Peru Cacao Alliance Phase II Quarterly Progress Report: Year 3 (October - December 2018)

A total of 31 buyers, including 13 international and 18 domestic companies, have been facilitated to purchase cacao from PCA members. These buyers include companies such as UCAM, PRONATEC AG, and Compañía Nacional de Chocolate. The alliance has also established purchase agreements with these buyers, with a projected volume of 14,400 metric tons of cacao to be offered by PCA members during the 2019 campaign. The alliance has implemented various interventions to improve the quality of cacao produced by its members. The training programs have focused on sustainable agriculture techniques, with over 2,500 farmers receiving training in the first year. The alliance has also conducted research on cadmium levels in cacao, with a focus on mitigation strategies. A project involving 5 regions and 8 types of soil treatments is underway, with participating organizations including Bioversity, PCA, and APPCACAO. The project aims to establish a unified work plan and define a set of measures for evaluating cadmium remediation. In addition, the alliance has supported supply chain managers and buyers in the development and promotion of differentiated cacao products. Cacao quality trainings have been held in various regions, with a focus on post-harvest protocols and proper validation, testing, and defining cacao profiles. The trainings have been attended by PCA members, with a total of 4 workshops developed to ensure compliance with post-harvest protocols. The alliance has also focused on improving the flavor profiles of cacao produced by its members. Sensory analysis has been conducted on samples from various regions, with a focus on identifying flavor profiles and providing recommendations for improvement. The analysis has shown that certain samples have high levels of bitterness, while others have balanced flavors and are considered high-quality. In the San Martín region, quality training has been provided to farmers, with a focus on improving the quality of cacao produced. The training has included certification from Sence and APPCACAO, with a focus on post-harvest protocols and proper validation, testing, and defining cacao profiles. The training has been attended by farmers from various regions, with a focus on improving the quality of cacao produced. The alliance has also focused on promoting cacao and chocolate in various regions. Local events have been held, including Chocolatea and Expo T, with a focus on promoting cacao and chocolate products. The events have been attended by farmers, buyers, and buyers' representatives, with a focus on promoting cacao and chocolate products. The alliance has also focused on improving the post-harvest processes of cacao produced by its members. Local visits have been conducted with farmers to improve post-harvest processes on their plots and centralized aggregation sites. The visits have been attended by farmers, buyers, and buyers' representatives, with a focus on improving post-harvest processes and promoting cacao quality.