Francisco Zalles, a professor at Hespérides University and a researcher at the Ecuadorian Institute of Economic Policy (IEEP), moved to the Galápagos and quickly identified these pressing challenges. Alongside IEEP, Zalles led the creation of the Galápagos Observatory. This initiative recently published its first investigative report, analyzing the adverse effects of population control, subsidies, and a sprawling bureaucracy.
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* the full selection (eight) https://ebay.com/itm/388032482652
* 10 dark (70 percent cacao) https://ebay.com/itm/388032562183
* 10 milk (45 percent cacao) https://ebay.com/itm/388032562183
In this episode, Elmer Pineda shares how they faced a pivotal moment: shut down the business or innovate. They chose innovation, spending two to three years developing a compelling brand with flavors that match Honduras's rich cacao, which has a slightly more fat (cacao butter) content.
Pineda's unique approach, pushing the boundaries of taste creativity, allowed them to compete with well-known US and Swiss brands at Honduran supermarkets and garner international prizes. Pineda has also weaned his farm off pesticides and is pursuing organic certification, in an effort to meet the needs of the high-end market.I was able to bring back a small quantity of Pineda's chocolate with me to Colorado.
Show notes: https://impunityobserver.com/2025/03/04/paths-value-added-cacao-harvest-honduras/