up a nursery conservatory in the village of La Quemazón.
In addition to protecting cocoa biodiversity, it provides farmers with several tens of thousands of Gran Blanco plants each year. The La Quemazón Gran Blanco cocoa is regularly recognized for its quality: it was awarded the best cocoa in Peru at
the 2020 national competition and the silver medal of the Cocoa of Excellence in Paris in 2021.