UNOCACE, one of Conexión Chocolate’s cacao-producing partner cooperatives, earned the highest score in the 2026 Cacao of Excellence Ecuador competition. The recognition highlights the quality of its cacao, the work of its farming families, and the importance of cultivation, fermentation, drying, traceability, and technical expertise in preserving quality at origin.
A great achievement for Ecuadorian cacao and for everyone across the value chain working to protect its quality at origin.
UNOCACE, one of the cacao-producing cooperatives we work with, earned the highest score in the 2026 Cacao of Excellence Ecuador competition, a recognition that highlights the exceptional quality of its cacao and the ongoing work of the farming families who make up the organization.
For Conexión, this recognition is especially meaningful. Our relationships with cooperatives like UNOCACE are central to the way we understand chocolate: quality does not begin at the factory. It begins in the field, with the decisions made throughout cultivation, harvesting, fermentation, and drying.
UNOCACE brings together more than 3,682 farming families and has spent more than two decades building a model centered on quality, sustainability, fair trade, agroforestry, and stronger rural communities. Its work goes beyond improving cacao quality to also focus on the conditions in which cacao is grown, combining technical expertise, strong organization, and a long-term vision.
Working directly with organizations like UNOCACE allows us to stay closely connected to the source of our cacao and develop a deeper understanding of every lot that enters our production process. That relationship is essential to preserving distinct flavor profiles, maintaining traceability, and creating chocolates that express the unique characteristics of Ecuadorian cacao.
The recognition earned at Cacao de Excelencia 2026 reinforces something we see every day in our work: behind exceptional cacao is a network of people, knowledge, and carefully managed processes that deserve to be recognized and protected.
For us, sourcing from cooperatives with this level of commitment is about much more than selecting a raw material. It is part of an approach to chocolate making that keeps origin present at every stage and helps ensure that more value remains within the communities and the country where cacao is grown.
We congratulate the entire UNOCACE team and its farming families on this achievement. Their work continues to demonstrate the potential of Ecuadorian cacao when quality, expertise, and collaboration move forward together.
From the farm to the finished chocolate, excellence begins at origin.