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In the second half of the 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, cacao boomed in Ecuador. 50,000 hectares were under cultivation and landowners and exporters bought titles and left their properties to sojourn for extended periods to France, bringing with them their extravagant customs and manners. Even Vinces, a small town in Ecuador and one of the main hubs of the cacao trade, became known as “Little Paris,” with its elegant homes.

In the 20th century, Ecuador produced up to 40,000 metric tons annually, and now in 2011, that volume has tripled and surpassed 130,000 metric tons annually, with over 400,000 hectares under cultivation. However, Ecuador still only represents approximately 4% of the world’s cacao production. In 2010, Ecuador exported approximately $402 million worth of cacao, including semi-processed products such as cocoa powder, liquor, and cocoa butter.

Since 2007, cacao prices have been climbing gradually, averaging approximately a 5% increase yearly. The principal cause for this increase has been the political and civil conflict in the Ivory Coast, which produces over 33% of the world’s cacao and is the world’s largest producer. As well, growing demand from China and India has also influenced prices.

Ecuador is making efforts to keep up with the world’s demand. With advances in gene identification of cacao varieties and help from the National Cacao Program of Ecuador’s National Agricultural Research Institute, 15 clones with fine aroma characteristics, including flavor, aroma, disease resistance and productivity even higher than CCN-51 are being tested.

Ecuador is the world’s largest producer of fine aroma cacao (providing up to 70% of the world’s supply). With the proper support from industry and government, Ecuador is likely to gain increasing recognition as the world’s largest supplier of fine grade cacao.