National Organisation Committees (NOCs) coordinate participation in the Cacao of Excellence Awards at the country level.
They bring together key national stakeholders to ensure that each origin’s participation is credible, inclusive, and representative of its cacao diversity.

COMPOSITION
Each NOC includes institutions such as national cacao boards, quality control centres, research organisations, export promotion bodies, and non-governmental organisations. Once roles and responsibilities are agreed, Cacao of Excellence formally confirms the NOC for each origin.
ROLE
NOCs oversee the national process for receiving, evaluating, and selecting cacao samples. Working with quality and sensory experts, they identify well-prepared samples that meet Cacao of Excellence standards. They also coordinate documentation and shipment, ensure traceability and sample integrity, and communicate results to producers.
A POINT OF ENTRY FOR THE AWARDS COMPETITION
To participate in the Cacao of Excellence Awards, producers and stakeholders must apply through their National Organisation Committee.
Participation is only possible in origins where an NOC has been established for the current Award Edition. The list of participating origins and NOCs may change from one Edition to another.
Before applying, please check whether your origin has a confirmed NOC for the current Edition and contact the relevant NOC representative.
Consult below the list for confirmed National Organisation Committees
If an NOC has not yet been established in your origin, you may contact our Research Specialist, Andrew Meter, to discuss participation options and next steps.
In alphabetical order of origin
AUSTRALIA
Massimo Bianco
Horticulturist
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
24 Experimental Station Road, South Johnstone, Queensland 4859
Australia
Tel: +61 499 795 968.
Email: massimo.bianco@daf.qld.gov.au
Website: www.daf.qld.gov.au
BOLIVIA
Carlos Richard Salas Jiménez
Coordinador Nacional Programa Nacional de Cacao IPD-SA / MDRyT
Institución Pública Desconcentrada-Soberanía Alimentaria (IPD-SA)
Calle Almirante Grau Nº 541 entre Zoilo Flores y Boquerón Zona San Pedro
Bolivia
Tel: +591 70272735 / +591 71149096
Email: richardsalasj@gmail.com
Website: www.soberaniaalimentaria.gob.bo
Ana Melisa Laruta Álvarez
Institución Pública Desconcentrada Soberanía Alimentaria IPD-SA
Calle Almirante Grau Nº 541 entre Zoilo Flores y Boquerón Zona San Pedro
Bolivia
Tel: +591 77764744
Email: melisa.laruta20@gmail.com
Website: www.soberaniaalimentaria.gob.bo
BRAZIL
Neyde Alice Bello Marques Pereira
Researcher in Agricultural Sciences and Technology
Vice President of the National Special Cocoa Committee
Ministério da Agricultura, Pecuária e Abastecimento (MAPA)
Comissão Executiva do Plano da Lavoura Cacaueira (CEPLAC)
Centro de Pesquisas do Cacau (CEPEC )
Rodovia Jorge Amado, s/n - Km 22 - Bairro/Distrito: Salobrinho, Ilhéus – Bahia
CEP 45600-970
Brazil
Tel: +55 (73) 99132-7174
Email: neyde.pereira@agro.gov.br; nalice.bello@gmail.com
Website: www.gov.br/agricultura/pt-br
Cristiano Villela Dias
CEO of APCTSUL and CIC
Cocoa Innovation Center (CIC)
Scientific and Technological Park of Southern Bahia (PCTSB)
Rodovia Jorge Amado, s/n - Km 16 UESC - Bairro/Distrito: Salobrinho, Ilhéus – Bahia
CEP 45662-900
Brazil
Tel: +55 73 99196-6657
Email: cristiano_villela@pctsb.org; cic.pctsul.org
Website: www.pctsb.org/cic
Adriana Cristina Reis
Quality Manager
Cocoa Innovation Center (CIC)
Rodovia Jorge Amado, s/n - Km 22 - Bairro/Distrito: Salobrinho, Ilhéus – Bahia
CEP 45600-970
Brazil
Tel: +55 73998449080
e-mail: adriana_reis@pctsb.org
Website: https://cic.pctsul.org
COLOMBIA
Carlos Alberto Muñoz Vanegas
Dirección de Cadenas Agrícolas y Forestales
Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural
Avenida Jiménez NC-7A – Bogotá, D.C.
Tel : +57 313 4093684
Email: carlosa.munoz@minagricultura.gov.co
Website: www.minagricultura.gov.co
Eduard Baquero López
Presidente Ejecutivo
Federación Nacional de Cacaoteros - FEDECACAO
Calle 31 No. 17-27 6 Teusaquillo
Colombia
Tel : +57 313 2265911
Email: presidencia@fedecacao.com.co
Website : wwwfedecacao.com.co
COSTA RICA
Rocío del Carmen Fallas Salas
Extensionista agropecuaria/Coordinadora de Cacao
Ministerio de Agricultura y Ganadería
Regional Central Sur, Frente al CAIS de Puriscal, San Jose
Costa Rica
Tel: +506 2105 6100 ext. 2113 / 2105-6200
Email: rfallas@mag.go.cr
Website: www.mag.go.cr
Jason Fonseca Chavarría
Jefe de Región Huetar Caribe
Promotora de Comercio Exterior de Costa Rica (PROCOMER)
Oficinas Centrales Plaza Tempo Escazú, San Jose
Costa Rica
Tel: +506 2505 4935
Email: jfonseca@procomer.com
Website: www.procomer.com
COTE D'IVOIRE
Me Kouakou
Coordonnateur des OPA
Le Conseil du Café Cacao
17 BP 797 Abidjan
Côte d’Ivoire
Tel: +225 2720202787 / +225 0102566580
Email: mkouakou@conseilcafecacao.ci
DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO (DRC)
Monga Numbi Mimy
Directrice Nationale
Office National des Produits Agricoles du Congo (ONAPAC)
Ministère National de l’Agriculture
Concession ONAPAC sise N°1082, 14ème Rue, Commune de Limité-Kinshasa,
Bâtiment DRH, local N°3
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tel : +243991000972
Email: miraesa67@yahoo.fr; onapacdgkin18@gmail.com
Tony Saiba
Chargé de viabilité des producteurs et Coopératives agricoles
Agribusiness Congo Consulting (ABCC)
Concession ONAPAC sise N°1082, 14ème Rue, Commune de Limité-Kinshasa,
Bâtiment DRH, local N°3Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tel : +243998492348
Email : saibatonyantoine@gmail.com
Léopold Mumbere
Chargé de mise en œuvre et accompagnement logistique
Goma, -Av Grevelias, Quartier de Volcans, plot 113
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Rikolto
Tel : +243990956184
Email : leopold.mumbere@rikolto.org
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Juan Adalberto Hinojosa Gomez
Director del Departamento del Cacao
Ministerio de Agricultura
Autopista Duarte Km. 6 1/2, Los Jardines del Norte, Distrito Nacional
Tel: 809 547 3888 ext. 5012 / Cel.: 829 521 3015
Email: juan.hinojosa@agricultura.gob.do
ECUADOR
Cristian Alfredo Noboa Iza
Gerente Tecnico
Asociación Nacional de Exportadores de Cacao (ANECACAO)
Km 1.5 vía Samborondón, Edificio de Negocios Xima, piso 3, oficina 303
Samborondón, Ecuador
Tel: 0983353039
Email: gerentetecnico@anecacao.com
Website: https://anecacao.com/
EL SALVADOR
Patricia López de Esquivel
Programa de Agroindustria
Centro Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria y Forestal “Enrique Álvarez Córdova” (CENTA)
Km 33 ½ carretera a Santa Ana,
San Andrés, La Libertad
El Salvador
Tel: +503 2397 2243
Email: direccionejecutiva@centa.gob.sv
Website: www.centa.gob.sv
GUATEMALA
Erick Geovany Ac Tot
Presidente
Comisión Nacional de Cacao Guatemala (CONCAGUA)
7a Avenida 7-24 Zona 11 Cobán,
Alta Verapaz
Guatemala
Tel : +502 30567289
Email: grupocacao.gt@gmail.com
Jossue Aguirre
Coordinador
Comité de Cacao y Chocolate Diferenciado
AGEXPORT
15 Avenida 14-72 Zona 13,
Guatemala
Tel : +502 57151648
Email: jossue.aguirre@agexport.org.gt
HAITI
Josué Bazile
Coordonnateur
Agronomes et Vétérinaires Sans Frontières – AVSF
Auberge la Simplicité, Bananier, Camp Perrin
Haiti
Tel : +509 4774 0632
Email: j.bazile@avsf.org
Website: www.avsf.org
Robenson Merisier
Coordonnateur
Ministère de l'Agriculture des Ressources Naturelles et du Développement Rural – MARNDR
Route Nationale #1, Damien
Haiti
Tel : +509 3296 7846
Email: obensonmerisier92@gmail.com
HAWAII
Daniel O'Doherty
Director
Hawaii Cacao Foundation
333 Uluniu St, Suite 203
Kailua, Hawaii 96734
USA
Tel: +1 808 777 0548
Email: dan@cacaoservices.com
HONDURAS
Anibal Ayala Ayala
Director Ejecutivo
Federación Nacional de Productores de Cacao de Honduras (FENAPROCACAHO)
Barrio El Banco, 1ra Calle, 5ta Avenida,
Choloma, Cortes
Honduras
Tel: +504 9991 5643
Email: cacaohonduras@aprocacaho.com
Website: https://fenaprocacaho.org/
Leslie Jeaneth Salgado Artica
Secretaria Técnica de la cadena de cacao
Secretaria de agricultura y ganadería
Tegucigalpa
Honduras
Tel: +504 9970 7187
Email: leslie_salgado11@yahoo.com.mx
Sindy Anibeth Mejia Andrade
Responsable asistencia tecnica
FENAPROCACAHO
Barrio El Banco, 1ra Calle, 5ta Avenida,
Choloma, Cortes
Honduras
Tel: +504 9441 8600
Email: sindy.mejia @fenaprocacaho.org
Website: https://fenaprocacaho.org/
Alondra Julieth Sanchez Cardenas
Responsable comercialización
APROCACAHO
Barrio El Banco, 1ra Calle, 5ta Avenida,
Choloma, Cortes
Honduras
Tel: +504 8830 6082
Email: exportacion@aprocacaho.com
INDONESIA
Noor Ariefandie Febrianto
Post-harvest Researcher
Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute (ICCRI)
Jl. PB Sudirman 90 Jember 68118
Indonesia
Tel: +62 331 757 130
Email: noor.ariefandie@gmail.com
Website: www.iccri.net
JAMAICA
Shanika Newman
Senior Director Cocoa, Coconut & Spices Division
Jamaica Agricultural Commodities Regulatory Authority
1 Willie Henry Drive, Kingston 13
Jamaica W. I.
Tel: +876 758 1259 / +876 758-3907 / +876 758-1442
Email: cocoa@jacra.org
Website: www.jacra.org
MADAGASCAR
Zandrintsoa, Jean Elysé
Helvetas
Ambanja
Tel: +261 32 03 613 22
Email: elyse.zandrintsoa@helvetas.org; elyse81@gmail.com
Disy Zara, Elina
FOFIFA
Ambanja-Téléphone: +261 32 40 949 20
E-mail: elinadisy@gmail.com
Desana, Kenny Fardou
Secrétaire Exécutif Adjoint
Conseil National du Cacao
Enceinte CirAgri, 203, Ambanja
Madagascar
Tel: +261 34 32 324 25
Email: desana.fardou@gmail.com
MALAYSIA
Dr. Ahmad Kamil bin Hj. Mohd. Jaaffar
Deputy Director General – Research & Development
Lembaga Koko Malaysia (Malaysian Cocoa Board)
Tingkat 5,6 & 7, Wisma SEDCO, Lorong Plaza Wawasan, Off Coastal Highway, Beg Berkunci 211, 88999 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Malaysia
Tel: +60 139321306
E-mail: kamil@koko.gov.my
Website: www.koko.gov.my
Suzannah Sharif
Director of Cocoa Downstream Technology Division
Lembaga Koko Malaysia (Malaysian Cocoa Board)
Cocoa Innovation and Technology Centre, Lot 12621, Kawasan Perindustrian Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan
Malaysia
Tel: +60 193355516
E-mail: suzannah@koko.gov.my
Dr. Badrul Hisyam Zainuddin
Research Officer
Lembaga Koko Malaysia (Malaysian Cocoa Board)
Cocoa Innovation and Technology Centre, Lot 12621, Kawasan Perindustrian Nilai, 71800 Nilai, Negeri Sembilan
Malaysia
Tel: +60 166881362
E-mail: badrul@koko.gov.my
Aizat Japar
Research Officer
Lembaga Koko Malaysia (Malaysian Cocoa Board)
Tingkat 5,6 & 7, Wisma SEDCO, Lorong Plaza Wawasan, Off Coastal Highway, Beg Berkunci 211, 88999 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Malaysia
Email: aizat@koko.gov.my
MARTINIQUE
Kora Bernabé
Présidente
VALCACO - Association des producteurs de cacao de Martinique
Chez le PARM, 375 impasse petit morne
97232 Le Lamentin
Martinique
Tel: +596 696 44 26 30 / +596 696 85 30 22
Email : kora.bernabe@gmail.com
MEXICO
Dra. Ana Laura Reyes Reyes
National Institute for Forestry, Agriculture and Livestock Research (INIFAP)
Campo Experimental Rosario Izapa-INIFAP
Km. 18, Carretera Tapachula-Cacahoatán
Tuxtla Chico, Chiapas, CP. 30780
Mexico
Tel: +52 9641005780
Email: reyes.ana@inifap.gob.mx
Dr. Pedro García Alamilla
División Académica de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco Carretera Villahermosa-Teapa, Km. 25, ranchería la Huasteca, segunda sección
CP. 86290
Mexico
Tel: +52 9932150675
Email: pedro.garciaa@ujat.mx
NIGERIA
Dr. Festus Olakunle Olasupo
Head, Cocoa Flavor Laboratory
Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN)
Km 14, Ibadan - Ijebu ode road, Idi Ayunre
Ibadan
Nigeria
Tel: (+234) 8055275698 / (+234) 8143287703
Email: festusolasupo@gmail.com
Dr. Patrick O. Adebola
Executive Director
Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN)
Km 14, Ibadan - Ijebu ode road, Idi Ayunre
Ibadan
Nigeria
Tel: +2348039784154, +2348170510918
Email: adebolapatrick@yahoo.com, directorcrin@yahoo.com
PAPUA NEW GUINEA - AUTONOMOUS REGION OF BOUGAINVILLE (AROB)
James Butubu
Chief Compliance officer
Autonomous Bougainvile Government - Department of Primary Industries (Bougainville Commodities Regulation Authority)
P.O. Box 322, Buka, Autonomous Region of Bougainville (AROB)
Papua New Guinea
Tel: +675 72722185 / +675 81801173
Email: butubu@yahoo.com.au
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Naithel Wartovo
Field services, Export Quality Assurance Manager
Cocoa Board of Papua New Guinea
PO Box 532, Kokopo, East New Britain Province
Papua New Guinea
Tel: +675 982 9083 / +675 982 8712 (fax)
Email: naithelwartovo20@gmail.com; quality.manager@cocoaboard.org.pg
PERU
Luis Alberto Mendoza Aguilar
Gerente General
Asociación Peruana de Productores de Cacao (APPCACAO)
Jr. Saenz Peña 525 Int 605,
Magdalena del Mar,
Lima
Peru
Tel: +51 01 566 6067
Email: gerencia@appcacao.org
Website: www.appcacao.org
PHILIPPINES
Consul Armi Lopez Garcia
Chairperson
Philippines Cacao Industry Council (PCIC)
President
Philippine Cacao Industry Association Inc. (PCIA Inc)
PCIA Office, Armson Complex, P. Remedio, Mandaue City 6014
Philippines
Tel: +63 917-322-2764 / +63 920-963-4510
Email: armilopezgarcia@yahoo.com ; phcacaocouncil@gmail.com
Website: www.pcia.ph
PUERTO RICO
Viviana Medina
President
V.M.R. Consulting LLC
1 Tierra del Sol, Apt 198,
Humacao, PR 00791
Puerto Rico
Tel: +1 787-431-0100
Email: vmedinarodriguez49@gmail.com
Eduardo Cortés
President
Verde Paraíso/Cortés Hermanos
Calle Manuel Camuñas,
San Juan, 00916
Puerto Rico
Tel: +1 787-600-2797
Email: eduardo@verdeparaiso.com
SIERRA LEONE
Didan Sankoh
Director
Produce Monitoring Board
DELCO House – 10 Lightfoot Boston Street Freetown
Sierra Leone
Tel: +232 78 487790
Email: didansankoh@gmail.com
TAIWAN
Tsui-Lan Chang
Chairman of the Association
Taiwan Cocoa and Chocolate Industry Association
No. 11, Fuxing Road, Changzhi Township, Pingtung County, 900
Taiwan
Email: ticcacocoa@gmail.com
Website: www.ticca.org.tw/
THAILAND
Bordin Charoenpongchai
Founder and CEO
Thailand Craft Chocolate Festival (TCCF)
657 Pattanakarn 61 Pravet Bangkok 10250
Thailand
Tel: +66 865651005
E-mail: tccfthailand@gmail.com
Website: www.tccfthailand.com
TOGO
Enselme Gouthon
Secrétaire Général
Comité de Coordination pour les Filières Café et Cacao (CCFCC)
Immeuble Direction du Conditionnement des Produits (DCP) - Zone Portuaire
BP: 8582 Lomé
Togo
Tel: +228 22 27 09 45
E-mail: ccfcctogo@gmail.com
Ayi Koffi Adden
Secrétaire Administratif
Comité de Coordination pour les Filières Café et Cacao (CCFCC)
Immeuble Direction du Conditionnement des Produits (DCP) - Zone Portuaire
BP: 8582 Lomé
Togo
Tel: +228 91391005
E-mail: brunoaddenccfcc@gmail.com
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
Mala Partap
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (CDCTTL)
Kumul Highway 0000
Port Vila
Tel: +678 77 59 664
Email: mala.partap@cdcttl.co.tt
UGANDA
Gordon Katwirenabo
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Services Manager
Uganda Coffee Development Authority
Coffee House, plot 35 Jinja Road
P.O. Box 7267, Kampala
Uganda
Email: gordon.katwirenabo@ugandacoffee.go.ug
Website: www.ugandacoffee.go.ug
VANUATU
Olivier Fernandez
Chairman
Vanuatu Cocoa Industry Association (VCIA)
16 Mulchan Seuchan Road, Chaguanas
Trinidad and Tobago
Vanuatu
Tel: +1 868 671 1001
Email: olivier@gastonchocolat.com
Marie Melteras
Vice-Chairlady
Vanuatu Cocoa Industry Association (VCIA)
VARTC Santo 0000
Luganville
Vanuatu
Tel: +678 77 50 154
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