Indonesia

Bali, Jembrana
8°17’21.2”S
114°29’29.7”E

Cocoa growing in Indonesia/Bali

Cocoa growing is a relatively recent phenomenon in Indonesia compared to other countries. It intensified in the 1970s, with the country becoming the 3rd largest producer worldwide in 2010. Today, Indonesia is the 7th largest cocoa-producer in the world. Most of this product is carried out by small growers, whose agricultural systems vary widely from one region or island to the next. Cocoa fermentation is a fairly recent practice, as well. Most cocoa produced in Indonesia is just dried, with little or no fermentation involved.

Cocoa growing began in Bali in the 1980s. Nestled between volcanos and the Ocean, the “Island of the Gods” is the perfect place for growing cocoa. The plantations are based on an agroforestry system that includes banana trees, cocoa palms, clove trees and vanilla orchids, alongside livestock for fertilization and weed control purposes.

Cocoa plantation in Indonesia/ in Bali

Our partnership with KSS

The cooperative Kerta Semaya Samaniya (KSS) was founded in 2011 and includes over 400 cocoa growers. It was the first Indonesian cocoa cooperative to receive an export license. With the help of local NGO Kalimajari, this dynamic cooperative aims to promote good agricultural practices among growers to guarantee a long-term sustainable future for cocoa growing in the province. KSS also aims to improve the cocoa beans grown in this region’s unique soil through fermentation, winning the Cacao of Excellence silver medal in 2023.

The cooperative has also receive several certifications, including the Rainforest Alliance, Fairtrade and Organic certification.

We first met with KSS in 2013, and Valrhona received our first shipment from them in 2015. In 2023 a 5-year partnership agreement between KSS and Valrhona was signed.

Partnership with KSS Bali

10years of Cooperation

Partnership Signed : 2023 for 5 years

Cooperative Type of organization

409 Producers

including 238 involved in Valrhona deliveries

2022 - Plot mapping

In 2022, Valrhona funded the mapping of KSS members’ plots in order to support the cooperative to meet the requirements of EU regulations on deforestation-free imports, and to calculate the cooperative’s carbon emission factors.

To date, 409 plots have been mapped using polygons.

Since 2020 - the TRACTIONS project

Since 2020, Valrhona has taken part in the Transforming the Cocoa Sector in Indonesia through Value Addition for Smallholders (TRACTIONS) project led by the Rainforest Alliance, Rikolto and Kalimajari, and funded by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. This 5-year project aims to improve the quality and productivity of the cacao sector by improving the living conditions and wellbeing of rural grower communities. This project includes 7 cooperatives, including KSS, spread out over 3 islands: Bali, Flores and Sulawesi.

plantation de cacao Bali
tri des fèves de cacao Bali
cabosse de cacao Bali
élevage plantation de cacao Bali
Cacao Valrhona Bali