Impenetrable Forest, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park
Photo by Max Christian on Unsplash
the "Pearl of Africa," is a country renowned for its diverse landscapes, including the snow-capped Rwenzori Mountains, vast Lake Victoria, And abundant wildlife
SEMULIKI FOREST
In western Uganda, 20 km from the border of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lies Bundibugyo, a town and region known for cocoa production. The community sits at 800 meters, nestled into the foothills of the Rwenzori mountain range, which runs between Uganda, Rwanda, and the D.R.C.
It’s a beautiful place, rain clouds moving down from the mountaintop throughout the day and the jungle teeming with life.
Recognizing the quality of Ugandan cacao and the opportunity for a specialty market to be established, Latitude Trade Co. established a transparent buying network and a centralized fermentation and drying program in 2017. Now they are producing one of the 50 highest quality beans in the world while also providing greater economic opportunities to cacao producers. Cacao is frequently intercropped with banana, plantain, palm and coffee.
Beans are sourced from Latitude Trade Co. (LTC), founded in 2016. LTC is a vertically integrated certified B Corp in Uganda sourcing from more than 4,664 certified organic smallholder producers, 2,266 (49%) of whom are women and 3,228 (69%) of whom are individuals under 35 years of age.
Utilizing eucalyptus timber from local plantations, The 500kg capacity paired box fermentation system features removable shutters for consistent cacao turning. Temperatures are monitored 3X daily, with fermentation lasting 5.5 to 6.5 days.
Beans Dry in the sun on raised racks for 6-7 days and then sampled and cut to sort fermentation levels prior to blending.
We Care
LTC produces award-winning specialty cacao in Uganda, employing more than 50 organized rural collection points for producers to sell fresh cacao weekly into the network. The producers receive a premium cash price at the point-of-sale. Semuliki Forest cacao is sourced from the region around Bundibugyo in Western Uganda.
LTC offers producers training on farm productivity, ecological practices, cacao quality, and finance, as well as support in opening bank accounts and in building credit.
LTC’s centralized fermentation facility and warehouse sits in the village of Kasese, where beans dry in the sun on raised racks for six to seven days and are blended before export to create consistent lots with luscious flavor notes of cinnamon, dark chocolate, and fig.
