ORGANIC AND FAIR TRADE COCOA BEANS WHOLESALE
PRONATEC has been established in the world of cocoa for about 30 years. As with good coffee or wine, when it comes to cocoa the raw material is paramount for the quality of the end product. Our cocoa beans for the food industry must be harvested at the right time and then be skilfully fermented and dried directly afterwards. The several-day fermentation process breaks down the bitter and astringent flavours and develops the delicate cocoa and fruity aromas.
Thanks to our many years of experience in the wholesale trade with organic cocoa beans and close relationship with our cocoa smallholders, we are able to guarantee the quality of the on-site processing operations and make direct improvements, for example, through training and targeted investments in fermentation and drying equipment.
Toll processing of cocoa beans (tolling)
Since 2022 we have been processing our organic cocoa beans at our own PRONATEC Swiss Cocoa Production factory in Switzerland. Here, at the world’s first exclusively organic cocoa processing plant, we produce premium quality “Made in Switzerland” cocoa mass, also called cocoa liquor, as well as cocoa butter, cocoa powder and cocoa nibs. We will also apply the same passion and expertise to processing our customer’s cocoa beans under contract (tolling services).
Our cocoa beans travel by container ship from the countries of origin to European sea ports. Until recently, that was where their journey by ship ended. The cocoa beans were then transported to their destination by rail or lorry. As of 2023, we have been able to improve the carbon footprint of our cocoa products by transporting most of our beans by rail or by ship or up the Rhine to Basel in Switzerland. From Basel, they travel just a short distance by lorry to our cocoa processing plant near Schaffhausen by the Rhine Falls.
Cocoa beans from sustainable agroforestry systems
No synthetic pesticides or artificial fertilisers are used during the cultivation of organic cocoa. This is guaranteed through regular controls and external laboratory analyses of the cocoa beans.
Most of the cocoa beans we buy are grown in forest-like mixed cultivation, also called agroforestry systems. That is good for the fertility of the soil, increases resilience to pests and climate change and encourages biodiversity.
Fair trade cocoa from small farmers
It is very important to us that the smallholder families receive a fair price for their cocoa beans. That’s why we are committed to fair trade.
We buy the vast majority of our cocoa beans at fair trade conditions. The price is significantly higher than for non-certified products. A minimum price agreed on a long-term basis ensures a guaranteed good level of income. The fair trade premiums not only offer farmers a valuable additional source of income, but also enable investments to be made in community projects in the areas of education and health as well as the improvement of agricultural infrastructure. The entire production chain is free from child labour.
In 2024, we paid out 2’111’370 US dollars in fair trade premiums together with our customers. Learn more about how your purchase of fair trade products makes a difference.
ORGANIC COCOA BEANS
Our organic and fair trade cocoa beans for the food industry come from the Dominican Republic, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Madagascar, Sierra Leone and Togo. All regions are characterised by small-scale, diversified agriculture with high levels of biodiversity.
Minimum order quantity: 1 Container (25mt) or on request.
COCOA BEANS DIRECTLY FROM SMALLHOLDERS
We believe in buying our organic and fair trade cocoa beans for the food industry directly from smallholder organisations wherever possible, eliminating the need for intermediaries.
Our customers in the food industry benefit from our close relationships in the regions of origin, as we are able to guarantee the traceability of the organic and fair trade cocoa beans from the smallholders through to production.
Your contact for wholesale of organic cocoa beans
