What Is Nacional Cacao, Why It’s in Danger and How We Can Save It from Extinction
Ecuador is among the TOP 5 biggest producers of cacao in the world and the largest in Latin America after Brazil. Not only this, but the official first domestication of cacao was recently traced all the way back to Ecuador more than 5000 years ago and attributed to the members of the Mayo Chinchipe culture.
When cocoa buyers, chocolate makers and consumers read Ecuador as a place of cacao origin, they have high expectations in terms of quality and flavor. However, this millennial reputation is now in danger: the most flavorful cacao variety in Ecuador called Nacional (or Arriba, or Arriba Nacional) is rapidly disappearing.
Nacional cacao pod in Manabì, Ecuador
Martinetti Cocoa is a third-generation family business that collects and distributes Arriba Nacional cacao from small farmers in Los Rìos to specialty chocolate makers all over the world. It is one of the Ecuadorian companies fighting for the preservation of Nacional cacao and worried about the loss of such unique fine-flavor variety. General Manager Jonathan Martinetti will help us understand how the situation is right now in Ecuador and what can be done to protect and promote this endangered cacao variety. But first, let’s start from the basics.
What is Nacional cacao?
Nacional cacao is considered a Criollo strain indigenous to Ecuador, belonging to that same genetic lineage found in artefacts, potteries and ceramics from 5000 years ago. Called “Pepitas de Oro”, its pods are usually of a bright yellow color with deep wrinkles that show the Criollo descendance. They can come in different shapes and sizes, but are typically quite elongated.
Like any other cacao variety, also Nacional cacao takes on slightly different tasting notes depending on the terroir where it is cultivated, from the Guayas River to the Manabí rainforest. Generally, the typical aromas of Nacional cacao are floral and herbal with hints of tropical fruits, making it the best raw material for specialty chocolate with a complex aromatic profile.
As a native cacao variety, Nacional cacao wasn’t engineered for optimal productivity and strong growth like the latest cacao hybrids on the market. It showcases the characteristics of an ancient cacao variety: delicate, rare and susceptible, therefore requiring knowledge, skills and thoughtfulness to make it grow at its full potential.
Nacional cacao tree in Manabì, Ecuador
If Nacional cacao was once a reason of pride for Ecuadorians, nowadays this variety represents only a tiny percentage of the cacao output of the country.
Why is Cacao Nacional Disappearing?
To understand why there is so little Nacional cacao left in Ecuador, we need to go back to the years around 1920.
While Ecuador was at its peak in popularity and all cacao cultivated in the country was 100% pure Nacional, the two most devastating diseases for cacao trees suddenly appeared in the country: frosty pod and witches’ broom. In less than a decade, Ecuadorian production was halved.
To suffice the lost trees, foreign varieties were introduced to the country. Through crossbreeding, disease-resistant hybrids (like the famous CCN-51) were developed in response to the national cacao crisis. These new hybrids were strong, grew easily, faster, required less hustle and produced bigger quantities. In a short span of time, cacao farmers replaced most of the Nacional cacao trees with CCN-51 and other modern hybrids.
These new cacao varieties are still grown in Ecuador and their popularity among cacao farmers is only increasing. However, these hybrids are great for productivity, but not so much for fine flavor.
“While still showcasing the flavor precursors of chocolate, they are far from the flavor complexity of the Nacional variety.” explains Jonathan. “Even with curated fermentation and innovative drying protocols, hybrids like CCN-51 cacao still don’t come close to the bouquet of floral, herbal and fruity notes that Nacional cacao can deliver. However, their average taste is more than acceptable for large cocoa processors and chocolate manufacturers worldwide.”
In fact, another reason why Nacional cacao is succumbing to high-productive hybrids is that international buyers make no distinction between the two.
Why growing Nacional cacao if chocolate manufacturers aren’t willing to pay the price for it?
Industrial chocolate manufacturers, which represent 95% of the industry, are not in need of fine-flavor cacao and are unwilling to pay a higher price than the current market price. Therefore, Ecuadorian cacao farmers are more prone to grow the new hybrids (strong, productive, disease-resistant, easy to maintain) instead of the delicate and less fruitful Nacional cacao.
It should also be noted that chemical fertilizers were introduced to Ecuador around 40 years ago.
“The continuous use of these chemicals depleted the Ecuadorian soil overtime, leaving farmers struggling to squeeze as many nutrients from the soil as possible.” states Jonathan. “This poor soil condition together with climate change, loss of biodiversity, plant diseases and other farming challenges, only reinforced the preference for the strongest cacao varieties.”
What can be done to save Nacional cacao from extinction?
If no practical actions are taken to preserve Nacional cacao, this unique variety will soon disappear from the face of the Earth, depriving chocolate lovers of its incredible aromatic profile forever. But there is still hope for the future.
Marinetti Cacao wants to raise awareness regarding the importance of valuing and promoting Nacional cacao, a pride for Ecuadorians that shall never get lost. Here are their suggestions:
1) Paying a premium price for Nacional cacao. “Only by making a clear monetary distinction between Nacional cacao and high-productive hybrids we can motivate farmers to keep cultivating our national pepitas de oro. All our chocolate is made with directly traded Nacional cacao that is paid way higher than market price to reward farmers for their brave choice and show appreciation for their extra efforts.”
2) Improving farmers’ knowledge and expertise. “Nacional cacao can reach new levels of productivity when cacao farmers learn the best conditions for its growth: how to produce organic fertilizers, how to keep insects and animals away from the trees, how to provide enough shade and sunlight, how to prevent the spread of disease and so on. When these strategies are made available to farmers, they can improve the productivity of any cacao variety, Nacional included.”
3) Finding appreciative buyers. “No chocolate lover can resist the fine flavors and aromatic complexity of Nacional cacao. If Nacional cacao is further promoted, pushed and made available to international markets (in the form of cacao beans, chocolate couverture and finished products), professionals will surely be willing to pay the price for such a specialty raw material. This will result in more demand for Nacional cacao, sustaining the entire supply chain all the way back to the cacao farmers that chose to grow it.”
Nacional cacao can still be saved and live an exciting renaissance, bringing Ecuador back to its glorious days as the best fine-flavor cacao producer in the world. The choice is only ours.
