The International Cocoa Awards Ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 28, 2015 at the annual Salon du Chocolat in Paris, France. Every two years, the Salon conducts the the International Cocoa Awards (ICA), the only competition of its kind recognizing the work of cocoa farmers and celebrating the diversity of cocoa flavors globally. ICA is a part of the Cocoa of Excellence Program (CoEx)—spearheaded by Biodiversity International and Event International. The award is the most prestigious in the world, and recognizes producers’ work based on the quality, flavor and diversity of cocoas according to their origin.
50 cocoa samples shortlisted from a total of 146 submissions, from a range of 35 countries. From the shortlist, 17 samples were awarded the prize for being the highest quality among industry standards. Each shortlisted sample was evaluated in its final chocolate form, after being objectively processed and evaluated by 26 expert chocolatiers. Among the top 17 were two samples from the Bolivian Amazon region, one of which was collected and processed by the Association of Cocoa Producers of Carmen Silvestre of Emero (APROCACE), a collective representing the Tacana de Carmen del Emero indigenous community.
This community is located northwest of the TCO Tacana I, an official indigenous territory located on and overlapping with the southeast border of Bolivia’s Madidi National Park, along the banks of the Beni River. It has significant areas of wild cacao (over 3,000 hectares). Its forests preserve a high genetic variability and good management practices enhance its productivity. The traditional and familiar nature of its cocoa collection and processing has been enriched with technological innovations: the bean is fermented in wooden crates and dried in the sun on tables also made of wood. The result is a perfect combination of aromas and flavors that the beans release during the roasting process.
This successful experience was made possible with the support of the Indigenous Council of the Tacana People (CIPTA), scientific and technical collaboration provided by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and Wildlife Conservation Society, and financial support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation under the project to support cocoa production chain quality Northern Tropical La Paz.
It is important to note that the effort to produce excellent cocoa was undertaken with the principle objective of contributing to the conservation of protected areas in one of the most biodiverse landscapes in the world, while strengthening the economic initiatives of local communities.
For more information on the Salon du Chocolate, please visit: http://www.cocoaofexcellence.org/