Specialty Coffee, Fine-Flavour Cacao and Cacao Derivatives (Peru)

This programme is a part of our integrated country programme for Peru. It covers two market sectors: specialty coffee; and fine-flavour cacao and cacao derivatives. Our main goal is to help exporters of these product groups to do more business in Europe.

European demand for specialty coffee, fine-flavour cacao and cacao derivatives is high. Many Peruvian companies in these segments have a lot of export potential. They need support and assistance in getting ready for the European market.

We want to help these producers add value to their products. For example, by investing in processing, certification or storytelling. Then we want to help them find good markets for these higher-value exports. This will give them more income and strengthen Peru’s economy.

In the cacao and derivatives segment, our focus is on high-quality products, such as ready-made chocolate or derivatives with special packaging and branding. In the specialty coffee segment, we are helping exporters to sell organic and fair trade coffees.

On top of coaching and training individual companies, we are also working to strengthen these two market sectors as a whole.

Project details

This programme began in 2015 and will end in 2018. In 2015 we selected participating companies. Then we invited them to Europe to receive export marketing training. They also visited European businesses and trade events.

The coffee companies visited World of Coffee in Dublin, organised by the Speciality Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE). The fine-flavour cacao and cacao derivatives companies visited Salon du Chocolat, a leading event for the chocolate industry.

The fine-flavour cacao and cacao derivatives companies have exhibited at Biofach in Germany, the world’s leading trade fair for organic food. In the upcoming years they will keep exhibiting in this fair.

Our experts also visit each company individually at their own location.

In the programme we are also dealing with sector-wide issues. For example:

• Setting up a promotion plan for so-called ‘fine-flavour cocoa’
• Tackling the image problem of Peru’s cocoa producers regarding alleged high cadmium levels in the soil
• Drawing up good quality standards for cocoa beans, powder and other derivatives
• Introducing Peruvian chocolate makers to sensorial evaluation, a scientific discipline used for evaluating food products on taste, smell, touch, texture and so on

Project participants and products

A total of 14 companies are taking part in this programme:

• 3 producers of cocoa
• 3 chocolate makers
• 8 coffee producers (green beans)

Meet the participants

• You can contact CBI to get in touch with these exporters.
• Another possibility is to meet these potential suppliers at one of the next big trade fairs we will attend with them in Europe. Contact CBI for further details.

Partners

CBI is working with several Peruvian government agencies and business support organisations in this programme:

• PromPeru, the government’s export promotion agency
• Adex, Peru’s exporters association
• Lima Chamber of Commerce
• Sierra Exportadora, an inter-governmental Peruvian development company Central Cafe y Cacao, a branch association APPCACAO, the association of Peruvian producers of cocoa.

Get involved as an importer

Are you a European importer interested in specialty coffee and cocoa and derivatives from Peru? If you are, you can contact CBI to find out more or to meet with potential suppliers who have been trained for export to Europe.

Get involved in this project