Enjoying the discussion, I can tell you that in Ecuador there are some farmers and several Asociaciones- the word used for co-op- that are getting a premium for their beans, which is around $450-500 per ton. Of course this is based on quality, and post-harvest process. It would be great if the fine chocolate makers get into a buyers coop, but it is great too that at the other end of the chain, the farmers negotiate as a group and see themselves as business people.
There are some inspiring cases, and I prefer to be an optimist and believe that they will resist problems and live for many years. One is the Kallari Asociacion, in the Amazonian province of Napo-Ecuador. They are 850 families producing Nacional beans, with a centralized collection center where fermentation and drying is properly done. Their beans are used by top chocolate makers in Europe. And to add value to their crops, they have decided to make their own chocolate.
I know them for many years and these days I distribute Kallari chocolate in the UK, and I have witness huge changes and improvements in their community. Of course there has been external support from foreign aid, the Ecuadorian government, and NGOs, but they started from scratch. It is a process.
