Colombia
TUMACO
An elegant cacao with whiskey, tobacco, and malt notes -- high impact, crowd-pleasing, sweet and chocolatey.
2025 Data - Product
Quality: Ultra premium
Flavor: Chocolate Buttercream, Barrel Aged Rum, Lime Blossom
Fermentation Style: Box
Drying Style: Solar drying decks and raised beds under plastic roofing.
Quality Practices: Sugar analysis of wet cacao at purchase point, temperature monitoring during fermentation, pH or sugar monitoring during fermentation, specific protocols for flavor, cut tests during fermentation
Hand Sorting: Yes
Number of awards in 2025: 3
2025 Data - Planet
Crops that are used for intercropping: Banana, plantain, coconut, sugar cane, vanilla, citrus, timber, avocado and cassava.
Environmental practices: Recovery of native forest species and heritage "cacao patrimonial", no chemical inputs used in cultivation; 61 producers were in the organic certification process during 2025.
Distance of producer to facility (km): 10
Distance to port (km): 776
Ocean freight CO2kgs per MT (US): 66
Ocean Freight CO2kgs per MT (EU): 145
2025 Data - People
Community-focused initiatives: Financial services including some loans to producers, income diversification, investments into productive infrastructure.
Trainings conducted: Ecological practices, productivity, quality and business, good harvesting practices, donations of budwood for grafting from association clonal gardens.
Producers purchased from: 865
Female producers: 262
Producers under 35 y/o: 147
Total # of producers trained: 270
Total # of female producers trained: 114
Total # of <35 y/o producers trained: 12
Full time employees: 17
Full time female employees: 9
Part time employees: 20
Part time female employees: 15
Average farm size (ha): 1.73
Average sales per producer (dry kg): 157
Average annual cacao revenue per producer: $1,013
In 2025, Uncommon Cacao sourced Tumaco cacao from multiple associations in the region: AFROMUVARAS, ASPROCAT, CORDIDEV, CORPOTEVA, and CORTEPAZ, all through Cacao Hunters.
These associations are located in the Tumaco-Nariño region, comprising a network of nearly over 850 families dedicated to growing cacao. The associations maintain clonal gardens that highlights the genetic diversity and potential of the region. This garden includes “criollo” strains endemic to Tumaco, as well as others with genetically optimized traits. These clonal gardens also serve as training centers for producers in the region, showcasing best practices for improving productivity. This rich genetic diversity contributes to the distinct flavor profile recognized as "Tumaco" cacao, characterized by chocolatey notes, light fruit and nut undertones, and a smooth, low-acidity finish. Since 2018, our export partner, Cacao Hunters, has collaborated closely with the associations in Tumaco. They provide essential feedback on refining post-harvest protocols and offer technical assistance, enhancing the quality and marketability of Tumaco's cacao.
TERROIR
The region of Tumaco rests on the western coast in the southernmost part of Colombia. Cacao is endemic to Colombia, and interesting native varieties can be found in the Tumaco region. The associations in Tumaco have been doing research with the University of Nariño to identify native cacao genetics found in the region. After years of study, they’ve now narrowed down nine genetic varietals that they believe are the native cacaos of that region, and are maintaining a clonal garden to eventually farm seedlings to distribute widely to more farmers in their networks. Many cacao producers in Tumaco have refused to plant new genetics promoted by government and development programs, and as a result the Tumaco cacao offers a distinct and chocolate-forward profile.
Pictured to the left are local genetics at the ASPROCAT clonal garden.
In 2025, Uncommon Cacao sourced Tumaco cacao from multiple associations in the region: AFROMUVARAS, ASPROCAT, CORDIDEV, CORPOTEVA, and CORTEPAZ, all through Cacao Hunters.
These associations are located in the Tumaco-Nariño region, comprising a network of nearly over 850 families dedicated to growing cacao. The associations maintain clonal gardens that highlights the genetic diversity and potential of the region. This garden includes “criollo” strains endemic to Tumaco, as well as others with genetically optimized traits. These clonal gardens also serve as training centers for producers in the region, showcasing best practices for improving productivity. This rich genetic diversity contributes to the distinct flavor profile recognized as "Tumaco" cacao, characterized by chocolatey notes, light fruit and nut undertones, and a smooth, low-acidity finish. Since 2018, our export partner, Cacao Hunters, has collaborated closely with the associations in Tumaco. They provide essential feedback on refining post-harvest protocols and offer technical assistance, enhancing the quality and marketability of Tumaco's cacao.
TERROIR
The region of Tumaco rests on the western coast in the southernmost part of Colombia. Cacao is endemic to Colombia, and interesting native varieties can be found in the Tumaco region. The associations in Tumaco have been doing research with the University of Nariño to identify native cacao genetics found in the region. After years of study, they’ve now narrowed down nine genetic varietals that they believe are the native cacaos of that region, and are maintaining a clonal garden to eventually farm seedlings to distribute widely to more farmers in their networks. Many cacao producers in Tumaco have refused to plant new genetics promoted by government and development programs, and as a result the Tumaco cacao offers a distinct and chocolate-forward profile.
Pictured to the left are local genetics at the ASPROCAT clonal garden.
2025 Tumaco Farmgate price
$6.45 USD
This is the actual price paid to the cacao producer for their product (typically on a per kg or per lb basis) when they sell it to the first buyer.
Farmgate price is often paid for "wet" or fresh cacao, recently harvested and scooped out of cracked pods for sale. Wet cacao loses 60-70% of its weight during fermentation and drying, typically reaching 7-8% humidity before it is sold.
Uncommon calculates farmgate price for each cacao supplier based on the specific weight loss conversion percentage provided to us by the supplier, and we report farmgate price on a per kg dried equivalent basis for all cacao beans we source.
Pictured are Bertha Sarmiento Yineth De la Cruz and Edilmer Figueroa from Cacao Hunters.
2025 Tumaco Association price
$8.30 USD
This is the price the exporter pays the association for cacao.
In some cases in our supply chain there is an organized group of producers that aggregate cacao and sell it to an exporter.
2025 Tumaco FOB price
$10.91 USD
This is the price paid by Uncommon to our partners for cacao transported and loaded onto a ship for export.
Uncommon then covers all of the costs of shipping, freight charges, insurance, import, domestic logistics, warehouse ingestion, customs and duties.
Free on board (FOB) is an international shipping term that represents the seller's responsibility for bringing the cacao over the rails of the export ship.
2025 Tumaco Average sales price
$14.73 USD
This is the weighted average price per kg for cacao sold to the premium & ultra premium chocolate makers who purchased it during this year from Uncommon Cacao.
Notable Awards
2023 Gold
International Chocolate Awards
Pictured is Edilmer Figueroa from Cacao Hunters evaluating cacao
Flavor Profile
Chocolate Buttercream, Barrel Aged Rum, Lime Blossom
We believe that the difference between traceability and transparency is published and verifiable data for each and every step in our supply chain.
