“Quality Guide of Pará Cocoa” encourages strengthening the fruit chain in the State
Currently, Pará is the largest cocoa producer in Brazil and has the highest productivity in the world, surpassing even historically leading countries in global production.
In order to strengthen the competitiveness of cocoa produced in Pará and open new opportunities for producers, cooperatives, and industries, the Center for the Valorization of Bioactive Compounds of the Amazon (CVACBA), a laboratory at the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), within the Guamá Science and Technology Park (PCT), an initiative of the State Government, launched this August the “Quality Guide of Pará Cocoa.”
“Since 2009, the Center has been conducting research on Amazonian cocoa, covering all stages of the production chain: from harvesting the fruits to processing, developing new products, and utilizing waste. The central focus of this research, which is also the guideline of the new Guide, is to preserve the bioactive compounds of cocoa and enhance their health benefits for consumers, as well as promote the valorization of local production and expand market opportunities,” explains Professor Jesus Silva, coordinator of CVACBA.
GUIDE
The material provides guidance on the ideal time for harvesting, transporting fresh beans, appropriate fermentation and drying methods, as well as correct storage techniques. It also includes official classification criteria, explaining how to identify defects, assess sensory characteristics, and understand how these factors influence the price paid to the producer. In addition to post-harvest stages, the guide also emphasizes the importance of proper management in the field, pest and disease control, traceability, and the use of technologies that allow for standardization and maintenance of bean quality.
Doctor in Biotechnology and Researcher at CVACBA, Giulia Lima, explains that the Guide integrates a theoretical part about the factors that influence the quality of cocoa beans and practical results obtained from commercial samples from the State, with physical and physicochemical parameters.
“This information allows buyers to identify characteristics of interest: well-fermented beans, for example, are ideal for the production of fine chocolates, while those with high fat content can be directed to the cocoa butter industry. By highlighting the diversity of profiles existing within Pará itself, the guide expands market opportunities and strengthens the international competitiveness of Pará cocoa,” emphasizes the researcher.
PRODUCTION
Currently, Pará is the largest cocoa producer in Brazil and has the highest productivity in the world, surpassing even historically leading countries in global production. Furthermore, the cocoa cultivated in Pará encompasses a wide genetic diversity, resulting in differentiated beans with unique sensory profiles, featuring aromas and flavors that stand out on the international stage.
As a native plant of the Amazon, the researcher points out that cocoa finds in Pará ideal natural conditions of climate and soil for its cultivation. Pará is the only place in the world that produces floodplain cocoa, and the diversity of species that coexist with the cocoa tree directly influences the profile of the beans.
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION
With a central role in the valorization of Amazonian cocoa, technological innovation allows for both the complete utilization of the raw material and the differentiation of products in the market. Professor Jesus Silva emphasizes that scientific knowledge ensures greater competitiveness for Pará cocoa; stimulates the development of new functional products, valuing Amazonian biodiversity; increases income and opens opportunities, especially for family farmers and cooperatives.
“At CVACBA, applied research seeks to develop and adapt modern methodologies to evaluate and preserve the bioactive compounds present in cocoa beans and by-products, expanding their applications in functional and premium foods, beverages, and chocolates. This process ensures greater quality, traceability, and uniqueness for Pará cocoa. Technological innovation becomes a vector for sustainable regional economic development,” concludes Jesus Silva.
