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Cocoa from the Canary Islands arouses the interest of Spanish companies that make artisanal chocolates, as demonstrated by the 1st Meeting of producers and processors
He I Meeting between cocoa producers and processors has recently brought together research personnel in Tenerife, male and female farmers in the sector Canary Islands and representatives of fifteen companies from the Association for the Promotion of Artisan Roasted Bean to Bar Chocolate, who have shown their interest in the potential of the Canary Islands in relation to this crop with a view to producing the first commercial cocoa in Spain.
This technical meeting, organized within the framework of the research project that analyzes the current situation of coffee and cocoa crops in the Canary Islands and the initiatives undertaken in the transformation into associations of local producers, developed by the Canary Islands Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA) with funds from the Government of the Canary Islands, A forum for debate and transfer of scientific knowledge to professionals in the sector is established in which to explore the possibilities of this crop in the archipelago and its use as raw material in the production of artisanal chocolates..
The Minister of Agriculture, Cattle raising, Fisheries and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, inaugurated this day, that took place in the Finca Isamar, in Valle Guerra (Tenerife) and in which they participated, in addition, the president of the ICIA, Janira Gutierrez; the scientific director of the organization, María del Carmen Jaizme Vega, and the principal investigator of this project, Alfredo Reyes Betancort.
About the potential of cocoa in the Canary Islands, The person in charge of the area highlighted that “The climatic conditions of the Canary Islands allow the development of this crop in the archipelago, which can serve as an alternative income for our producers., both for its commercialization as a gourmet product and through initiatives linked to the growing agrotourism segment.”. “It is about offering more R&D&i tools to the sector so that it can develop its economic activity.”, added.
In addition, Jaizme indicated that “This project began with a study on the state of cocoa and coffee crops in the Canary Islands but will also allow us to diversify agriculture in the Canary Islands and at the same time promote biodiversity through an amalgamation of tropical crops.”.
For your part, Reyes explained that “The first fruits show that pollination occurs naturally in the Canary Islands and we are currently investigating pollinating insects to better understand this process and be able to promote it.”.
This project started in November 2023 con 25 cocoa plants and currently the ICIA monitors 578 copies distributed in 18 plantations (4 in La Palma, 2 In La Gomera, 2 In iron, 2 in Gran Canaria and 8 in Tenerife), to which different genetic analyzes and agronomic behavior studies are carried out to identify the tasks on the farm that improve their performance, as well as the qualities of each of the varieties, to enhance the most exquisite and exceptional.
After opening, The meeting began with the presentation 'Analysis of the current situation and evolution of cocoa cultivation in the Canary Islands. First results on flowering, fructification, fruit ripening and project development in 5 islands and challenges to face, by Alfonso Molera, collaborator in this ICIA project. In his speech he shared the preliminary results of the study and pointed out that it can be a profitable crop as a complement to others., mainly for small banana producers, as long as agreements are reached with processing companies focused on the production of high quality products.
In this sense, he alluded to Taiwan as a model of a chocolate-producing island territory that has consolidated a profitable industry based on high-quality products.. In addition, In the field of agrotourism there are some successful cases of promoting the cocoa sector through the sale of experiences and products to visitors., as is the case of the Caribbean island of Grenada.
Next, the president of the Bean to Bar association, Jaume Martorell, explained the functioning of the international cocoa market and the opportunities it can offer to small producers in the Canary Islands in his presentation titled 'Specifications of the artisanal chocolate production sector (Bean to Bar): Amount, prices and qualities of cocoa for artisanal and industrial use'.
Beyond the big food industries, Martorell referred to the opportunities of the Canary Islands in the fine and extra-fine chocolate segment, where organic production is valued, the traceability of the product and the organoleptic properties for a consumer who seeks unique and special flavors linked to specific territories or production processes. Along these lines, he insisted on the importance of promoting the Canary Islands brand to highlight the origin of the product, as is already the case., For example, in the case of banana.
After the two presentations, The debate was opened to all participants through a round table aimed at dialogue between cocoa producers and representatives of processing companies under the intermediation of research staff.. Posteriorly, Attendees visited the experimental plot of the Los Pajalillos farm, where the ICIA keeps a collection of different varieties of cocoa in its greenhouses with the purpose of having sufficient specimens in the field of research on the characteristics of this crop.
Finally, The meeting will conclude tomorrow with a chocolate tasting organized by the Bean to Bar collective in collaboration with the Los Realejos City Council, where professionals can taste the best chocolates in the country and learn about the work of the master artisan chocolatiers.