It starts by selecting a farming community and committing to buy 100% of their cocoa beans at a premium price. We train farmers and work hand-in-hand with them to help them deliver wet beans of the highest quality. We also invest in local Post-Harvest Centers equipped with professional fermentation and drying equipment. There, the wet beans are fermented in an optimized process by well-trained master fermenters to deliver superior quality beans – and ultimately to enable our customers to produce chocolate of a great taste.
Belcolade offers Cacao-Trace farmers a Quality Premium to reward them for the high-quality wet beans they deliver. Cacao-Trace also ensures that farmers receive the Chocolate Bonus, which is 10 Eurocents collected for every kg of Cacao-Trace chocolate sold and is paid 100% back to farmers.
We are committed to making the lives of our Cacao-Trace farmers better by ensuring that their revenue increases. Together, the Quality Premium and the Chocolate Bonus result in 2-5 months of additional revenue for them.
We also improve the environment and living conditions of our farmers' communities. How? Building schools, providing school kits to kids and teachers, all to improve education. Building health centers and offering drinkable water equipment, to improve their health.