In October, Spain welcomed a new bean to bar chocolate and couverture project: Cacao Feliz (Happy Cacao).

Happy Chocolate, Happy Origin

Cacao Feliz is an initiative launched by Co&Coa, a Spanish non-profit association created to give back to children in cacao producing countries. Chocolate produced with cacao from São Tomé is now for sale to finance their very first project to improve school children’s nutrition and well being in origin.

Even though children in cacao producing countries are surrounded by cacao trees and their families often work on the farms or the post harvesting facilities, they rarely have the opportunity to consume chocolate. For their pilot phase, Co&Coa chose to work with São Tomé & Principe, an island nation with deep roots in the cacao history of Africa and part of the biggest cacao producing region of the world: West Africa.

Around 50% of the population of São Tomé lives below the poverty line. One third of the population has to survive on less than 2,90 USD per person per day. This represents a big risk to the health, development and well being of a population where 40% of the people are youth.

Through sales of their chocolate and couverture, Cacao Feliz will be funding the production of a healthy cacao drink to be distributed during a whole school year to 337 students at the Public School of Agua-Izé. Each day, each student will receive a 200 ml. cacao drink. The cacao recipe was developed by the very talented, involved and passionate pastry chef and cacao lover Pol Contreras.

Additionally, a nutritionist and a psychologist will collaborate with the project to measure the impact of the daily consumption of this cacao drink on the physical and mental well being of the students.

 

A Successful Story of Collaboration

Co&Coa reached out to different professionals and organizations to make this project a reality.

The Producer: CECAQ 11

CECAQ 11 is a cacao cooperative in the south of São Tomé which represents about 1135 farmer members, including 402 women farmers.

Throughout the years, farmers’ livelihoods have improved thanks to the benefits offered by the co-operative model: technical training, access to seedlings and grafts as well as investments in the community such as building a local kindergarden.

The children of some of these cacao farmers will be directly benefited by the initiative.

In cooperation with CECAQ11, 2 tons of cacao beans were selected to be used for chocolate production for this pilot project.

The Importer: Daarnhouwer & Co.

Daarnhouwer & Co. has worked with cacao producers in São Tomé for decades and with CECAQ 11 for many years. When we were approached by Daniel Acosta from Co&Coa to join forces, we accepted immediately! We are very excited to collaborate with this project and to contribute to improving the well being of the children of cacao producers we work with.

The Bean to Bar Chocolate Maker: Kankel

Kankel, and its owner, master chocolatier and National Gastronomy Award winner Juan Ángel Rodrigálvez, are responsible for the production The production of the bars and couverture drops.

Cacao Feliz is offered (in drops) in 1 kg bags to more than 800 restaurants associated with Euro-Toques Spain, through a collaboration agreement with the leading organisation of chefs in the country.

Cacao Feliz can also be bought as chocolate bars on the Kankel website.

100% of the profits from the sale of this first edition of Cacao Feliz will go towards funding the pilot project.

The purchase can be made on the Kankel website and is now available. Click here to see the products available from the Cacao Feliz project.