Cocoa from Ecuador

The relationship between Ecuador's smallholder farmers and the Swiss chocolate industry has a long history. However, the world of chocolate is entangled in countless problems. As a colonial legacy, this luxury good is grown in one part of the world and consumed in another under unjust power relations, while the farmers themselves often do not have enough food. At the same time, consumers often do not know where their chocolate comes from and under what conditions it was grown, shipped, and processed.

Once known as the ‘drink of the gods', cacao was brought from colonisers of Latin America to Europe. Even its scientific name ‘theobroma cacao’ translates into Food of the Gods. Today cocoa shapes part of monoculture landscapes in both South America and Africa. In Ecuador, cocoa stands as one of the country’s vital economic pillars. The country's microclimates and fertile soils, particularly in provinces like Guayas, Los Ríos, Manabí, Esmeraldas, Naranjal, and Tena, provide an ideal canvas for cacao cultivation. Provinces like Naranjal and Tena, with their distinct climates and ecosystems, contribute unique flavor profiles to Ecuador's diverse cocoa offerings. Smallholder farmers in these regions form the backbone of this industry, tending to cacao trees on family-owned plots of land. In the case of the Ecuadorian Amazon (i.e. Tena), a traditional way of growing cacao within its landscape of origin is practiced. In chakras, an indigenous way of growing food, cacao is grown amongst many other species. The widest grown cacao variety in this region is ‘National’, a species local to the Amazon and rich in flavour. Because of its high quality beans, Ecuador is home to some of the best cacao in the world, also known as ‘Fine Aroma’. In the 19th century, Ecuador was the world’s leading exporter of cacao. Through plant disease and global market restrictions, its production declined rapidly. With an international growing interest in Fine Aroma, more cacao is grown again and a variety of local species are preserved. Yet, the questions around a fair wage, good living conditions, and the good life of people involved in its production chain remain. Many small initiatives seek to cut out large retailers and offer better conditions to farmers. This could be a way forward to a more just chocolate production and consumption.

Ecuador's cocoa embodies the stories of smallholder farmers who work tirelessly to nurture their land and traditions. With every bite of Swiss chocolate made from Ecuadorian cocoa, consumers become part of a larger narrative that celebrates the power of agriculture, sustainability, and shared prosperity.