Collection: APAVA
Known in Spanish as the Asociación de Productores Agricultores de Villa Altagracia, APAVA was founded in 1987, and originally meant to bring together coffee farmers. However, the natural growth of quality cacao trees on its fertile land proved to be more valuable. Over time the group began shifting their focus to cacao, given the quality premium & increased export demand for organic cacao. As of 2010, the association of 420 farmers has shifted completely to cultivation of cacao across their 10 regional communities. For their part, APAVA maintains central processing facilities, where the farmers’ cacao ferments in traditional wooden boxes for 5-6 days, and then sun dries on covered wooden trays, keeping the whole process clean and consistent.
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