Ecuadorian Government Plan for the Competitive Improvement of Cacao and Chocolate

Within the framework of the National Agreement 2030 promoted by the Government of President Lenin Moreno, this May 8, 2019, the "Competitive Improvement Plan for Cocoa and Derivatives" was presented, which was worked on by the National Secretariat of Planning and Development, with the support of the European Union in Ecuador, jointly by the public and private sector: Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and the actors of the cocoa chain and chocolate. Government authorities and representatives of the cocoa sector participated in the event.

The meeting was led by the national secretary of Planning and Development, Juan Carlos Proaño Cordero, who highlighted the joint work carried out between the public and private sectors: "What we have as a result of this work is the Program of Competitive Improvement of Cocoa-Chocolate . From its implementation we hope to see results in an improvement in productivity, in the export of cocoa-chocolate, which will result in an improvement in the quality of life around the 120 thousand families that are working within this productive chain "

He added that within the Competitive Improvement Plan (PMC) it has been planned that, until the year 2030, 12,000 additional sources of employment will be generated: "This type of project seeks to ensure that development poles can continue to be generated, so that people do not have to migrate from the countryside to the city and can improve their living conditions in their own localities. "

Six representatives of exporters, industrialists, cocoa producers and chocolatiers participated in the event; all worked actively in the elaboration of the Competitive Improvement Plan. Francisco Miranda, president of Anecacao, said that the Ecuadorian cocoa export sector has been working with the Government, for some months, in the creation of a Competitive Improvement Plan. "We have grown in a very fast way in the last ten years, having a sale of 50 thousand MT to 315 thousand MT."

Our CEO, Arnaud Monmarche, thanked the National Government "for the initiative of this great alliance around cacao and chocolate" and assured that the country should become a producer of cacao with "added value".

Through an Executive Decree, the National Government will seek to elevate this Plan to public policy, with the objective of being implemented with a long-term vision, until the year 2030.