Jan 28, 2026

On our anniversary trip, we were joined by customers and business partners as we visited the people whose daily work creates the foundations for a sustainable supply chain. We visited smallholder farming families on their plots, joined them for the harvest and observed each step of the subsequent processing.

Up close, it became clear just how much manual work, experience and care go into every stage. From opening the ripe cocoa pods, through to fermentation and drying – the path to an export-ready cocoa bean is long and demanding.

A key part of the programme was visiting the Fairtrade projects made possible by the premium payments to the FUNDOPO cooperative. These projects range from the promotion of agroforestry systems to community initiatives such as water supply solutions, through to training programmes for smallholder producers.

The initiatives pursue a range of goals, with a primary focus on sustainably improving the quality of life of smallholder families and ensuring stable yields over the long term. At the same time, the measures are intended to help improve cultivation methods, preserve biodiversity and enhance soil quality, with the aim of making farms more resilient to climate change.

During a guided tour of the project sites, participants gained hands-on insights into the cooperative’s work and the different stages of plant propagation.

In one of the smallholder cooperative’s two nurseries, Wilder Ñahui, Managing Director of FUNDOPO, demonstrated how a young cocoa tree is grafted.

Community FUNDOPO project: water reservoir for a small rural settlement, co-financed through Fairtrade premiums.

One of the most insightful moments for everyone involved was the chance to meet the smallholder families of the FUNDOPO cooperative in person. What started in 2000 with just 84 families has since grown into a thriving community of over 3’000 members – one that is built on trust and close collaboration over the years. These personal encounters provided an opportunity to talk openly about challenges, developments and shared goals.

Smallholder farmer Wilson took the participants of the trip on a tour of his plantation, explaining each step involved in cocoa bean cultivation.

The highlight of the trip was the anniversary celebration in Santo Domingo. Employees and international partners came together to look back on 25 years of partnership. Dominican music, regional cuisine and many personal conversations created a warm and convivial atmosphere.

Swiss Ambassador Rita Hämmerli also acknowledged the importance of having companies like YACAO on the ground: “Without the high-quality organic cocoa from the Dominican Republic, Swiss chocolate would not be what it is today. Its quality and success are founded on the knowledge and work of generations of dedicated people.”

At the grand anniversary celebration in Santo Domingo, employees and international business partners came together to celebrate 25 years of YACAO.

The celebration – and the entire trip – offered valuable insights into how close relationships and long-term collaboration contribute to a fair and transparent value chain.

Through our direct connections with long-standing partners, we create transparency and guarantee full traceability along the whole supply chain. PRONATEC has always been committed to long-term partnerships at the source. Our subsidiary YACAO has been supplying us with high-quality organic and fair trade cocoa from the Dominican Republic for 25 years. The YACAO team oversees the purchasing, fermentation, drying, quality control and export of the cocoa beans. This takes place in close collaboration with the smallholder organisation FUNDOPO, which was established in 2000. As a purchaser of the entire crop, we are a reliable partner for the affiliated smallholders, which number over 3’000.