UGANDA, Semuliki Forest

bean source: Latitude Trade Company

Flavor profile: Chocolate Cake, CoconuT, ALLSPICE, FIG, CITRUS FRUIT & BROWN SUGAR

price paid in 2024: $11.50/KG

farmgate price: $3.34/KG

The cacao is produced by Latitude Trade Company, which is a social enterprise and certified B Corp that buys fresh cacao from over 4000 organic smallholder farmers with over 50% women-owned farms. Much of the cacao is sourced from the hills at the base of the Rwenzori mountains which tends to be cooler and mistier than most cacao origins and has unusually deep, rich soil. The cacao varieties grown are a diverse blend of amelonado, upper Amazon types, and Trinitario. Farmers are paid on the spot for fresh cacao with the farmgate price being substantially higher (~50%) than major producing countries such as Ivory Coast and Ghana. In addition to buying cacao from smallholder farmers, Latitude offers training on farm productivity, organic practices, and quality. Fresh cacao is transported to a central fermentation center near the town of Kasese where the cacao is fermented in boxes for 6-7 days and sun-dried. Dry cacao is hand-sorted and blended to ensure an exceptional sack-to-sack consistency.