Academic Alliances: The Legacy of Fine Aroma Cacao reaches future chefs from the Culinary Institute Lenotre in the USA

Academic Alliances: The Legacy of Fine Aroma Cacao reaches the future chefs of the Culinary Institute Lenotre in the USA. One of our Sustainability Pillars is Knowledge Exchange, through which we join forces with our communities and strategic allies for the development of sustainable business. On this occasion, we were part of our first Educational Module for the students of the Culinary Institute Lenotre, with the objective of teaching them about the history and origin of Fine Aroma Cacao through our team’s experience.  

The module was held during an entire morning that was full of dynamism and new knowledge. The members of our team who developed the different workshops were:  

• Gabriela López-Barry, Brand Project Manager in the USA, who talked about the History and Origins of Fine Aroma Cacao.  
• José Merlo, Socio Environmental Projects Manager, and Carlos Zambrano, Vinces Project Coordinator, who took the students through a virtual tour of our Vinces Collection Center, telling them more about the characteristics of Cacao Trees and introducing them to some of our farmer allies. 
• Carla Estévez, R&D Manager, who developed a workshop about the different organoleptic and flavor characteristics of our cacao grains. 
• Maggie Crespo, Communication and SB Manager, and Estefanía Sánchez, Environmental and Technical Consultant, who told the students about our impact and biodiversity projects on field.  

Also, Juan Pablo Grijalva, from “El Ordeño”, our milk allies, was present alongside Gaby López to talk to the students about our other ingredients, like the milk with which they provide us, which is part of some of our most famous chocolates like our White Chocolate Ecuador 31%. 

For the students, this was an opportunity like no other, through which they were able to learn more about an ingredient as emblematic and unique as Fine Aroma Cacao, and be conscious about the importance of sustainable businesses and the traceability of the products they’ll choose when they enter the professional world.