Boletín N° 131
Amsterdam, June 23, 2022

From June 23-25 in the City of Amsterdam, capital of the Netherlands, a delegation of producers of the Ecuadorian Amazonia, along with authorities from the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition and the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock, and UNDP, will participate at the CHOCOA 2022 International Fair, a space to share international knowledge and experiences, where sustainable Ecuadorian cocoa and chocolate are to be promoted at specialized world-wide markets.

Photography: PROAmazonía
Description: CHOCOA 2022 International Fair – Ámsterdam

During the event, in Ecuador’s stand, the representatives of The Association of Small Organic Agricultural Exporters from the South of the Ecuadorian Amazonia (APEOSAE) and PROAmazonia’s technicians showed the experience of a sustainable and quality production, which, along with good agricultural deforestation-free practices and traceability systems, certify the origin of the products that will be commercialized.

The participation in this event is possible thanks to the commercial relation between  APEOSAE and Silva Cacao, a Belgian company that purchases cocoa beans of the highest quality in the world, and the technical support provided by PROAmazonía, a program that was implemented by the rector institutions of the environmental and agricultural sectors of Ecuador, with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), to encourage the transition towards a sustainable and deforestation-free production in the Amazonian Region of four production chains: coffee, cocoa, oil palm and livestock, considered as the most important activities within this region in the country.

Photography: PROAmazonía
Description: CHOCOA 2022 International Fair – Ámsterdam

Key information:

• Ecuador is the largest producer and exporter of fine aroma cacao, with a share of over 60% in the world market. In the Amazonia, cocoa is produced in an agroforestry environment, rich in biodiversity, which provides the cacao beans with flower and fruit aromas. 
• In 2021, 3.8 tons of APEOSAE’s sustainable and deforestation-free cacao were purchased by the Belgian company Silva Cacao.
• APEOSAE integrates over 180 producer families, out of which  39% are part of the Indigenous Peoples and Nationalities of the Ecuadorian Amazon .
• ACRIM Association – is located at the Province of Zamora Chinchipe and is composed by about 200 families. 
• CHOCOA International Fair (cho-ko-wa by its pronunciation), is an annual space for commercializing cacao and chocolate of the highest quality to differentiated markets.

For more information, please contact:

• Jose Arturo Santos, jose.arturo.santos@undp.org