hello everyone

Although I have been to peru many times next spring will be the 1st time I am going to an area called Tarapoto which is just one of many areas exploding into the growing of cacao plants.

The cacao tree first originated in the amazon and many hundreds of years ago when the 1st Europeans came to the area, they took samples back to Europe and this is why they can be found in many different places throughout the world.

Recently many international agencies have been encouraging the farmers of Peru who were growing coca plants for the purpose of cocaine to convert to growing cacao. In the past decade exporting of chocolate has exploded in Peru. Recently I was watching a series on TV by Anthony Boudais, were he travelled into the interior specifically to find the cacao bean called the National, which they thought had disappeared over a century ago, but is making a strong comeback. Then inside of the pods is pure white.

I am hoping to find some of the farmers or coops located in the Tarapoto area when I go and I am hoping that if anyone has travelled to this particular they can give me some leads.

I see a strong future for Peruvian chocolate and I am hoping to be a part of this future in the exporting part of it to Canada.

sincerely Art

updated by @art-erben: 04/19/15 05:24:27