In an unique interview with Juan Fernando Valenzuela Arango, Director of Buying and Agricultural Growth operations administration at Colombia’s Compañía Nacional de Candies, he explains to ConfectioneryNews the significance of the classification for its B2B model, Cordillera Chocolate.
He begins by clarifying that the corporate’s beans are sourced from the Criollo and Trinitarian beans in Colombia in addition to Ecuador and Perú. “When tasting our chocolate, you’ll detect hints of aromas with particular notes corresponding to flowers, fruits, caramel, and walnuts bringing a singular flavour to Cordillera’s chocolate,” he says.
CN: What constitutes Cacao Fino de Aroma?
JFVA: Various elements can affect the classification of FFC (Nice Flavour Cocoa): The genetic origin of the planting materials, the flavour and chemical traits of the cocoa beans, and different high quality parameters just like the diploma of fermentations are amongst these elements. Nevertheless, no goal criterion defines FFC (ICCO, 2019), regardless of analysis efforts carried out to reply this query (Amores et al., 2007).
Proof that implies the necessity for the above data may be discovered whereas taking a look at two totally different methods that goal to advance the Colombian cocoa sector. Swisscontact, on the one hand, has thought-about the event of the Nice Flavour cocoa market because the cornerstone technique for reinforcing the earnings of cacao farmers (Swisscontact, 2017). However, USAID, USDA, Purdue, and CIAT beneficial “to maneuver with warning when encouraging farmers to put money into varieties that meet the nice and taste designation with out markets in place to promote at greater costs” (Abbot et al., 2017, p. 115).
Subsequently, a deeper understanding of the FFC market and its projected progress is required. This data is important for decision-making, specifically regarding country-level methods looking for cocoa sector improvement.
CN: How essential is the FCC accolade to the Colombian cocoa sector?
JFVA: The world cocoa market may be divided into two broad classes: Bulk Cocoa (BC) and Nice Flavour Cocoa/Cacao Fino de Aroma (FFC). The ICCO, via its Advert Hoc panel on nice flavour cocoa, determines which nations belong to every class. In 2023, the ICCO up to date the checklist of the nations which might be acknowledged as FFC producers. In complete, 15 nations made the talked about checklist; 12 of them, together with Colombia, are nations positioned in Latin America and the Caribbean, in distinction with bulk cocoa that’s produced primarily in Africa, with just a few exceptions, corresponding to within the case of Madagascar.
Underneath these circumstances, being recognised as an exporter of FFC turns into an essential distinction that solely a particular variety of nations obtain. For the Colombian cocoa sector, this recognition doesn´t solely imply that, due to the standard traits of FFC, its worth is normally greater than the majority cocoa. The accolade can also be related to the sector as a result of it empowers farmers to maintain producing a few of the finest cocoa beans on the planet, because it has been recognised in a number of awards on the prestigious Salon du Chocolat in Paris, for instance.
CN: How essential is the popularity to Chocolate Cordillera / Compañia Nacional de Candies?
JFVA: The popularity of Colombian and Latin American cocoa as one of many most interesting on the planet can also be a recognition of Cordillera Chocolate/ Compañia Nacional de Candies. Chocolate Cordillera is sustainable Latin American chocolate as a result of, behind our goodies, there’s the hassle and goals of 1000’s of cocoa-growing households, who, with their knowledge, get up each morning to take care and harvest thousands and thousands of cocoa bushes that produce FFC.
CN: What proportion of Compañia Nacional de Candies’ cocoa is classed as FCC?
JFVA: Round 80%, in keeping with the ICCO, regardless of the earlier feedback in regards to the challenges of such classification.
CN: Why ought to shoppers pay extra for Cacao Fino de Aroma as an alternative of cheaper chocolate?
JFVA: There are three fundamental causes that designate why shoppers ought to pay extra for FFC. Within the first place, as a result of FFC is, as I simply described, rarer than bulk cocoa. Second, due to its excellent high quality traits compared with the non-FFC one. And final, as a result of the varieties that produce FFC are usually much less productive, which implies that farmers want greater costs to compensate for the manufacturing hole. I´ll go additional on this final level with a concrete instance.
Within the cocoa sector, the choice of the varieties is a strategic decision-making course of that responds to a selected improvement technique. Plant breeders face a problem associated to unfavourable associations amongst key traits. In different phrases, it’s tough to get a range with glorious manufacturing and high quality traits.
The cultivar CCN-51 completely evocates this debate. CCN-51 is an Ecuadorian cacao cultivar that’s broadly distributed in Latin America as a result of it elevates manufacturing traits. Nevertheless, the cocoa beans produced by this cultivar should not thought-about as FFC by the ICCO. The truth is, the 2016 choice of the ICCO to scale back the share of Peruvian FFC from 90% to 75% is defined, partly, as a result of “The Panel acknowledged that many of the enlargement of cocoa plantations in Peru was executed utilizing CCN-51 cocoa bushes, which aren’t thought-about nice or flavour” (ICCO, 2017, p. 9).
Regardless of this earlier problem, we at Chocolate Cordillera / Compañia Nacional de Candies, are providing farmers new varieties that mix each elevated productivities and excellent taste attributes. After virtually 20 years of analysis, we turned the primary non-public firm in Colombia that registered two new cacao varieties (CNCH12 and CNCH13).
CN: Is demand for high-quality chocolate rising?
The ICCO mentioned latest rising demand for high-quality chocolate has given the nice flavour cocoa market a brand new lease of life, and nice flavour cocoa has a direct optimistic influence on the sustainability of the farming cocoa sector via considerably greater farmgate costs paid to the producer, which is one other good purpose to decide on FCC chocolate.
The attraction of South American cocoa from a purchaser’s perspective
Sophie Jewett, Managing Director of York Cocoa Home within the UK, sources most of her cocoa from South America, notably Colombia.
She mentioned: “The complexities of nice and fragrant cacao provide some implausible and engaging flavour profiles to discover and play inside the chocolate-making course of.
“Sharing these traits with our prospects it has been thrilling to see how enthusiastic the general public have been to know and join with the variety of cacao and chocolate. We are able to discover new tasting and pairing experiences sharing extra in regards to the terroir and genetic influences that play a job within the flavour profile and chocolate we make.”
