Peru and its cocoa: A sustainable export success

On October 1, “Cacao and Chocolate Day” was celebrated, a date on which this exquisite product from the Peruvian Amazon is celebrated. Currently, the country is the third largest exporter of organic cocoa in the world, ranking behind Mexico and Indonesia. Its main markets have been the Netherlands, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia, the United States, Italy, Spain, Germany, among others. Peru offers a wide genetic diversity of cocoa, such as Blanco cocoa from Piura, pure National cocoa from San Ignacio, Marañón cocoa from Jaén, Chuncho cocoa from Cusco, Montaña de Junín cocoa, among others. All of these with high commercial value in the international market. According to the Ministry of Agrarian Development and Irrigation (MIDAGRI), during 2022 more than 65 thousand tons of Peruvian cocoa beans were exported for a value of US$ 155 million, which meant a growth of 18% in volume and 8% in value with respect to what was exported in 2021. Likewise, the volume exported until September 2023 ...