31 August 2023
Putumayo Cocoa Producers to Attend the Paris Chocolate Show
- More than 400 families have benefited from the Agroemprende cocoa Project an initiative working to develop a thriving cocoa industry in Putumayo.
- Since 2018 the regional product quality has increased substantially, and yearly sales have increased by over 30 times.
- The project will send two local producers to Paris this November to attend the Paris Chocolate Show and showcase their product to potential new international markets.
Puerto Asís, Wednesday August 30th, 2023. Gran Tierra Energy is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s Agroemprende cocoa project competition, which will send two local Putumayo cocoa producers to Paris this November. The winners will attend the Paris Chocolate Show to showcase their products and meet with the biggest cocoa buyers worldwide to secure new potential market opportunities.
The Agroemprende cocoa (Agroemprende) project started in April 2018 and is a unique regional initiative undertaken in the Putumayo department in partnership with Gran Tierra Energy, the Canadian Government and is implemented by the International Development Cooperation Society (SOCODEVI). Putumayo produces a particularly fine grade of Cocoa (the seeds from which chocolate is made), which is in short supply in world markets. As a result, the cocoa industry was identified as a significant social and economic opportunity because it offers a good crop option to hundreds of farmers in the region. Agroemprende is working to improve the economic and living conditions of rural families through the production and promotion of cocoa, including through the expansion of the regional cocoa market chain. GTE has committed over USD$5 million through 2025 to the initiative which supports Cocoa-growing family enterprises with equipment, seedlings, materials and training.
“After working hard over the last five years we are starting to see the cocoa industry take hold in the region and it is really exciting. For example, since 2018 the regional product quality has increased substantially, and yearly sales have increased by over 30 times,” said Diego Perez-Claramunt, Gran Tierra Energy´s VP, HSE and Corporate Responsibility during the announcement. This increase in sales is a direct result of the work being undertaken through a number of projects like Agroemprende, the Regional Cocoa Committee, the cocoa laboratory, and road enhancements for mobility of produce, all of which are giving local producers the support and tools they need to improve the quality of their cocoa and the ability to implement efficient processes to increase the volume of their crops.
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www.grantierra.com/es