COLOMBIA – ANTIOQUIA ESPINA DE ALICANTE
In the department of Antioquia, in the northwest of Colombia, cacao farming is passed on from generation to generation. Almost all farmers in this region are working cacao, which they then sell to local buyers and fine flavour usually wasn’t high up their priority list. For this Espina de Alicanta, smallholder farmers team-up to collect single variety cacao and apply a strictly controled fermentation and drying process. The tropcial fruit notes covered on a stong chocolaty basis, and nutty hints are a true pleasure to work with!
Location
- Region: Antioquia, northwest Colombia
- Source: smallholder farmers
Quality
- Variety: Single variety hybrid
- Flavour: Choclaty, Tropical fruits, nuts, lemongrass
- Fermentation: 7 days in horizontal boxes
- Drying: pre-drying, followed by drying in solar tunnels on wooden tables
Certification
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Supply Chain
100% traceable upto farm level.
People
For farmers in Maceo region, fine flavour cacao wasn’t high up in their priority list, and consequently income from cacao was limited. 200 smallholder farmers from Maceo team-up to improve the quality. The higher prices for quality specialty cacao are a welcome addition to the family income for the farmers and a much safer alternative than cultivation of cacao.
Forest & Nature
The region is mountainous and covered with natural forests. Unfortunately, the tree cover is diminishing in Antioquia. The farmers grow cacao in agroforestry, which protects the remaining forests but also creates corridors betwoon forest fragments. Natural farming, the soil composition and absence of industrial activities in the region result in very low levels of heavy metals such as cadmium and lead.
