Silva-cacao

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Silva-cacao

Sourcing cacao with an identity, connecting exceptional cacao producers and passionate chocolate makers

31/12/2025

✨ 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 ✨

Silva Cacao started as a dream—a dream to 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙘𝙤𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙. 🌱
From day one, our drive has been clear: 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧, 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝙛𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚, through quality cacao, care for nature and real and human connections.

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 reminded us that dreams take resilience. It was a year of 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙪𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙨, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙪𝙣𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙨 affecting production cycles and quality, and market volatility testing our adaptability. We continue to learn the hard way.

Yet, even in the storm, we discovered something powerful: 𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙧𝙚. With clear communication and understanding of each other’s challenges, we built 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙨 and met allies who share our vision—making this dream bigger and stronger 💪

Our journey this year took us to 𝙏𝙤𝙜𝙤, 𝙋𝙚𝙧𝙪, 𝙑𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙯𝙪𝙚𝙡𝙖, 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙣, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙖, where we connected with our partner cacao producers, to better understand the local context & field reality, and continue to raise the bar for quality. We also spent countless hours on calls, visits and events to meet & greet with chocolate makers and help select the cacao that makes a difference for them — connecting both ends of the chain.

What truly makes the difference is the human connections — the exchanges, understanding, shared passion, and the sense of community that 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙨 𝙪𝙨 𝙖𝙡𝙡.

Meanwhile, we’re already looking ahead to 2026:
🚀 Securing quality cacao
🌍 Deepening partnership, boots in the field
🍫 Experimenting with unique & inspiring cacao flavours
🤝 Personal meet & greet to keep this community thriving

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 for your curiosity, trust, and for dreaming with us — helping turn this vision into reality!

🥂 Here’s to a new year filled with discovery, vibrant flavours, and shared inspiration 🍫✨

🎥: scroll to follow our sourcing trips!

03/10/2025

🍃 Balancing certified organic and meaningful impact for flavour, forests, farmers & the future

The EU’s new Organic Regulation (2018/848) brings higher costs & paperwork for farmers, and tighter supply & rising prices for chocolate makers. We help you navigate!

CONSIDERATIONS FOR CRAFT CHOCOLATEMAKERS
🔸Organic labelling decisions: not all cacao you purchase may carry the EU organic logo, though may be organic by nature.
🔸Sourcing stability: EU certified organic cacao becomes more limited. Carefully select sources with the organisational capacity & stability to maintain certification
🔸 Flexibility & Contingency Planning: Given the volatility in certified cacao, you might need flexibility, including ‘Plan B’ strategies, to avoid disruptions.
🔸Quality & Availability: Limited availability of certain organic cacao qualities may affect product lines, requiring adjustments in product development

OUR GUIDELINES FOR CHOCHOLATEMAKERS TO ADAPT, RETHINK AND DECIDE ON ORGANIC
❓ What does organic mean to your brand
🔹Do you require the EU organic logo on your packaging?
🔹Or are you more aligned with a philosophy of agroforestry, valuing clean farming and biodiversity, even if not certified?
❓Are your current qualities still viable
🔹Some origins may drop certification
🔹Availability may fluctuate
❓ Do you have sourcing flexibility into your portfolio
🔹Who are you buying from?
🔹Do your partners understand the new rules & can help you navigate them
🔹Ask questions about audits, farmer structures, & testing procedures

🍫🌳👨🏽 🌾✨At Silva Cacao approach goes beyond organic certified, ensuring cacao that supports a sustainable future for people and planet - balancing flavour, forests, farmers & future. This isn’t just about certification -it’s about defining what “organic” truly means for the future of chocolate.

⚖ Do you double down on the EU organic logo?

📞 Reach out, and we happily support you in your decision process provide all information of each cacao with its identity!

28/09/2025

🌱To organic or not to organic?

📈📉 Over the past 2 years, the cacao has navigating extreme turbulences. Climate shocks, crop diseases, historic price fluctuations. On top of that the EU has been updating legislation. EUDR, Due Diligence, and as well EU’s Organic Legislation (EU 2018/848).

📍On October 1, 2025, the EU’s Organic Regulation comes into full effect, reshaping the rules for organic cacao.
With organic cacao representing just 2% of global supply, the stakes are high. Producers certified under national systems or private schemes need to restructure their organisations, formalise groups, and implement compliance systems to access to EU Organic market. What was once seen as a relatively accessible value-add is evolving into a for more demanding and costly segment.

Changes in a nutshell:
🔹End of equivalence mechanisms. Non-EU producers can not export anymore under national organic standards deemed equivalent to EU.
🔹New limits on certification holders & group models. Only Coop’s & association can hold certificates, and stricter rules for groups. Farms over 5 ha might need to pass to individual certification.
🔹’Clean’ farms with no traces of historical contamination need a mandatory three-year transition period.
🔹Tighter EU controls raises the bar for auditors, and testing becomes more frequent & accurate, resulting in cash-flow & certification disruptions.

💶 The cumulative effect for producers are increasing complexity, higher administrative burdens & compliance costs, investments in infrastructure, training & repeated testing. For many smallholder farmers and private groups supply of certified organic cacao is at risk.

‼️The new EU rules have intensified pressure for organic cacao, driving up prices and creating supply bottlenecks. Some producers are shifting their focus away from Europe.

⁉️As the deadline looms, the choice is clear: to organic or not to organic? Do you double down on the EU organic logo? Or do you back cacao that’s organic by nature -grown sustainably in agroforestry, but outside the Brussels rulebook?

➡️ What are your thoughts on organic certification?

29/08/2025

🌳 🚢 Cacao Harvests, Shipments & Availabilities — Recap at a Glance!

🏖 With September just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to assess your cacao needs, secure your supply for the buys rush season, and start planning for 2026.

Getting back into the rhythm after summer can feel hectic -so let’s stick to our chocolate-inspired KISS principle: keep it simple and sweet ;-)

📅🌳👨🏽‍🌾 🍫 You’re likely already using Silva Cacao Harvest Guide -a smart planning tool designed to help chocolate makers prepare ahead. In this update, we’re providing a quick yet detailed overview that gives you a clear picture of what’s available now, what’s on the way from our origins, and how you can secure your supply.
While cacao prices have eased slightly, the upcoming season remains challenging, with significant regional differences in availability and pricing -shaped by local demand, competition, and unique market conditions.

🔎 ⛴ That’s why planning ahead is more important than ever. This update offers practical insights into which cacao is currently in stock, what’s sailing or arriving soon, and details on the 2025/26 crops. With clear recommendations on when to secure your needs, pre-book the new season, or top up your stocks, you’ll be perfectly positioned to move confidently and smoothly into the sweet season ahead.

We’ve pulled everything together in one quick insight so you know:
🔸 What’s available right now
🔸What’s on the way from origin
🔸When & how to secure your cacao in time

With the season picking up, it’s a great time to secure your cacao!
👉🏾Have a look at our latest newsletter and recap & Reach out to our cacao team to book or pre-book your supply and stay on top of your cacao needs.

https://mailchi.mp/silva-cacao/harvests-shipments-availabilities-lets-recap

03/08/2025

🇻🇪 SILVA CACAO’s VENEZUELAN 360°: STORIES, DISCOVERIES & OFFERINGS

🌎 Some of the world’s most aromatic and genetically diverse cacao varieties originate in Venezuela - shaped over centuries by traditional cultivation and the natural rhythms of the land.

📈📉 Venezuela was once the world’s largest cacao producer in the 17th century under the Spanish Empire, today accounts for less than 1% of global production. Remarkably, the country produces roughly the same volume it did three centuries ago, and is expected to reach to 20,000 MT in the near future.

💎 This seeming paradox -modest output yet immense reputation, is exactly what makes Venezuelan cacao so fascinating. Its significance lies not in scale, but in identity, flavour, and a legacy deeply woven into the land. Venezuela’s cacao landscape is as rich and complex as the chocolate it inspires -shaped by centuries of tradition, regional character, and passionate producers.

🌱 Our recent journey through this remarkable country offered an intimate look at the people, places, and stories behind the exceptional cacaos we source at SILVA CACAO. While no single trip can capture everything this origin has to offer, we’ve gathered some highlights -regions, farms, and names you may already recognise, or soon will, as part of our growing portfolio.

➡️ We invite you to explore the diversity from the areas of Sur de Lago, Carabobo with his multiple micro-regions, the Caribbean Coast, Aragua with it’s famous Chuao and Choroni cacao and the diverse rainforest area in the remote Amazon region where indigenous groups work with cacao according to old traditions and rhythm of rivers and nature.

💞🇻🇪After all, cacao with an identity isn’t just a motto. It’s the foundation of what we seek, celebrate, and share -from bean to bar.

21/06/2025

💪🏻 L’union fait la force — The Power of Collaboration in Chocolate

🍫 At Silva Cacao, we believe that exceptional chocolate is more than just a craft -it is the product of shared values, strong partnerships, and a deep commitment to community, from bean to bar.

In our latest insight - (read our newsletter), we explore the rich tradition of collaboration that shapes the craft chocolate world.
Inside, you’ll discover:

✨ How cacao cooperatives empower smallholder farmers through democratic governance, transparency, and improved market access.

✨ The inspiring legacy of French chocolate makers , who united to elevate chocolate -making into an art form, paving the way for today’s vibrant bean to bar movement.

✨ The rise of national bean to bar associations across Europe and beyond -including the newly formed European Bean to Bar Chocolate Association (EBTBCA), which works to unite makers and champion excellence, traceability, transparency, and sustainability.

✨ How these networks connect with global initiatives like CHOCOA, COEX, ICCO, FCIA, ICCR, CAOBISCO, ECA,... to strengthen the worldwide craft chocolate community.

✨ The key ingredients for building successful associations: motivated core teams, democratic governance, trust-based collaboration, knowledge sharing and education as a cornerstone, clear priorities, a collective mindset, respect for established foundations, ecosystem thinking, and shared accountability.

💎 As these movements grow and intertwine, one guiding principle stands clear -collaboration is the foundation of a stronger future for cacao and chocolate. “At origin and in Europe, one principle is clear: the future of cacao and chocolate is stronger when shared.

L’union fait la force. There is strength in unity.”

16/05/2025

🇸🇹 São Tomé & Príncipe- Africa’s Galápagos

🏝 Bubbled up from the Atlantic 30 million y ago, is a volcanic archipelago steeped in natural wonder. The islands remained uninhabited until the 15th century -preserving one of the richest biodiversity on Earth, home to hunderds of species & dubbed ‘Africa’s Galápagos’.

🍫In the early 1800s, King João VI of Portugal introduced cacao to the islands, anticipating the decline of Brazil’s supply. São Tomé & Príncipe’s fertile volcanic soil, humid rainforest climate, & consistent temperatures created near-perfect conditions for cacao. Under colonial rule, vast plantations -‘roças’ were established & by the early 20th century, São Tomé had become the world’s leading cacao exporter & was named ‘Chocolate Island’.

📉 That golden era faded. After independence in 1975, the plantation system collapsed. Infrastructure crumbled, markets disappeared, plantations were abandoned & cacao production dropped sharply. The sector splintered into smallholder plots -still growing cacao. But with limited means, and no support or investments, they were not able to realize its full potential.

🌳And yet, the trees remained. So did the people who knew how to care for them. That heritage never vanished -it lay dormant, passed down through generations. The agroforestry systems endured, and the island’s unique terroir remained intact. What’s changed is the momentum: a growing determination to rebuild, refine, and raise the bar. A quiet revival is underway, built not on nostalgia, but on skill, collaboration, a belief that São Tomé’s finest cacao is still ahead.

💕👨🏽‍🌾🤝Silva Cacao is proud to work with two partners leading this revival:
🔹CECAQ-11, a grassroots cooperative rooted in the historic roça Água Izé, unites over 1,178 smallholder farmers -more than 40% of them women, working for fair incomes and better cacao, through shared knowledge & steady quality improvement.

🔹MLM, a bold private initiative, is restoring century-old infrastructure and partnering closely with farmers to refine post-harvest practices & bring bright, expressive cacao to market.

🔜 Read our newseltter explore opportunities to contribute to this development!

18/04/2025

Let’s be honest -sourcing cacao isn’t for the faint of heart.

🕸📃🛻🚤🛂📍 Late harvests. Logistic hazzles. EUDR regulations. Paperwork for certification. Food safety controls. Heavy metal & residue testing. Wild price swings. And through it all: the constant pressure to deliver exceptional cacao -on time, in full, with flavour & integrity intact.

Behind every bag of specialty cacao that lands at a chocolate maker’s atelier lies a complex, often invisible web of formalities -from customs clearance & health inspections to traceability checks & compliance with ever-evolving legislation. These are the parts of the journey chocolate lovers never see -and most only discover when they try to handle it all themselves.

This is the quiet reality of cacao sourcing: It’s not just about selecting beautiful beans at origin. It’s about navigating logistics across continents, upholding stringent quality & legal standards, & weathering the unpredictability of farming in fragile ecosystems & politically unstable regions. It’s about people -and purpose, connected across borders, cultures,timelines, and traditions.
And yet, it’s also a beautiful balancing act.

🍫Because when it all works, & a chocolate lover savours your creation and asks where the cacao comes from -they’re not just curious about the cacao farm. They want to know about you too: your craft, your values, your role in transforming these beans into something unforgettable. And back at origin, that same curiosity flows the other way. Our local heroes want to know who turned their hard-earned harvest into a story told through taste. They want to see, hear, taste the result.

💕At Silva Cacao, this is where we come in. We bridge those worlds -connecting origin & chocolate atelier, field & post-harvesting premise, chocolate maker & farmer -with care, clarity, & shared purpose. Because sourcing cacao with an identity isn’t just smart logistics. It’s a commitment to the people, process, and passion behind every bar.

👉 Read the full article to discover why partnering with a dedicated cacao sourcer like Silva Cacao isn’t just a smart move -it’s the kind of partnership that brings your chocolate & its story, to life.

03/04/2025

💞💞

28/03/2025

🇹🇬 TOGO & CACAO
SMALL IN SIZE, BIG IN CHARACTER

📍🗺️ Togo is small enough to miss on the map, but packs a punch when it comes to culture, landscapes & history. The ‘little sibling’ of Ghana & Côte d’Ivoire bursts with cultural richness & natural diversity.

💎Togo is a country of craftsmanship, rhythm, and deep-rooted traditions. 0ver 40 ethnic groups bring a rich tapestry of languages & customs: french is the official language but indigenous languages like Ewe and ‘Kabye’ are widely spoken. The name Togo is translated from Ewe as behind the river.

📖 The history
🔹11th - 16th century: tribes entered the region, the Ewe from the west, the Mina & Gun from the east
🔹Atlantic slave trade began in the 16th century, and flourished for 200 years
🔹In 1884, Germany made Togoland a protectorate
🔹After World War I, France took over the administration
🔹In 1960 Togo became independent
🔹Through a military coup, Gnassingbé Eyadéma seized power in 1967. When he died in 2005, his son, Faure was elected

Traces of its German colonial past are still visible today in the country’s structured approach and sense of organisation -something we notice every time we visit the country.

💞SMALLHOLDERS AT HEART

Cacao first appeared during the colonial period, initially grown on plantations, but the country evolved towards an outgrower model, with smallholder farmers now at its core.
Though modest in scale, with around 12,500 hectares of cacao Togo’s cacao sector holds significant potential and grows annually. What sets Togo apart from its neighbours is the free market system. Farm gate prices fluctuate with global trends -at times far exceeding Ghana’s - Ivory Coast fixed prices. This dynamic market demonstrates that even in small quantities, premium quality cacao can emerge from unexpected places.

⁉️ Did you ever try cacao from Togo?

21/03/2025

🇹🇬 Togo & Cacao: Small in Size, Big in Potential 💞

🌱Our first journey of the year took us to Togo -an origin full of resilience, spirit, and an unstoppable drive to learn and improve. With its growing cacao sector, dedicated smallholder farmers, and dynamic free market system, this small country is proving that quality has no limits.

🌍 Our mission on this visit?
✔ Fine-tuning post-harvest protocols to elevate cacao quality
✔ Supporting smallholder farmers with hands-on training
✔ Strengthening partnerships for a sustainable cacao value chain
✔ Exploring new opportunities to bring Togo’s best beans to market

💎 From working side by side with farmers to fine-tuning fermentation and drying processes, we witnessed an incredible commitment to learning, adapting, and perfecting quality -even in challenging conditions. Their dedication to excellence is inspiring, and their cacao is a testament to their hard work. Their commitment to learning, adapting, and perfecting their craft and their quality is inspiring.

👉🏻 The takeaway?
This origin is one to watch. Join us as we dive into Togo’s cacao story -rooted in relationships, quality, and an unstoppable spirit.

💞 What’s next?
Exceptional Togolese cacao is on its way. Stay tuned for new flavour profiles, fully traceable quality, and an exciting future for this origin.

Adres

Antwerp
2000

Telefoon

+32495438830

Website

http://www.silva-cacao.com/

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Silva-cacao: a new beginning

Why Silva-cacao? Silva means forest or woods in Latin, which emphasizes the origin of cacao trees native to lowland rainforests of the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. SILCO NV is the continuation of the wonderful story of SILCO SA, started 25 years ago in Paris by Sylvie Guillaume in fine cacao sourcing and sales. We are a small operation, based in Antwerp, Belgium "the country of chocolates". With our brand "SILVA – cacao with an identity", we source exceptional cacao across the globe, connecting exceptional cacao producers and passionate chocolatemakers. We work directly with the cocoa producers to assess quality and import and distribute their harvest worldwide. We supply craft chocolate makers with a variety of gourmet cacao offers, each with a unique flavour profile and story behind. A story about the farmers, their environment, their families and their challenges. The way how we do this is different: we make direct and transparent price agreement with the farmers, paying premium prices for quality. This allows the farmers to invest in their own future and have a decent living.