ONE OF THE BEST CACAOS IN THE WORLD THAT THRIVES IN UNUSUAL CONDITIONS

Venezuelan cacao is still regarded as among some of the best in the world, where it flourishes in the nutrient-rich soils of the foothills of the Andes, in abundant, humid, and moisture heavy vegetation. This fine cacao grows amongst a wide variety of other plants at higher altitudes, to the south and east of Lake Maracaibo. Several of the farms here are located on volcanic soils, which are exceedingly fertile but can also contain high levels of cadmium. Thanks to the strict controls and analyses performed by our trading partner and in our internal quality laboratory, we can always guarantee not only the highest taste quality but also flawless cadmium levels - well below the legal threshold.

MARACAIBO – HARBOUR CITY ON LAGO DE MARACAIBO

We named our Maracaibo couvertures after the historic port city, which lies at the northern end of the lake of the same name. This inland sea is fed by rainwater from the surrounding Andes and it flows out into the Gulf of Venezuela. In recent years, Lake Maracaibo has continuously been in the headlines because it has been polluted by dilapidated oil pipelines that were no longer maintained due to the collapse of the Venezuelan economy. The water quality of Lake Maracaibo however has no influence on the quality of the cacao, which grows at a further distance away from the lake and at higher altitudes. Both the political system and the economy have stabilised and Venezuela is now approaching a more positive future. This is reflected in the fact that both unemployment and poverty are on the decline and visits to the country, which are of great importance to Felchlin, are now possible once again.