Developing cocoa fermenting stations with SME sustainability prize

We have set ourselves the goal of regularly initiating new projects and targeting support for existing ones. With this in mind, we are using part of the sustainability prize we were awarded at the start of the year to support a cooperative in Madagascar.

The cocoa plant originated in South America. But Madagascar's Sambirano valley near Ambanja, with volcanic soil and a humid, tropical climate, provides ideal conditions for cultivating cocoa. Cocoa from Ambanja is known for its good mix of varieties and is valued worldwide for its unique flavour notes.
For some time, PRONATEC and its partner PREMIUM SPICES have been supporting a small cooperative in Ambanja. The cooperative consists of an association of 170 small farmers from 17 villages. Together they manage 263 hectares of cocoa plantations. The cooperative achieved organic certification in 2015 with the help of our local partners.

Some of the small farmers' 17 villages are a long way apart, which makes it impossible to ferment the cocoa beans together. The small farmers therefore ferment the cocoa individually, which causes variations in quality. In the next few months, we will set up six central fermentation stations in order to optimise this process. The stations are designed so that all the cooperative's farmers will have access to the fermentation centres and in future will be able to have their beans centrally and professionally fermented.

Our partner PREMIUM SPICES exports the cocoa and helps the cooperative with organic equipment, advance financing of the cocoa purchases, advice and financing for the organic and FLO Fair-trade certification and with laboratory testing of the cocoa beans when they are ready for sale.
PRONATEC has just received the first container of Madagascan cocoa. We are delighted that we are now able to offer our customers the finest Madagascan cocoa.