HCP Behind the Scenes

WASHINGTON, DC. 
Written by HCP Board President, Richard Tango-Lowy based off of the thorough report of the HCP's Executive Director, Anne Zaczek

Seeking rare cacao is glamorous, and evaluating submissions is rigorous, but there's also much to be done behind the scenes, and Director Anne Zaczek recently traveled to Washington, DC to meet with several of our partner organizations.
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Since HCP's inception, USDA-ARS (Agricultural Research Service) has performed the genetic analysis for each designee, helping us better understand how genetics impacts flavor, as well as  the origin and history of the designee's cacao, and how fits into the bigger world of cacao diversity. ​

HCP is heavily involved with the TSIRO Alliance, a USAID  public-private partnership designed to "strengthen Madagascar’s chocolate and spices industry, improve farmer livelihoods, and conserve biodiversity." Our work with TSIRO has given us a better understanding of how the interplay between genetics and terroir results in and impacts the unique flavor of Madagascar cacao. Anne had the opportunity to meet with representatives from USAID and attend a "lunch and learn" about the TSIRO program led by Catholic Relief Services.

Before wrapping the meetings, Anne and fellow TSIRO Alliance partners met with members of the USDA-FAS (Foreign Agriculture Service) to brief them about HCP and the TSIRO program. The discussion focused on common needs identified by HCP and TSIRO, specifically traceability, income diversification and technical assistance to cacao farmers.