Agostoni Partnership - Dominican Republic

WHY THE ERADICATOR IS THE BEST CHOICE FOR BED BUGS IN HOUSING & HOSPITALITY

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC Organic cocoa

Dominican Republic The cocoa Cocoa is one of the main crops grown by smallholder farmers in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to the high quality of its cocoa, the country is ranked among the top ten exporters in the world and tops the list for organically farmed cocoa.

The Challenge Towards the end of the 80s, during one of his many trips dedicated to researching new cocoa quality profiles, Angelo Agostoni (President of ICAM) realized that the quality of cocoa in the Dominican Republic was very poor in comparison to the country’s potential, due to the lack of knowledge on fermentation and cultivation. In particular, he noticed the small Conacado cooperative, which produced around 200-300 tonnes of poor-quality cocoa, and he sensed the potential for a collaboration.

ICAM took on the commitment of buying the entire crop of cocoa produced by the cooperative, respecting the market price, thus allowing cultivators to invest.

ICAM’s strategy The company worked side by side with the cooperative, and, over the years, transferred the necessary know-how in order to improve the quality of its products through the development and implementation of cocoa bean fermentation practices.

All this contributed to rapidly improving the yield and quality of the cocoa, as well as the standard of living for the small producers of the cooperative.

Thanks to ICAM’s involvement, the cocoa cultivation and fermentation in the Dominican Republic drastically improved, all while respecting the environmental, social and financial sustainability. Dr. Angelo Agostoni transferred his passion for organic cocoa directly to the farmers, building an all-round sustainable circuit from farmers to chocolate, raising the standards of the agricultural sector for the whole country.

The quality of the Dominican cocoa pods has improved to the point where they are ranked as one of the International Cocoa Organization (I.C.C.O)’s “Fine of Flavor” cocoas.

Sustainable cocoa

ICAM’s know-how, combined with the passion and the growth of the production culture of the local cultivators, was applied to the cultivation of organic cocoa.

Within a few years, the Dominican Republic became a leader in the production and exportation of organic cocoa, and ICAM played an integral role in this shift.

The Conacado cooperative, today FLOCert certified, can count more than 10,000 farmers among its members, and Conacado had become the largest producer of organic cocoa in the world, passing from 240 to 12/14,000 tonnes of quality organic cocoa.

The experience in the Dominican Republic shows how being sustainable in organic chocolate production, can represent a solid opportunity to contribute to the social and economic growth of the local farmers and, at the same time, support the protection of biodiversity and the environment.

Achievements The company takes care to improve education and infrastructures in the farming communities, as well as training for the farmers themselves. This approach allows ICAM to establish a direct contact with the cocoa farmers and to boost fair working conditions, as well as the quality of the cocoa grown on the plantations.

FINE FLAVOUR In 2007-2008 Dominican Republic cocoa was recognized as fine flavour quality by the I.C.C.O.

COOPERATIVES FORMED 10.000 Famers are now associated in agricultural cooperatives LAND 69,189 Acres (28,000 hectares) of land are dedicated to grow cocoa