Producers from different Integration Regions of Pará are represented at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris

The diversification of Pará's production, which is based on origin cocoa, is highlighted at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris, which opened last Tuesday (28) and runs until next Sunday (2). Among the members of the Pará delegation are eight producers from different Integration Regions (RI) of the State. The participation of the cocoa farmers is funded by the Pará Cocoa Support Fund (Funcacau), which is coordinated by the Secretariat of Agricultural Development and Fisheries (Sedap).

Cocoa producers Márcia Nóbrega and Robson Brogni are among the members of the Pará mission. She is from the municipality of São Francisco do Pará (RI do Guamá) and the producer is from Medicilândia (RI do Xingu). Both highlight the importance of the Pará delegation's participation in the event, considered the most important in the cocoa segment.

Robson Brogni emphasizes the opportunity to present to Europe and the world the products derived from Pará cocoa. “Even though we are in Paris, France, which is an important gateway to Europe, we find chocolatiers from all over the world. It is grand, it is the largest chocolate event on the planet, and we have the opportunity to showcase the quality of our products,” he emphasized.

For Brogni, it is essential to take advantage of the Pará participation at the salon to show that Pará, in addition to producing with quality, walks hand in hand with sustainability. “Cocoa is a very sustainable crop, which values family farming, the environment, and the world will increasingly need that. It is a great chance to show our potential and that Pará is definitely on the map of great producers of excellent cocoa,” he emphasizes.

Agroforestry - Businesswoman Márcia Nóbrega from Lábios de Mel Chocolates do Pará presents the diversification of her production from São Francisco do Pará, more precisely from an Agroforestry System (SAF) area. “It is an event that brings the whole world together around cocoa and chocolate. We are very pleased to be at this stand representing Pará and Brazil and São Francisco do Pará, which is the land where I produce cocoa – from planting to the final product,” she said.

It is through the chocolate being presented in the European country that the producer, as she emphasized, tells a bit of her story, the relationship she has with cocoa. In addition to the opportunity to showcase her products and explain to interested audiences how it is cultivated until it becomes chocolate, the businesswoman highlights the opportunity for exchange with well-known names in the segment worldwide.

This was the case with the visit made this Thursday (30) to the establishment of chocolatier Alain Ducasse in Paris, specialized in high-end chocolates. “It was a very inspiring visit. He motivates us to grow, to improve, and to always present the best of our product.”

The coordinator of the Pará Cocoa Production Chain Development Program (Procacau) at Sedap, Ivaldo Santana, said that the negotiation round held as the first part of the agenda planned for the Pará delegation, the visit to renowned enterprises worldwide, and the exhibition of products cultivated and manufactured in Pará are part of the actions coordinated by the State Government, through the secretariat with financial support from Funcacau.

“The main objective of these participations, of the internationalization of our cocoa, is to promote and present the superior quality of Pará's beans to buyers and investors from other countries. Today, Pará is recognized as one of the largest producers of sustainably cultivated cocoa. This is very good, as it shows that through cocoa we are helping to preserve the environment, in addition to opening doors for future business and partnerships,” he said.