Auro Chocolate, the award-winning Filipino tree-to-bar chocolate brand, in collaboration with the Saloy Organic Farmers Association (SOFA) represented by Ms. Judith Gabasa, proudly announces their latest triumph – a Silver award in the APAC region at the Cacao of Excellence Awards 2023. This monumental achievement, unveiled on February 8 at Chocoa in Amsterdam, marks another historic milestone for Auro and SOFA, solidifying their position as global leaders in the cacao industry. It’s also the 2nd time for Auro Chocolate’s farming partners to be awarded this prestigious award.
In continuation of their journey from the Top 50 Best Cacao Producers recognition last year, where SOFA stood tall as the sole representative of the Philippines among 222 exceptional entries from 52 origins, Auro and SOFA progressed to the final leg of the competition. Here, origins were categorized by region, and Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners emerged.
The Cacao of Excellence (CaEx) Awards, a biennial celebration of cacao quality and flavor diversity, is renowned for uniting sensory evaluation experts and the chocolate industry to honor producers of distinction.
SOFA, based in Saloy, Calinan District, Davao City, Davao del Sur, has been integral to Auro Chocolate’s journey since 2015. Under Auro Chocolate’s Organic Conversion Program (OCP) initiated in 2021, SOFA thrives as a community dedicated to sustainable organic agriculture, with Auro’s steadfast support. SOFA exclusively supplies cacao beans to Auro Chocolate.
Reflecting on this journey, founders Mark Ocampo and Kelly Go expressed their pride and gratitude: “We are incredibly proud to receive this award for Auro Chocolate and our partners, Ms. Judith Gabasa and SOFA! This recognition inspires us to keep pushing forward and strive for excellence for cacao and our partnered Filipino cacao farmers.”
As Auro Chocolate and SOFA celebrate this milestone, the Silver win at the Cacao of Excellence Awards represents not only their commitment to excellence but also the rich potential of Philippine cacao on the global stage.
We can’t wait to see what other exceptional cacao experiences Auro Chocolates and their farming partners will do that will be rooted in sustainability and excellence.
Note: This is a press release. Minor edits have been made by the BiteSized,ph Staff.
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