National Confederation of Dominican Cocoa Producers (CONACADO) 

“In our country there was no tradition of fermenting cocoa. With Fairtrade income we were able to implement a fermentation program to improve the quality of our cocoa and to convert our production to certified organic. This improved our position in the export market. The Fair Trade market is a very important market for the survival of our associates.”

Isidoro de la Rosa, Executive Director of CONACADO

The Confederacion Nacional de Cacaocultores Dominicanos (CONACADO) represents some 9,500 small-scale growers, most of whom who farm less than three hectares. Founded in 1988, its aim is to sell cacao beans directly for export and to improve producers income and living conditions by reducing intermediaries and dependency. It also offers technical help to improve the production quality of the cocoa.

Cocoa accounts for 90 percent of CONACADO’s members cash income, so earning the Fair Trade premium makes a significant difference in the farmers’ lives. Most of CONACADO’s cocoa is certified organic and is grown under the shade canopy of fruit-producing trees that provide food security for the farmers.

Sales to the Fair Trade market have enabled CONACADO to set up a nursery that supplies low-cost plants to farmers so that they can grow most of their own food. Inspired by the success of CONACADO, some producers’ wives have formed associations and have started businesses making wine, liquor, jams, chocolates and organic fertilisers.

Being Part of the Co-op

CONACADO is a federation of nine ‘Unions’ of secondary level associations. Each association has between 20 and 80 farmer members. CONACADO provides a credit system to the unions, this pre-finance helps them buy the cocoa from the farmer associations. It also assists with transport and storage from farms to the CONACADO owned drying facilities.

The cocoa powder meets European agreed standards of fair trade. It is manufactured in Europe from cocoa beans that are purchased under International Fair Trade Cocoa register terms specifying a minimum floor price and pre-finance on the purchase contract from registered producers. These terms form the basis for Fairtrade Mark standards.

CONACADO provides its members with the following assistance: financial support, export assistance, rural infrastructure, health care, education and quality improvement.

This support can include anything from free medical assistance, interest free loans and access to credit, to scholarships and school materials for low income students.

Growing Cocoa Organically

About 5% of CONACADO production is certified organic (OKO/FVS). Farmers improve soil fertility using compost made from the discarded cacao pods. Disease and infestation are avoided by pruning and drainage, which regulates shade and water.

Ripe cacao pods are harvested and cracked open with machetes to begin the first stage of processing. Pods are heaped in piles to ferment for up to six days. This is a stage crucial to developing the right flavour during later manufacture into chocolate. The fermented cacao beans must be thoroughly dried before export.

What Type of Cocoa

The local Hispaniola variety meets European quality requirements.