La versión en español de este blog está disponible aquí.
Lutheran World Relief, a Corus International organization, will join cocoa producers, exporters and development partners at the 2025 Chokao Trade Fair in Ecuador. This national event offers a timely opportunity to spotlight our ongoing work to strengthen cocoa value chains and support smallholder farmers, especially as momentum builds toward a national sustainability platform for the sector.
Carolina Aguilar, director of our Maximizing Opportunities in Coffee and Cacao in the Americas (MOCCA) project, will present our Cocoa Flavor Map developed through the project. The interactive tool highlights the unique sensory profiles of cocoa grown in different regions, helping farmers connect with specialty markets by showcasing flavor attributes like fruitiness, acidity and aroma.
Galo Quizanga, managing director for Latin America, will participate in a panel on international cooperation in the cocoa sector, sharing lessons on how cross-sector partnerships can strengthen coordination and create new opportunities for cocoa producers.
Smallholder farmers at the heart of Ecuador’s cocoa economy
Ecuador is the world’s third-largest cocoa producer, with nearly 90 percent of production grown by smallholder farmers working plots of three to five hectares. While the sector has shown consistent growth, farmers face ongoing challenges—low mechanization, limited access to credit, vulnerability to pests and disease, and increasing international pressure to meet traceability and sustainability standards.
For more than a decade, we’ve worked alongside cocoa producers, cooperatives and exporters across Latin America to strengthen production systems, improve post-harvest quality and expand access to markets.
In Ecuador, we’ve supported more than 8,400 cocoa producers with technical training and market linkage support. Nearly 3,000 farmers have also gained access to $10.3 million in financing.
Our efforts have also led to:
- The creation of 63 cocoa nurseries and 13 clonal gardens for improved planting material
- The development of the Ecuador Cocoa Catalog and Flavor Map to help differentiate quality
- Research and training on cadmium mitigation to meet European Union import thresholds
- The launch and scaling of Cacao Móvil, our mobile training platform that delivers extension support directly to producers’ phones
Advancing collective action through a sustainability platform
In 2023, we joined with national and international partners to support the development of a cocoa sustainability platform that brings together government, industry and civil society actors. With participation from ANECACAO, Fedexpor, the Ministry of Agriculture and partners such as GIZ and Conservation International, the platform is working to strengthen coordination, align on traceability standards and mobilize investment across the value chain.
We shared findings from our consultation process at the 2025 World Cocoa Foundation Partnership Meeting in Brazil, highlighting challenges that producers face in preparing for the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), as well as opportunities to scale innovation, formalize supply chains and elevate smallholder voices in national planning.
Looking ahead
We remain committed to building a sector that is resilient and ready to compete in international markets—supported by the leadership and innovation of Ecuador’s smallholder producers.
To connect with our team at Chokao or learn more about our work in Ecuador, contact Galo Quizanga, managing director of Latin America and the Caribbean.