Senator Cynthia Villar Invites French Chocolate Manufacturer Valrhona to Source Cacao from the Philippines, Visits Permaculture Farm

Mr. Matthieu Drobniak (first from left) gives Senator Cynthia Villar, Consul Rapunzel Acop and Ms. Diane Itao a tour of Valrhona's chocolate factory

04 July 2017 TAIN L’HERMITAGE, FRANCE – Senator Cynthia Villar, Chair of the Senate Committees on Agriculture and Food; Environment and Natural Resources; and Agrarian Reform, visited the headquarters of French chocolate manufacturer Valrhona in Tain l’Hermitage, France on 27 June 2017.

Senator Villar was given a tour of Valrhona’s chocolate factory showing the entire process of transforming cacao to finished product, the Cité du Chocolat, a museum built by Valrhona showcasing cacao’s sensorial qualities, and Ecole Valrhona, a school dedicated to training professional and gourmet pastry chefs on the use Valrhona products.

At the end of the visit, Senator Villar invited the Valrhona officials to visit the Philippines and to taste and see the country’s cacao.

Valrhona is the most prestigious chocolate manufacturer in France with a selective sourcing policy. It sources cacao from eighteen countries and is actively looking for other sources of cacao for its production of premium, gourmet chocolate. The Philippines hopes to be one of the future sources of Valrhona chocolate.

Aerial photo of the Ferme de la Bourdaisière courtesy of the farm

Senator Cynthia Villar also visited the Ferme de la Bourdaisière, a permaculture micro-farm, located in Montigny-sur-Loire, France, famous for its chateaux and wine.

Located on a 1.4-hectare plot behind the Chateau de la Bourdaisière, the farm uses sustainable farming practices, does not use pesticides nor chemical and synthetic fertilizers, a zero waste policy, low investment, low energy consumption and limits the use of machinery.

The farm is a reaction to the highly-industrialized type of agriculture in France which has caused a lot of suffering among the farmers. “Because of the use of pesticides, our waters are now polluted and the French State has to spend 60 million Euros a year to treat polluted water. This is the same amount that France makes in selling its agricultural produce,” said Ms. Marie-Astrid Bigo.

Senator Villar said that this type of farm could be adapted to the Philippines with farmers having small plots of land and little capital for investment in machinery. Senator Villar hopes to incorporate these principles in agricultural training in various farm schools in the Philippines.

Senator Villar is part of a Philippine parliamentary delegation currently on mission to France. END

For more information, visit www.parispe.dfa.gov.ph or https://www.facebook.com/officialphilembassyfrance