Producer  Camino Verde

Region     Guyas

Cacao      70%

Ferment   Bag fermented for 6 days.

Drying      Sun drying patios and mechanical hot air.

Vicente Norero is the owner of the Camino Verde fermentary which is located just outside of Guayaquil. Norero purchases wet beans from all over Ecuador and has years of experience in microbiology which adds a unique dimension to his fermentation process. Norero ferments in a humidity controlled room where he inoculates the cacao with enzymes to highlight the distinct flavours of the beans.

Producer   Maya Mountain Cacao

Region      Toledo

Cacao       70%   

Ferment    Linear box system for 6 days.

Drying      Greenhouse with mesh covered decks.

This private fermentary was set up to increase and stabilise the income of smallholder cocoa farmers. Maya Mountain Cacao purchases wet beans from multiple farmers and combine them during the fermentation and drying process. This combination also improves the quality of the cacao by centralising the post-harvesting processes. Maya Mountain Cacao is the first specialty grade cacao coming out of Belize.

ABOCFA is renowned for producing the highest quality traceable cacao in the region. It is one of only four organic certified cooperatives in Ghana which means that their cacao is quite rare (99% of Ghana's cacao is uncertified). The beans are different to most speciality cacao, as they are fermented in multiple locations across the 13 different communities of farmers.

Producer   Cacao Tales

Region       Piura

Cacao        70%

Ferment     Linear box system for 7 days.

Drying        Sun dried on wooden beds.  

Cacao Tales was set up by Luis Mancinito connect smallholder farmers with chocolate makers globally. Cacao Tales works with a range of smallholder farmers in Northern Peru, providing a centralised bean processing infrastructure for the farmers to receive the best possible price for their beans. Cacao Tales is proud to work with the Gran Chililque co-op, which is run by a team of 50% women and 50% men.

Producer   Kokoa Kamili

Region       Morogoro

Cacao        70%

Ferment     3 tier box system for 6 days.

Drying        Moveable mesh beds.

Koko Kamili is a privately owned fermantary and social enterprise set up by Brian LoBue and Simran Bindra. They buy wet beans from over 3500 smallholder cacao farmers and combine them for fermentation. By centralising fermentation in a controlled environment Koko Kamili has helped improve the overall quality of the cacao, increasing income for the farmers.