We visited CACAO TRACE cocoa producers in the Ivory Coast.

At the Lucifer Chocolate Factory, as a manufacturer of chocolate products, we are aware of our social responsibility. For many years, we have been using sustainably sourced chocolate, certified under the Cacao Trace label, which guarantees a particularly high standard for chocolate in ecological, economic, and social terms.

Cacao Trace is a sustainable cocoa sourcing program that focuses on better-tasting chocolate while creating added value for everyone, from farmer to consumer. It is a project that demonstrates how agriculture and environmental protection can be closely interconnected, even in the cultivation of raw materials like cocoa.

To understand the conditions in which vulnerable cocoa producers work and live, allowing us to enjoy chocolate flavors, we visited the Ivory Coast in early October, a country that accounts for about 40% of global cocoa production and is thus the largest cocoa producer in the world. We toured cocoa plantations and followed the entire process of producing this delicious fruit. We witnessed firsthand the hard physical labor that is mostly done manually.

Producers, or farmers, face numerous development challenges, but at the same time, they are gaining more confidence thanks to sustainable projects like Cacao Trace.

The project operates holistically, promoting change and having a truly positive impact on the cocoa producers themselves. Direct contact with producers, education, and providing the skills they need to manage their plantations enable cocoa cultivation to be a successful long-term activity. Support in implementing good practices for tree care, introducing biodiversity, and environmental protection leads to better results, improved quality and productivity of plantations, and consequently, higher incomes for farmers.

We visited centers where cocoa beans are collected, fermented, and dried. Fermentation is a crucial step in ensuring high-quality cocoa, and the management of this process is subject to strict quality guidelines. We confirmed this by tasting chocolates made using different fermentation methods. The very soil where the cacao tree grows significantly influences the taste of chocolate, while various processing and drying methods have an even greater impact. Quality chocolate can thus offer a whole range of complex and unexpected flavors, from earthy, spicy, and bitter, to even sour, as well as delicate, floral, fruity, sweet, and creamy.

The Cacao Trace project ensures consistent top-notch flavor for chocolate lovers, as well as a higher income for farmers. They add value to higher quality chocolate through a ‘chocolate bonus’: €0.10 per kilogram of sold chocolate is returned directly to cocoa producers.

We visited the local community in the village of Abdoulayekro, where large family groups manage the plantations. We saw how cocoa cultivation can play a positive role in agricultural communities, how supporting farmers also helps their families and children achieve sustainable livelihoods. We visited a school and a maternity hospital built under the Cacao Trace program and experienced the heartfelt enthusiasm of the locals firsthand.

It was a life-enriching and unforgettable experience that further solidified our belief that quality raw materials, produced sustainably and through a fair trade system, are the guiding principle and commitment of our company.