Peru celebrated cacao at the 15th Annual Cacao and Chocolate Fair 2024

This bean significantly contributes to the country's agricultural GDP and generates thousands of jobs in production areas.

Welcome, everyone! Cacao is one of Peru's key agricultural exports. From July 18 to 21, the Lima Convention Center hosted the 15th edition of the Cacao and Chocolate Fair. This popular event, which started in 2010, is a grand celebration of this cherished bean.

On July 19, the Commission for the Promotion of Peru for Exports and Tourism (PROMPERU) hosted the International Roundtable. The event saw participation from 24 Peruvian companies and 18 international buyers, resulting in 187 meetings. These meetings generated sales totaling USD 2.33 million for the next 12 months, with expected sales reaching USD 7.2 million.

In this 2024 edition, the event also featured the inaugural National Ice Cream and Pastry Contest, alongside the well-known activities such as the National Peruvian Chocolate Contest, the Latin American Cacao Contest, and the Sculpture Contest, among others.

A special delegation from Switzerland, one of the leading countries in the chocolate industry and boasting the highest per capita chocolate consumption in the world, was invited as a guest. The event featured over 200 exhibition and sales booths and attracted approximately 25,000 visitors, including technology suppliers, buyers, and delegations from the most influential entities in the sector.

Photograph: PROMPERU

MUST KNOW!

Peru is the 8th largest cacao producer in the world, with the main producing regions being San Martin (38 %), Junin (21 %), Ucayali (11 %), and Huanuco (10 %). Approximately 50,000 smallholder families in Peru benefit directly from fair trade in the country's cacao industry.

With a 12 % increase over the last three years, cacao exports reached USD 158 million in 2021 and USD 224 million by 2023, serving 45 markets worldwide. Over the past year, exports have been sent to regions including Malaysia, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Mexico, and Italy.

Regarding manufactured chocolate products, such as tablets and bars, exports grew by 70 %, increasing from USD 25 million in 2020 to USD 85 million in 2023.

Photograph: PROMPERU