Davao City-Based Farmer Association Wins Silver Award in The Netherlands

Kelly Go receiving the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Silver Award on February 8, 2024 in the Hague, Netherlands. (the Hague PE photo)

THE HAGUE 12 February 2024 - Davao City-based Saloy Organic Farmers Association, the partner of Auro Chocolate, won the 2023 Cacao of Excellence Silver Award, the most prestigious global competition recognizing the work of cacao farmers since 2009. The awarding took place during the CHOCOA 2024 event in Amsterdam on Thursday, 08 February. 

Philippine Ambassador to The Netherlands J. Eduardo Malaya visited the Auro Chocolate’s booth and met Co-Founders and Managing Directors Kelly Go and Mark Ocampo who accepted the Award on behalf of Saloy Organic Farmers. “We commend Auro and the Saloy Farmers’ passion and dedication in making the Filipino-made chocolate recognized around the globe. Philippine chocolate has come of age and is now world class” Ambassador Malaya said. 

Out of 222 entries from 52 cocoa-originating countries, the Saloy Organic Farmers Association, led by Ms. Judith Gabasa, was earlier named by the Cacao of Excellence as one of the top 50 cacao producers in the world, and was awarded the Silver medal Thursday. The Saloy Farmers is the only association from the Philippines that was nominated in this year’s edition of Cacao of Excellence Award. 

Auro Chocolate has partnered with the Saloy Farmers since 2015, and has become part of its Chocolate Organic Conversion program since 2021. Through this partnership, the world class tree-to-bar chocolate has garnered recognition in Europe, promoting sustainability and organic farming, as well as infusing Filipino flavors, such as calamansi, roasted cashew, mocha crunch, and Don Papa rum, in their chocolate products. 

Auro Chocolate also works with seven other Philippine cacao-producing cooperatives and organizations composed of 65 individual farmers, thereby assisting 4,400+ families and cultivating 1,000 hectares of farms. 

CHOCOA is an annual marketplace for cocoa and chocolate for quality and sustainability, organized by The Company Behind Chocoa in cooperation with the Chocolate Festival Foundation. The 12th edition features the Trade Fair, European Markets Academy, Amsterdam Sustainable Cocoa Conference, and Chocolate Maker’s Forum, among others, hosting over 160 exhibitors and professional visitors (https://www.chocoa.nl/). For more information on the products of Auro Chocolate, please visit https://aurochocolate.com/. END

(Left to right) Mr. Mark Ocampo, Ms. Kelly Go, Philippine Ambassador Eduardo J. Malaya and Commercial Counsellor Magnolia Misolas-Ashley (the Hague PE photo)

Employees of Saloy Organic Farmers with Judith Gabasa (center, front) during the CHOCOA 2024 event in Amsterdam. (the Hague PE photo)

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