Interview with Dr. Eduard Baquero López
Executive President of the National Federation of Cocoa Growers of Colombia
Dr. Eduard Baquero López
Executive President of the National Federation of Cocoa Growers of Colombia
Dr. Eduard Baquero López is the Executive President of the National Federation of Cocoa Growers, since 2013.Agricultural Engineer from the University of Los Llanos in Villavicencio - Colombia. Specialist in International Cooperation and Project Management for Development from the Universidad Externado de Colombia.
During his tenure, significant progress has been made, such as the growth in production, which went from 46,739 tons in 2013 to 59,831 tons in 2023. Likewise, exports of cocoa beans and derivatives increased from USD $91,883,031 in 2013 to USD $128,659,778 in 2023.
Additionally, during this period, Colombia has won 4 of the 6 awards that have positioned the country with the best cocoa in the world, as well as the creation of the Imanen de la Cacaocultura Colombiana - María del Campo, the Chocoshow event and the Chocolate Federation Store.
Could you describe how Chocoshow has evolved since its first edition and what have been the main milestones along the way?
In the six versions we have had of Chocoshow, we have had the participation of more than 700 exhibitors when six years ago we had only 80. This is very important because the fair has given a great dynamic and recognition to new initiatives, entrepreneurship and formalization of companies using cocoa as raw material. The event has been attended by more than 100,000 visitors from the general public to learn about Colombia's cocoa-chocolate chain and make the producing families visible.
Given that Colombian cocoa has been recognized as the best in the world, how is this achievement reflected in the activities of Chocoshow?
Markets have been opened in more than 70 destinations around the world, both for beans and derivatives. This means that in Chocoshow there is a great dynamic of new ventures and business lines in different presentations, stories and origins, which seek to begin to meet the growing demand worldwide for our cocoa.
The sculpture of the classic Mini Cooper made with 260 kilos of chocolate is one of the main attractions. What message are you trying to convey?
The raw material cocoa is very versatile and allows the production of a wide range of food products, cosmetics, nutraceuticals, confectionery and also allows the production of large sculptures, for example, in the previous version was made a whale of 500 kilos of chocolate and this year the creativity of the chocolate sculptor led him to work on this vehicle, as a symbol of art and also very attractive to visitors.
What is the importance of the degruyado championship?
It is the visibility of the Colombian cocoa-growing families, their routines and tasks, among which the post-harvest process, which is done manually and where the family members, at great speed, shell the cocoa fruits, but also share their day-to-day experiences among all family members.
How are the Chocoshow activities selected?
The activities are selected based on the general interest of the different audiences to provide them with knowledge about different aspects of cocoa and chocolate.
What pedagogical strategies do you implement in Chocokids?
The first is a very simple and attractive language that links with physical elements made with chocolate the stories that are told to the children where, through small groups, they experience with their own hands the process of preparation of the products from planting to processing.
What criteria are used to select the cocoa presented and how do you ensure that regional diversity is represented in the cocoa tastings?
In the tastings, priority is given to products from different regional organizations that stand out for their quality, including cocoa from women's organizations, young people, and even children who, through the experience of cocoa, participate in the generational relay of the cocoa business.
What key issues will be addressed in the academic agenda?
Priority will be given to sustainability issues, since cocoa planted in agroforestry systems contributes to environmental restoration, biodiversity, greenhouse gas capture, rural stabilization, generating a decent income for peasant families, and it is also the number one crop for the substitution of illicit crops due to its high demand worldwide, which guarantees its market.
What aspects of Colombian cocoa culture are highlighted in Itzia?
The film has a purely inclusive approach, starring a disabled woman and an afro-descendant man, who show the entire cocoa-chocolate chain from planting to processing, highlighting that it is the first film produced in cocoa plantations and mainly with themes of cultivation, making visible the families who do this work in Colombia.
With the gallery and the sanctuary, what are you looking for?
To build cocoa culture, rescuing ancestral beliefs and customs by turning daily experiences into art and reflecting them in images that bring the producer's experience to life.
What are the strategies to facilitate interaction?
Academic and artistic spaces, business rounds, business tours, contests and surveys in which the different links in the chain meet with the visiting public.
What do alliances contribute?
The unification of policies, consensual investment destinations, institutional coordination that is sensitive to producers and their needs.
What are FEDECACAO's objectives with this event?
To promote and make cocoa visible at the national and international level so that the final consumer values its attributes, its quality and its people, highlighting its great contribution to social, economic and environmental sustainability.
The authors are responsible for the choice and presentation of the facts contained in this document and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of Tourism and Society Think Tank and do not commit the Organization, and should not be attributed to TSTT or its members.
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