Spanish
The 5th Dominican Chocolate Festival took place from September 8th to 14th, being a unique event that combines culture, flavor, and tradition around one of the most emblematic products of the Dominican Republic.
In this edition, which marks a milestone for the sector, the creation of the first Dominican Chocolate Shops Association (ADOCHOCO) was also celebrated, a reflection of the growth and union of the industry. Likewise, the festival expanded, fulfilling its objective of continuing to bring chocolate closer to its origin and promoting local capabilities in the transformation of cocoa into bars and derivatives of excellent quality.
During the opening ceremony, César Rodríguez, executive director of the Dominican Environmental Consortium (CAD), and member of the organizing committee, highlighted that "celebrating five years of the Chocolate Festival constitutes a milestone achieved thanks to collective effort, even in such challenging times as the pandemic, when the event had to decentralize towards communities and factories."
He also expressed his satisfaction with the support received and the growth of the festival, which is already successfully expanding beyond Santo Domingo towards Santiago.
For her part, Pamela Vessup, content manager of Ágora Mall, welcomed the event, highlighting cocoa as history, culture, and a symbol of national identity. She emphasized that in these five years, the festival has established itself as a platform that unites tradition, innovation, and entrepreneurship, strengthening the local economy and pride in Dominican heritage.
As part of the preliminary activities, the Festival Organizing Committee and the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD) organized the "Sensory Journey of Dominican Cocoa and Chocolate" on September 9th, within the framework of the Cacao Trace Project. This meeting, held at the JAD headquarters and aimed at media outlets, aimed to promote sustainable cocoa from the Dominican Republic, its artisanal derivatives, and the country's progress in traceability and zero deforestation. The executive president of the JAD, Osmar Benítez, gave the opening remarks and explained to the press the objectives and scope of this project, funded by the European Union and executed by the JAD and the CODESPA Foundation.
The chocolate festival, as a promotional platform
The 5th chocolate festival managed to have the participation of 37 chocolate brands, cocoa producers and other products that enrich the event. Likewise, an exhibition was held in Santiago and Santo Domingo, so that more Dominicans could learn about local production, managing to have an approximate of more than 7 thousand visitors between both exhibitions, and more than 1 million pesos in sales.
The Festival's organizing committee is made up of the Dominican Environmental Consortium (CAD), the Cacao Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Mipymes (MICM), in partnership with Ágora Mall, Mediáticos Consultores en Comunicación, the International Trade Centre (ITC), the National Cocoa Commission, the European Union, Cortés Hermanos, the Dominican Chefs Association (ADOCHEFS), the Dominican Culinary Institute, the Dominican Agribusiness Board (JAD), Banco Popular Dominicano and Rey Publicidad.
About the Dominican Chocolate Festival:
The Dominican Chocolate Festival is an initiative that seeks to raise awareness and sensitize consumers about the local production of chocolate and the importance of Dominican cocoa, as well as strengthen and promote the development of the cocoa and chocolate sector. It has become a key event for the promotion of chocolate culture in the country.
