A large Colombia cacao company and the governmental PR agency signed a partnership aimed at promoting high-quality Colombian grown cacao in international markets Wednesday.
CasaLuker, a food conglomerate in Colombia, teamed up with Marca Pais, the government organization aimed at promoting Colombia internationally, announced an agreement Wednesday to promote Colombian cacao as some of the best in the world. Cacao is the raw ingredient used to produce chocolate.
“The (cacao) producing regions of Colombia are geographically privileged to grow fine aroma cacao” said CasaLuker’s Manager of International Buisness Francisco Gomez.
One key plan to boost the export of cacao and cacao related products is to present the high-quality cacao at international food festivals, including France’s Europain, the world’s largest confectionary fair, reported Portofolio business news.
Other festivals that CasaLuker and Marca Pais plan to attend are in Canada, Russia and South Korea among others.
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela produce over 70% of the worlds high-quality cacao said a Colombia.co, a Colombian government website.
Colombian cacao exports about 25,000 tons of cacao a year, adding about $96 million to Colombia’s GDP per annum.
Cacao represents the third largest agricultural sector in Colombia following coffee and bananas.
The two organizations also stressed that by promoting Colombia’s cacao they will also be able to promote Colombia’s “mega-diversity and cultural richness” globally. This will increase tourism and investment said the government website.
CasaLuker represents 31% of Colombian cacao exports. The company has reportedly been researching cacao development and preservation for over 50 years.