One of the most exciting and important events in the coco calendar is taking place on the 16th of December.
The cocoa of excellence awards is jam-packed, starting at 9am and not finishing until after 7 p.m. Aside from the awards, one of the most interesting sections for me are the ‘meet the producers of excellence’. This year the producers are from:
- Malaysia
- Indonesia
- PNG
- Hawaii
- Philippines
- Taiwan
As a matter of interest, I downloaded the questionnaire which producers fill out when they submit an entry. It comprises over 100 questions, and the level of detail in the questionnaire was quite impressive. For example:
Q H.12 Number of days after fermentation started when beans were turned (days).
I.08 Direct sun drying: What type of surface was the sample dried on?
- Side of road/asphalt
- Cement floor
- Wood
- Bamboo
- Metal
- Other
The full agenda is below, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to get involved and learn from some top people in the industry. I’ve reserved my place, and I hope to see you there!
09:00 – OPENING Ceremony and introduction
- Welcome Address, logistics and what to expect about the programme
- Brigitte Laliberte, A. Director, Cocoa of Excellence, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
09:15 – Opening remarks
- Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Global Director of Partnership at the OneCGIAR
- Alyssa Jade McDonald-Baertl, CGIAR Board Member
- Representative of the Italian Development and Cooperation
- Michel Arrion, Executive Director, International Cocoa Organisation (ICCO)
- Gerald Palacios, CEO, Salon du Chocolat
09:30 – About Cocoa of Excellence
- The vision, how it works
- Meet the people behind
- How the Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards will be announced
- What it means to be in the best 50
- Special tribute – Ed Seguine – 50 years of contribution to the cocoa world
09:45 – Time to interact with the audience
- Respond to Questions about the event and process
10:00 – REGION 1 – AWARDS ASIA & PACIFIC
- A few words from our partner – Belcolade and Group Puratos
- Meet Mr Harish Manoj Kumar, of Regal Plantations, Sethumadai/Saralapathy, Pollachi Taluk, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, winner of an International Cocoa Award in 2017
10:10 Introducing the Best 50 from ASIA & PACIFIC Region
In Alphabetical order of origin and of producer within the origin
Meet each of these Producers of Excellence – short video for each
- Australia – Darryl Kirk
- China – Zhong Chu – Hainan Xingke Tropical Crops Engineering Technology Co. LTD
- Hawaii – Maui Ku’ia Estate Chocolate
- Hawaii – Will Lydgate — Lydgate Farms
- Indonesia – PT Perkebunan Nusantara XII
- Malaysia – Poimon Dangkat
- Malaysia – Sik Kim Soon
- Papua New Guinea – Jeffery Banaga
- Papua New Guinea, Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB) – Autonomous Bougainville Government – Department of Primary Industries (ABG – DPI) – Kubu Research Station
- Philippines – Arthur Lagoc
- Philippines – Chokolate de San Isidro, Inc. – Carlos Barsicula
- Philippines – Christopher Fadriga
- Taiwan – Rui-Min Su
10:35 – REGION 1 – AWARDS ASIA & PACIFIC
- The BRONZE Awards
- The SILVER Awards
- The GOLD Awards – each presented by a member of the Jury
11:00 – Break
11:15 – Information session – Group discussions on different aspects of Cocoa of Excellence
Topics will range from more information on how Cocoa of Excellence works, National Organisation Committees, National Cocoa of Excellence Competitions, how members of the Technical Committee and broader jury are selected, sensory evaluation methodology, how the Best 50 samples and Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards are selected, market opportunities for Award winners and how Cocoa of Excellence can best serve the different value chain actors – from producers to consumers.
12:00 – REGION 2 – AWARDS AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN
- Mr Joseph Boahen Aidoo, Chief Executive, Ghana Cocoa Board
12:10 – Introducing the Best 50 from AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN Region
In Alphabetical order of origin and of producer within the origin
Meet each of these Producers of Excellence – short video for each
- Cameroon – Martin Kamdjeu – Coopérative COOP CA EXPLADI
- Côte d’Ivoire – Koffi Kré Dongo
- Ghana – Charles Oppong
- Ghana – Offinso Fine Flavour Cooperative
- Ghana – Seth Opoku Yirenkyi
- Madagascar – Aly Robert
- Madagascar – Centre de recherche FOFIFA Ambanja
- Madagascar – Coopérative TMAR du groupe UCLS
- Tanzania – Kokoa Kamili Ltd – Contributing farmers: Mbingu Sisters (convent), Anna Muyesi, Sarah Maglass
- Togo – Kodjo Etsonu
- Togo – Kokou Toulassi
- Togo – Yawo Semanu Dzitri
- Uganda – Gideon Katuramu Sibugyo
12:30 – REGION 2 – AWARDS AFRICA & INDIAN OCEAN
- The BRONZE Awards
- The SILVER Awards
- The GOLD Awards – each presented by a member of the Jury
13:00 – Lunch break
14:00 to 16:45
Information sessions – Group discussions on different aspects of Cocoa of Excellence – continued
Topics will range from more information on:
- How Cocoa of Excellence works
- National Organisation Committees
- National Cocoa of Excellence Competitions
- How members of the Technical Committee and broader jury are selected
- Sensory evaluation methodology
- How the Best 50 samples and Gold, Silver, Bronze Awards are selected
- Market opportunities for Award winners
- How Cocoa of Excellence can best serve the different value chain actors – from producers to consumers.
17:00 – REGION 3 – AWARDS SOUTH AMERICA
- A few words from our partner Guittard Chocolate – Gary Guittard, CEO
- Meet one of the producers from a previous edition
17:10 – Introducing the Best 50 from SOUTH AMERICA Region
In Alphabetical order of origin and of producer within the origin
Meet each of these Producers of Excellence – short video for each
- Bolivia – ARCASY (Asociacion de Recolectores de Cacao Silvestre Yuracare) – Comunidad Santa Anita
- Bolivia – Barbarita Ayala Chao
- Brazil – Angélica Maria Tavares Lima Fernandes
- Brazil – João Dias Tavares Bisneto
- Brazil – João Evangelista Lima
- Colombia – Alex Antonio Ayala Aleman
- Ecuador – Hacienda San José – Jorge Cecilio Marún Ramirez
- Peru – Cooperativa Agraria ACOPAGRO Ltda.
- Peru – Cooperativa Agraria Norandino – APPAGROP Quemazón
- Peru – Efrain Puma Chambi – Agro industrias puma real s.r.l
17:30 – REGION 3 – AWARDS SOUTH AMERICA
- The BRONZE Awards
- The SILVER Awards
- The GOLD Awards – each presented by a member of the Jury
17:50 – Break
18:00 – REGION 4 – AWARDS CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEANS
- A few words from our partner – USDA-project MOCCA – Maximizing Opportunities in Coffee and Cacao in the Americas – Carolina Aguilar, Cocoa Director, Corus International
- Meet one of the producers from a previous edition
18:10 – Introducing the Best 50 from CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEANS Region
In Alphabetical order of origin and of producer within the origin
Meet each of these Producers of Excellence – short video for each
- Dominican Republic – Cafin SAS
- Dominican Republic – Specialty Cocoa Nuñez – COOPCANOR
- El Salvador – Asociación Cooperativa de Producción Agropecuaria “Barra Ciega de R.L”
- Guatemala – Maria Elena Valenzuela Schellenberg
- Mexico – José María Pascacio Muñoz
- Nicaragua – Cooperativa Flor de Dalia
- Panama – Communidad de Los Caucheros – Forest Finance Panama S.A.
- Panama – Comunidad de Nuevo Paraiso – Forest Finance Panama S.A.
- Panama – Meivis Ortiz y productoras asociadas
- Puerto Rico – José Martínez-Cruzado
- Puerto Rico – Yadira Vázquez
- Trinidad and Tobago – Annette Mills
- Trinidad and Tobago – Farmers from Four Roads Tamana Cocoa Association
- Trinidad and Tobago – Winthrop Harewood
18:35 – REGION 4 – AWARDS CENTRAL AMERICA & CARIBBEANS
- The BRONZE Awards
- The SILVER Awards
- The GOLD Awards – each presented by a member of the Jury
18:55 – A few words from our partner – Cacao Barry of the Barry Callebaut Group – Andrea Doucet Donida, Cacao Barry Global Brand Leader
19:00 – CLOSING CEREMONY
19:05 – Next steps from closing this 2021 Cocoa of Excellence Awards Edition, feedback reports to all participating producers and promotion of all Award winners.
- Juan Lucas Restrepo, Director General, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, Global Director of Partnership at the OneCGIAR
- Brigitte Laliberte, A. Director, Cocoa of Excellence, Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT
- Congratulations to all producers of excellence from this Editions, previous and to the future ones – see you all for the next Edition in 2023
19:15 – Closing of the Programme