In September, our Colombia team pulled off quite the feat, organizing the Festival del Cacao with the help of one of its financial partners! The Festival del Cacao brought together cocoa producers that SOCODEVI supports in the Putumayo region, one of four regions where the AGROEMPRENDE CACAO project operates in Colombia.
Over 170 attendees gathered to celebrate the incredible work of cocoa-growing families in the region. Attendees took part in panels, a cooking demonstration with a popular chef and other activities that let them learn more about products grown by SOCODEVI-backed cooperatives.
Also on the agenda were two competitions to see who had the highest quality cocoa and who knew the most about cocoa. The two winning growers walked away with the opportunity to attend the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, one of the largest cocoa industry events in the world.
Hats off to the organizing teams behind this amazing event! It shone a light on the work that goes into improving living conditions for members of the co-ops we support in Colombia.
Check out this video to learn more about the event (in Spanish).
The AGROEMPRENDE CACAO project is funded by Global Affairs Canada and several private companies.