Davao farmer’s cacao beans win int’l award in Paris

Mang Jose Saguban  (Image: Courtesy of Auro Chocolate)

Farmer Jose Saguban of Auro Chocolate was among 20 winners recognized at the International Cocoa Awards in Paris, France, on Oct. 30.

The International Cocoa Awards (ICA) is a prestigious global competition that recognizes the work of cocoa producers and the diversity of flavors around the world. Out of the 50 high-quality cocoa samples that enter the Cocoa of Excellence Programme, 20 receive the said award.

Auro works with local farming communities in Davao. One of its farming partners is Saguban, fondly known as Mang Jose, who traveled to Paris to receive the award.

Image: Courtesy of Auro Chocolate

Auro announced the win on its social media pages, crediting Saguban as part of its success. “When we found out he made it to the Top 50, we were already ecstatic so we decided to bring him to Paris to receive his award in person… Little did we know he would make it to the Top 20 best cacao beans in the world, we have no words!”

“Thank you to Mang Jose for his hard work, dedication and motivation to keep getting better!”

The International Cocoa Awards, now in its 10th year, was created and is run by Bioversity International and Event International. As per its website, it “is the only event in the world celebrating the work of producers and the full richness of cocoa.”

The awards ceremony took place at the Salon du Chocolat, an annual trade fair for the international chocolate industry, which is attended by hundreds of industry professionals and the world’s top chocolatiers.

This year, 223 samples were submitted from 55 cocoa-producing countries, according to a statement from the Cocoa of Excellence Programme. A technical committee conducts a blind sensory evaluation of the samples and selects the best 50. The top 20 samples receive the International Cocoa Award.  /ra

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