Journey to ACOPAGRO and Connecting Communities with the Origin Bean Program
ACOPAGRO members bring Equal Exchange worker-owners and customers on a boat ride on the Amazon in Peru.
In 2019, Equal Exchange worked alongside ACOPAGRO cacao co-op of Peru to foster a delegation opportunity like no other. A blend of Equal Exchange worker-owners and customers traveled three hours from the nearest city by boat to learn about cacao farming in the Amazon basin and stayed with gracious hosts who opened their homes and lives to share in this experience. The hosts were all part of the Dos de Mayo committee of ACOPAGRO co-operative. Because of their remote location, they do not receive many visits from other members, co-operative staff or visitors so they were particularly excited about this opportunity. The brief time spent at the committee was full of mutual respect, appreciation, learning, and fun!
Out of this delegation came the idea to source cocoa beans for Equal Exchange’s chocolate chips directly from the two ACOPAGRO committees that had hosted our most recent delegations. In late 2019, in our annual negotiations with our Peruvian chocolate chip manufacturer and ACOPAGRO, ACOPAGRO export manager, Pamela Esquivel, suggested that instead of an aggregate lot of cocoa beans, which could come from any of their approximately 100 base committees, Equal Exchange could work out an agreement to source beans solely from the two communities that Equal Exchange and our sister cooperative, La Siembra, had personally visited with delegations: the committees of Dos de Mayo and Shepte. It was a brilliant idea that would prove to create even more transparency and further build upon our relationship. After working out the details, in late 2020, ACOPAGRO shipped its first lot of origin cocoa beans from Shepte and Dos de Mayo to be made into our chocolate chips. In 2021, Equal Exchange received our first chocolate chips made with a blend of the origin cocoa beans.
Above, left: Committee Dos de Mayo from ACOPAGRO and Equal Exchange worker-owners and customers on a 2019 delegation to Peru. Above, right: Dried cocoa beans at Dos de Mayo collection center.
Above: Presentation at 2022 Northwest Chocolate Festival, Seattle.
Interview with Pamela Esquivel
This past November in Seattle, I had the opportunity to present at the Northwest Chocolate Festival about the co-operative supply chain and model. We spoke alongside Pamela Esquivel, from ACOPAGRO, as well as Scott Owen, a representative from a Seattle based consumer co-operative. After our talk, Pamela and I sat down to reflect further upon our unique origin bean sourcing program.
Laura: What is so special about the origin bean program between Equal Exchange and ACOPAGRO?
Pamela: The unique aspect of the origin bean program is that it deals with distinct communities - Dos de Mayo and Shepte; communities that have worked on traceability of these beans that are going to be produced and sold only for Equal Exchange; and these sold beans receive an additional premium for quality, which is then used by the committee members according to their needs. It is precisely this work and the work with Equal Exchange that gives more motivation for the members. It is a good quality bean, with good [post harvest] processes that merits this additional premium.
In addition to offering enhanced transparency, origin beans also offer an origin premium to ACOPAGRO for the extra work involved to separate the lots. That premium is divided equally between Shepte and Dos de Mayo. The committees meet annually to vote on how they are going to use their origin premium.
In our interview, I asked Pamela how Shepte and Dos de Mayo have used their premiums for the last two years.
Pamela: These additional premiums have been used according to the needs of each community. For example, during the pandemic, they used the premiums to purchase basic necessities that were extremely expensive at that moment because there was not availability, there was a scarcity, including purchasing basic medicines. And now, we recently received a new premium that has been used by one committee to build a community center to serve the whole community and in the other community [the premium was used] to build a drying area to improve the drying process of their [cocoa] beans.
(L) In 2020 with the uncertainties of the pandemic, Equal Exchange advanced ACOPAGRO the origin bean premium to facilitate access to use on immediate needs. Dos de Mayo and Shepte decided to use their premium on COVID relief kits which included basic food and first aid items. Above left is Shepte receiving their kit. (R) In 2021, Shepte voted to use their premium on improving their committee’s collection center infrastructure. Dos de Mayo voted to use their premium on building a community center. Above right is a picture of the site where the proposed community center was built. Construction was recently completed.
Closer connections, stronger relationships
Katie Sharp of Equal Exchange planting with ACOPAGRO’s Candelaria Peña Villacorta.
Out of this origin bean program, Equal Exchange is in more regular communication with ACOPAGRO cooperative to work through the annual paperwork, discuss logistics and production timelines, and overall organizational check-ins. From my point of view, this regular communication has opened up more areas of collaboration between our two co-ops. I also feel a deep personal connection with the end chocolate chip product. I met many of the farmers of Dos de Mayo and Shepte personally, and I think of those farmers and their communities with each incoming chocolate chip shipment.
I asked Pamela what she thought about the relationship between Equal Exchange, La Siembra and Dos de Mayo and Shepte now that we are two years into this program.
Pamela: Well normally, we offer special beans that are a blend of all the communities of ACOPAGRO, but in this case, the communities [Dos de Mayo and Shepte] know that their beans are used only for Equal Exchange [and La Siembra] and the best piece is that they know their clients because Equal, you all, have gone to visit these communities. This motivates the farmer because they know who purchases their beans, what they are going to make out of their beans, and most importantly, they have this interpersonal relationship between the producer and the chocolate maker, or you all that purchase from them, so this has greatly improved in this respect. Even more, they are receiving these premiums directly, and know that they benefit directly and in the way that they want.
Above, top row: Ormindo Rios Nuñez showing visitors how to prepare and apply organic fungicide to diseased cacao pods. Bottom row: Laura Bechard's warm welcome (left) and planting coffee seedlings together (right).
Pamela is contrasting the way that these origin premiums are divided versus the way that standard fair trade and organic premiums are usually divided. While all beans in our chocolate chips are purchased under fair trade and organic terms, those premiums are decided upon by the entire co-operative. Therefore, oftentimes, those premiums are spent on the most needed high level projects such as maintaining the co-operative infrastructure, staff and other services that are essential to running the co-op. While these activities absolutely strengthen the entire cooperative business, some of these investments may not be felt at the local level year-to-year by all of the roughly 2,000 members. These small origin bean premiums give an annual amount that can be used locally and create a small-scale opportunity to exercise democracy at the community level.
When I asked if there was anything more she would like to say about the origin bean program, Pamela responded, “I believe that these kinds of programs unite the market with the producer and both become motivated. Se motivan ambos”
Semi-Sweet and Bittersweet Chocolate Chips
Great for your favorite recipes, adding to trail mix, or enjoying as a midday snack. Free of the 8 major allergens.
Written by Laura Bechard, Equal Exchange Chocolate Supply Chain Coordinator