Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Global warming isn't all bad, affirmed the CEPICAFE, an organization that represents over 6,000 coffee, cocoa, and organic sugar producers from Peru's northern regions.

According to the association, which represents farmers from regions such as Piura, Tumbes, Cajamarca and Amazonas, there are many opportunities that have presented themselves now that consumers are more concerned about where their products are grown and how this affects the environment.

Because of the importance many foreign countries place on the environment and how products are produced, the organization has joined with a Dutch importation company and will focus on selling environmentally friendly chocolates.

The new alliance is to start selling on the West coast of the United States, said Santiago Paz, a manager for CEPICAFE, explaining that the focus was to provide a quality product and increase the added value to benefit the area where the products were produced.

The company's mission is to convince consumers to pay more not just for a quality chocolate but to improve the environment where the product is produced.

For example, in an effort to reduce global warming, CEPICAFE will plant a cocoa tree for every bar of chocolate that is sold.

CEPICAFE has affirmed that it has the highest quality cocoa in the world to attract exclusive customers willing to pay an extra price for fine chocolate and environmental conservation.

The new business has already had its criollo beans, also known as "porcelain cocoa" because of the white pulp it contains, valued at almost double the market price.

This has broken records for the price of cocoa in Peru.

This type of cocoa tree, which is being grown in northern Peru as well as other parts of the world, makes up less than 4 percent of the worldwide production.

The type of cocoa produced with the beans has been described as fine and highly aromatic with a gentle taste that is not too bitter and long-lasting in taste.