The Winners of the Cocoa of Excellence programme’s International Cocoa Awards (ICA) for 2017 were announced on October 30, 2017 in Paris at the Salon du Chocolat, the city’s annual five-day chocolate festival. The ICAs recognize the work of cocoa famers and celebrate the quality, flavour and diversity of cocoas according to their origin.
A total of 18 awards were given this year. The winners by region & country for 2017 are as follows:
Africa & the Indian Ocean: Ghana (Simon Marfo – associated with Cocoa Abrabopa Association, Madagascar (Mava Sa – Ferme D’Ottange), Sierra Leone (Sahr Bangura – associated with Kasiyatama), Tanzania (Kokoa Kamili Limited).
Asia, Pacific & Australia: Australia (Australian Chocolate Pty Ltd), Hawaii (Jeanne Bennett and Bruce Clements – Nine Fine Mynahs Estates), Hawaii (University of Hawaii), India (Regal Plantations, Malaysia (Teo Chun Hoon).
Central America & Caribbean: Dominica (Stewart Paris – Paris Family – associated with North East Cocoa Growers Cooperative), El Salvador (José Eduardo Zacapa Campos), Guatemala (Asociación Waxaquib Tzikin), Guatemala (Mariel Ponce – Kacaou), Martinique (Kora Bernabe & Elizabeth Pierre-Louis – associated with Valcaco – Association des Producteurs de Cacao de Martinique).
South America: Bolivia (Chocoleco), Brazil (Emir de Macedo Gomes Filho), Ecuador (Asociacion Quiroga), Peru (Cooperativa Agraria APPROCAP Ltda.).
Winners this year were selected from among 40 participating countries and 166 cocoa samples. The liquors of all the cocoa samples were analysed by a panel of experts. The top 50 samples were then processed into chocolate and presented to a jury of chocolate professionals and cocoa experts.
The International Cocoa Awards are held every two years. Cocoa of Excellence is a joint initiative of Bioversity International and Event International (organisers of the Salon du Chocolat). The programme aims to further mutual awareness and strengthen collaboration between producers and chocolate makers.
For more information, visit the Cocoa of Excellence website.
