Guatemala
CV ACOPIO
Highly scalable sourcing from certified organic family farms across the remote mountainous jungle region of Alta Verapaz.
2023 Data - Product
Quality: Ultra Premium
Flavor: Chocolate ganache, passionfruit & black pepper
Fermentations Style: Box
Drying Style: Solar Dryers
Quality Practices: Temperature monitoring during fermentation, specific protocols for flavor & cut tests during fermentation
Hand Sorting: Yes
Certifications: Organic
2023 Data - Planet
Crops that are used for intercropping: Plantains, banana, madre cacao & chile
Environmental practices: Organic certification requires environmentally responsible practices
Organic hectares cultivated: 126
Average percent of shade of cacao farms: 35%
Percentage of power from solar: 100%
Distance of producer to facility (km): 12
Distance to port (km): 475
Ocean freight CO2kgs per MT (US): 49
Ocean Freight CO2kgs per MT (EU): 137
2023 Data - People
Community-focused initiatives: Training programs in partnership with MOCCA and Rikoloto
Trainings conducted: Farm productivity, ecological practices & cacao quality
Producers purchased from: 145
Female producers: 25
Producers under 35 y/o: 30
Organic producers: 145
Total # of producers trained: 145
Total # of female producers trained: 18
Total # of producers under 35y/o trained: 35
Full time employees: 7
Part time employees: 7
Full time female employees: 2
Part time female employees: 3
Average farm size (ha): 0.9
Average sales per producer (dry kg): 67.11
Average annual cacao revenue per producer: $181.81
The Cacao Verapaz post-harvest center, the “Acopio,” was built in 2022 in the municipality of Cahabón, Alta Verapaz.
The communities where our operation mainly intervenes are Santa Monica, Pinares, Sacta, Chaslaw, Santo Domingo, Santa María Rubeltzul, Seabas, among others and is known for being one of the largest cacao producers nationwide. We currently work with 309 producers who were certified organic under the European Ecological Standard and the USDA NOP Standard. Our collection center has a production capacity of 6 tons of fresh cocoa per week, carrying out the fermentation in San Juan wooden crates (typical of the region) and solar dryers with raised tables. The objective of this collection center is to cover areas and communities that have traditionally produced and marketed individually without efficient post-harvest handling (unfermented cocoa beans). Since these families are not part of local associations, the producers have historically sold washed or semi-fermented and dried cacao to intermediaries at local market prices.
TERROIR
The climatic conditions in the area are driven by a wide variation in altitude, ranging from 100 to 800 meters above sea level, and average annual rainfall of 2800 mm and average annual temperature of 32°. The genetics that predominate in the region are a combination of clones selected over 4 decades ago for large bean size, including UF-667, and have adapted over time to thrive in the unique conditions of the region. The harvest usually takes place from January to July of each year, although climate change has caused some variability and in some cases extension of the harvest period.
The Cacao Verapaz post-harvest center, the “Acopio,” was built in 2022 in the municipality of Cahabón, Alta Verapaz.
The communities where our operation mainly intervenes are Santa Monica, Pinares, Sacta, Chaslaw, Santo Domingo, Santa María Rubeltzul, Seabas, among others and is known for being one of the largest cacao producers nationwide. We currently work with 309 producers who were certified organic under the European Ecological Standard and the USDA NOP Standard. Our collection center has a production capacity of 6 tons of fresh cocoa per week, carrying out the fermentation in San Juan wooden crates (typical of the region) and solar dryers with raised tables. The objective of this collection center is to cover areas and communities that have traditionally produced and marketed individually without efficient post-harvest handling (unfermented cocoa beans). Since these families are not part of local associations, the producers have historically sold washed or semi-fermented and dried cacao to intermediaries at local market prices.
TERROIR
The climatic conditions in the area are driven by a wide variation in altitude, ranging from 100 to 800 meters above sea level, and average annual rainfall of 2800 mm and average annual temperature of 32°. The genetics that predominate in the region are a combination of clones selected over 4 decades ago for large bean size, including UF-667, and have adapted over time to thrive in the unique conditions of the region. The harvest usually takes place from January to July of each year, although climate change has caused some variability and in some cases extension of the harvest period.
2023 CV Acopio Farmgate price
$2.71 USD
This is the actual price paid to the cacao producer for their product (typically on a per kg or per lb basis) when they sell it to the first buyer.
Farmgate price is often paid for "wet" or fresh cacao, recently harvested and scooped out of cracked pods for sale. Wet cacao loses 60-70% of its weight during fermentation and drying, typically reaching 7-8% humidity before it is sold.
Uncommon calculates farmgate price for each cacao supplier based on the specific weight loss conversion percentage provided to us by the supplier, and we report farmgate price on a per kg dried equivalent basis for all cacao beans we source.
Pictured are Esteban and Gerardo from the Cacao Verapaz team on a buying day.
2023 CV Acopio FOB price
$4.70 USD
This is the price paid by Uncommon to our partners for cacao transported and loaded onto a ship for export.
Uncommon then covers all of the costs of shipping, freight charges, insurance, import, domestic logistics, warehouse ingestion, customs and duties.
Free on board (FOB) is an international shipping term that represents the seller's responsibility for bringing the cacao over the rails of the export ship.
2023 CV Acopio Average sales price
$7.18 USD
This is the weighted average price per kg for cacao sold to the premium & ultra premium chocolate makers who purchased it during this year from Uncommon Cacao.
Pictured to the left is Nikte from the Cacao Verapaz team evaluating cacao.
Notable Awards
2024 Cacao of Excellence Top 50
Lorenzo Cal of Cacao Verapaz
Flavor Profile
Passionfruit, Chocolate Ganache, & Black Pepper
We believe that the difference between traceability and transparency is published and verifiable data for each and every step in our supply chain.
