PARTNER PROFILE

OrganisationYacao S.R.L. is a subsidiary of PRONATEC in the Dominican Republic, the company is managed by Beat Wiederkehr. Today the organization employs 80 permanent and up to 100 seasonal workers. Cocoa beans are collected daily from more than 2,000 Farms. The cocoa is procured in all major production areas of the country. It is received and being processed in our company owned “centros de producción” in Altamira, Navarrete, Yamasá, Medina and a third party instal-lation in El Seybo. Currently our main export facility is located in Medina, San Cristóbal province, 40 km northwest of the capital Santo Domingo, which is approximately 2 trucking hours form the port of Caucedo.

ProductsSince 1999 YACAO produces export ready Hispaniola and Sanchez cocoa. The cocoa beans are harvested fresh on the farms and then fermented, dried and selected in the company centers.

Due to our long-term commitment in the Dominican Republic, we are able to offer the following products:

Cocoa beans

Cocoa butter, cocoa mass and cocoa powder

Chocolate coatings

Chocolate bars

Organic Cocoa from the Dominican Republic

CERTIFICATES BioSuisse, EU 834/2007, NOP (USA), UTZ, Naturland, FLO Fairtrade

YACAO SRL

PRONATEC AGStegackerstrasse 6

CH-8409 WinterthurSWITZERLAND

Phone +41 (0)52 234 09 09 Fax +41 (0)52 234 09 19

info@pronatec.comwww.pronatec.com

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Our commitmentYACAO was founded in 1999 in the Yamasá region with Swiss capital to promote organic cocoa growing and to generate better income for farmers. In rural areas suffering from depopulation YACAO contributed to create attractive new jobs. Prior to YACAO‘s commitment many farmers could barely sell their cocoa beans at attractive prices.

The close collaboration with our main supplier FUNDOPO, allows YACAO to provide real fair trade ethics and pricing to their more than 2,300 members. We have grown together with this important Foundation of Organic Cocoa Producers from 84 families to more than 2,300 members. These 2,300 smallholder units are organized in 4 production regions and within these regions they are gathered into more than 80 small producer groups.

Today a growing number of cocoa farmers benefits from a long-term perspective:

• Purchasing the entire crop of the FUNDOPO members and paying a bonus price for organic and Fair trade quality

• Pre-financing the production and the harvest costs

• Financing the organic certification

• Providing training and advice on agricultural and social topics through a team of highly motivated agronomists

• Contributing to strengthen farmers organisations

• Providing high quality cocoa seedlings at cost price from YACAO’ s own clonal garden

Since 2000 FUNDOPO has grown from 84 families to more than 2000 members. They are organised in small farmer cooperatives in the main production areas. The foundation ensures that the Fairtrade premium is used according to the statute:

• 25 % are paid directly to the farmers to increase their income

• 75 % are used by the small farmer organisation FUNDOPO for the implementation of all projects activities and their coordination

In the last years FUNDOPO has invested the Fairtrade premium into the following projects:

• Renovation of cocoa trees in the farms• Introduction and distribution of new plant material

to the farmers• Community projects such as water supply (drilling

wells, road construction, construction of fords)• Strengthening the technical and management

capacities of the organisation