21 March 2009

Shotlist Ref: RTV498909

RTV

ECUADOR: Cocoa farmers look to take on the world's top chocolate makers

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Clip Ref: RTV498909 46

Copyright: REUTERS

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Famed more for its bananas, giant tortoises and oil, Ecuador is lesser known as the country with the best cocoa beans in the world - the destination of choice for the world's top cocoa buyers.
Many of the world's finest gourmet and artisan chocolates and truffles come from Ecuadorian beans and as the world's top supplier of fine cocoa, it's now hoping to reposition itself as a world-class producer of gourmet chocolates.
Almost 60 per cent of the world's high grade "fine cocoa" is produced on farms surrounding the coastal city of Guayaquil - an output that makes it the world's capital of the sweet delicacy.
Recently, representatives from leading cocoa exporting countries gathered in Guayaquil with the aim of building a world headquarters there.
Referred to at times as simply the "national," or "aroma cocoa," fine cocoa is cultivated by roughly 85,000 peasant farmers in the country of some 14 million residents.

"We have to appreciate Mother Earth for being in an area where the natural conditions allow us to produce this product. Evidently, it's not just a result of more production, but of post-harvest treatment. You must be very careful, and be very dedicated to the process of fermentation and to the care of the grain," said Victor Orellana, the president of the Association of Fine Cocoa exporters.
In part because of the international financial crisis, leading fine cocoa producers felt it was time to formally organize an Association of Fine Cocoa Producing and Exporting Countries in an effort to maintain output levels seen in recent years.
In 2008 alone, Ecuador exported roughly 120,000 metric tons of fine cocoa products.
In addition to the 350,000 hectares devoted to the cultivation of the cocoa, the developing nation is now looking to take on the gourmet chocolate kings of Belgium, Switzerland and France by producing its own delights.

"We were attracted by the fact that we have what is considered to be the best cocoa in in the world and while we've been exporting cocoa for many years, we haven't produced top quality chocolates in Ecuador, so we saw there was an opportunity to do something in the country, and for the country," said Fausto Moncayo, the owner of the Quito-based Cacaoyere chocolate factory.
European consumers often place a high emphasis on "organic"
products. As small Ecuadorean producers rarely use pesticides and herbicides, producers are well placed to cash in on the "green" revolution.
Indeed, Germans have proven to be most devoted to the high grade cocoa, which often appears in bar form.
Ecuadorean chocolate makers hope that some day soon, their finished products will be as famous worldwide as their cocoa beans - while bringing a taste of the equator to chocoholics everywhere.

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Clip Ref: RTV498909 46

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In: 14:13:32:13

Out: 14:16:35:07

Copyright: REUTERS

Duration: 00:03:02

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JUJAN, ECUADOR (RECENT) (REUTERS)

VARIOUS OF FARMER HARVESTING COCOA PLANTS AND CUTTING COBS
VARIOUS FARMER PLACING COBS ON GROUNDS
FARMER OPENING COBS
VARIOUS OF FARMER SHOWING PLANTS
FIELD OF SMALL COCOA PLANTS
VARIOUS OF FARMERS PREPARING SMALL COCOA PLANTS FOR SEEDING

GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR (RECENT) (REUTERS)
CITY STREET
VARIOUS OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM "FINE COCOA" COUNTRIES ALL TOGETHER

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF THE ASSOCIATION OF FINE COCOA EXPORTERS, VICTOR ORELLANA, SAYING "We have to appreciate Mother Earth for being in an area where the natural conditions allow us to produce this product. Evidently, it's not just a result of more production, but of post-harvest treatment. You must be very careful, and be very dedicated to the process of fermentation and to the care of the grain."

VARIOUS OF REGIONAL AGRICULTURAL MINISTERS SIGNING AGREEMENTS OF UNDERSTANDING FOR FINE COCOA PRODUCING COUNTRIES

QUITO, ECUADOR (RECENT) (REUTERS)

MACHINE PROCESSING COCOA
VARIOUS OF COCOA PASSING THROUGH MACHINE AND FACTORY WORKERS SELECT COCOA
INTERIOR OF CHOCOLATE FACTORY

(SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) OWNER OF CACAOYERE CHOCOLATE FACTORY, FAUSTO MONCAYO, SAYING "We were attracted by the fact that we have what is considered to be the best cocoa in the world and while we've been exporting cocoa for many years, we haven't produced top quality chocolates in Ecuador, so we saw there was an opportunity to do something in the country, and for the country."

MACHINE PRODUCING CHOCOLATE
CHOCOLATE BARS FROM MACHINE
FACTORY WORKERS PACKING CHOCOLATES
GERMAN EXPERT SHOWING OFF CHOCOLATES

GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR (RECENT) (REUTERS)

WOMAN PACKING CHOCOLATE
MACHINE PREPARING CHOCOLATES
FACTORY WORKER SHOWING CHOCOLATE

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