Ecuador Nacional Arriba: fine, aromatic cocoa

Ecuador ranks fourth in the list of cocoa producers worldwide. The historic culture of Ecuadorian cocoa is demonstrated by the care taken over production with a classification of guaranteed quality. Cocoa from Ecuador is particularly fine and aromatic even though tit belongs to the Forastero variety. ICAM, with its long-standing commitment to safeguarding the sustainability of Ecuador’s ecosystem, has selected several plantations in the central part of the country which grow the typical Ecuador Nacional Arriba cocoa with its characteristic aromatic flavour.  Maquita Cushunchic Comercializamos como Hermanos (MCCH) and other cooperatives have been working alongside small cocoa farmers for over 20 years, with 22 cocoa harvesting centres scattered throughout the provinces of Esmeraldas, Manabi, Bolívar, Los Ríos, El Oro and Guayas, and accounting for 12% of national production.